She’s been dubbed a ‘good little samaritan.?
Three-year-old Andrea Joyce was riding her bike with seven-year-old sister, Tara, inside the tennis courts at Clarkston High School Monday, April 14, when she found a wallet with more than $50 inside.
‘It’s a safe place for them to ride their bikes,? dad Sean said, who was looking on as the girls rode their bikes that evening.
Andrea, being the curious one she is, took a break from the riding to explore the courts. That meant peeking into the holes that hold the poles from the tennis nets. Inside one of them, she found the wallet.
‘She’s always looking in holes,? Tara said. ‘She looks for pennies.?
Andrea, who’s a Funshine preschooler, picked up the wallet and went running to dad, ‘I found a real wallet!?
‘I said, ‘no you didn’t.?? Tara, an Independence Elementary student, recalled. ‘She said, ‘yes, I did!??
Inside was $54, which belonged to Sohail Balasubramanian, an 18-year-old boy and senior at Farmington High School.
Since Andrea found the wallet, it was her responsibility to return it. Sean called Sohail right away to arrange a time to return the wallet.
Sohail had just returned home after his varsity tennis match against Clarkston, when he got the call from Sean.
‘I didn’t know I lost my wallet. I had just got back from my tennis game. I was surprised when her father said he wanted to make sure I got my wallet back.?
On Wednesday, April 16 Andrea, Tara and mom Kathy drove out to Lake Orion High School, where Sohail’s school was having a tennis match, to give him back his wallet.
‘It was very nice of them to drive all the way out to my match in Lake Orion. I should’ve been the one to drive out to them,? Sohail said.
According to Michigan High School Athletic Association rules, Sohail couldn’t step off the courts once his match began, so he couldn’t meet with Andrea and her family.
‘I feel bad I couldn’t step off the court for a couple minutes,? he said. ‘I really appreciate what they did. I was very lucky.?
Kathy said, ‘We just wanted to teach them the right thing. That it’s not finders keepers.?
?(Andrea’s) our good little samaritan. We’re proud of her,? she said.