The designer bag that was not as it seemed...

Before I tell you what happened, you need to know my sister. She is 2 and a half years older than me and obsessed with all things fashion. She has the latest and the greatest. The more expensive the better! And her favourite part? The big shindy badge with the brand name! I always borrow her clothes under strict instruction to "Bring it back clean and in one piece!" I must admit she is extremely generous.. just sometimes a little bit scary! (Don't tell her I said that!) Anyway...

My partner and I were in between houses and staying with my mum. We had a Boxer dog name Milo (the light of our lives) who was also staying at mums place. She did have a 5 bedroom house so there was enough room! My sister isn't a fan of pets. The fur gets on her designer clothes and expensive outfits. Each to their own! We had moved from the Central Coast and were moving in to Sydney, around an hour and half difference, so I was also starting a new job.

On my first day on said job I wanted to make a real impression, so I went into my sisters old bedroom, I should probably add here that at this stage she was coming to and from mums place and would leave some of her work things there so it was easier in case she stayed the night. Anyway, I was in my sisters bedroom and saw a black Michael Kors tote bag on the top shelf of her wardrobe. I had to climb up to get it down and when I did it was pretty empty. There was an old can of tuna (unopened obviously) and a nice Horse watch with a leather band. Thinking too myself that she wouldn't/know if I borrowed it for the first day at work. I helped myself to the watch too, considering it matched my new outfit so nicely it would be a waste not where it wouldn't it?

My first day at the new job was great and people even commented on said watch! The bag was fine and Yes! I had gotten away with it. As I arrived home, after telling mum and partner about how great my first day went, my sister rang and asked us out for dinner to celebrate the new job! "Yay" I thought to myself, my day can't get any better.

We went down to the local pub and the conversation was light and flowing (we all do get along very well!) It was winter and I was wearing a long sleeve cardigan. The air-conditioning inside the pub must have been on warm and half way through dinner I rolled up my sleeves My sister looked up with a questioning look. "Um.." she said in a tone that made everyone stop eating (did I mention she was a little scary?) "Where did you get that watch from?" Without even thinking I said "from your bag.." "Not my Michael Kors bag?" "Yeah." I said, beginning to panic. As I said my sister is very generous and usually, had I have asked, she would have given me whatever I wanted. "What?! Are you serious? That's my good work bag! It cost me $600 ($440 usd) and my friend Sam and I have the exact same one! You can have whatever you want just not that!" Feeling like the evil sister I apologised and "promised that I hadn't used it and it was still in her wardrobe" (mental note: put it back exactly where I found it. She has a sixth sense about these things). "I take it away for work too so I will need it soon." "Of course! It's still where you left it!" She seemed ok with the answer and dinner continued with a hit.

We got home and as we pulled into the driveway mum turned and said "You need to go and put your sisters bag back straight away." "Of course I will." I replied confidently. We walked inside and Milo, the Boxer came up excitedly to say hello. As we walked up the stairs and into the kitchen, on the floor was a can of tuna, in the middle of nowhere. A very familiar can of tuna. Shrugging it off I turned the other way and continued down the hall way and stopped dead, remembering where I had seen that can of tuna before. I turned back around, my brain deciding it wasn't worth it and went silent, thanks! I walked back out into the kitchen. Nothing. I walked over into the loungeroom. There in the middle of the floor was my sisters Michael Kors bag, the one that I had promised was safe in her wardrobe. It definitely was not safe.. it was in two pieces on the floor. Two pieces doesn't sound too bad does it? However, the two pieces consisted of the straps and top of the bag, and the rest of the bag with its lining ripped! So could not just replace the straps etc. I was screwed. Mum walked in the room behind me and I could just hear her breathing change. I walked over to the lounge and sat down, picking up the now two bags as I went. Milo came over and put his head on my knee, knowing something was wrong but not that he was the source of my complete desperation. Not having the thought capacity to be angry I scratched his head and looked at mum (My partner at this point had realised what was going on and had run into the bedroom and shut the door.) "I think this is the worst thing I have ever done." Mum had no response. I could see the cogs ticking in her mind. Bless her. Always trying to find a resolution to our problems. "I don't have $600 to buy her a new one either!" "If you can wait until pay day I can buy it and you can pay me back when you can." Aren't mums great? "And if it doesn't get here in time for her to go overseas? She knows I've had it now! I'm so stupid! Why did I have to flaunt that stupid watch!"

After a few minutes, my partner walked out and stopped in the archway. "Just buy her a fakey." He said, like it was the simplest answer ever. "She will know!" I said. "...Will she?" Mum said. "Some of those fake ones are actually pretty good!" “I don’t know.. Imagine if she found out.” “Lets just have a look anyway.” Mum was always the voice of reason. After looking for hours through every avenue possible we found a number of bags that looked similar but had different shaped handles, different badge, different lining. We were ready to give up when I clicked on an eBay advertisement for a *REAL! Michael Kors bag.* I clicked on the picture and it looked exactly the same and it was only $60! I couldn’t believe it. “Should I buy it?” I asked mum excitedly. Maybe I was going to get away with this. “Absolutely.” I put in my Credit Card details and hit send.

After 3 days I had heard nothing. The weekend was coming and I was beginning to panic. I had messaged the seller and had no response. Again, panic stations. Had I just lost a Michael Kors bag and 60 bucks? I was ready to tell my sister the truth when on the 4th day I got a response from my seller. “Sorry for the late reply. I have been really busy with my children. I sent the bag yesterday so if should be there by Monday.” Great! Monday here we come! I had never looked forward to a Monday so much! However, Monday came and went and no bag. I sent another message “Hi! Just wanted to let you know Your bag still hasn’t arrived.” A few hours later. “Oh, sorry I am sending it this afternoon.” What?! “I thought you said you had sent it on Friday!?” After a few texts back and forth it turns out that her partner told her he had sent it and didn’t and after asking for my money back she promised she would sent it that afternoon. We’ll see I thought. This is a disaster!

Thursday lunchtime, I am sitting at my desk dreamily looking at the Tropical Island I was running away to when my phone binged with a message from mum. “Bag has arrived. Will leave it or you to open. Xx” YES!!! “No! Open it, make sure its ok and put it in the wardrobe! We cannot afford any other setbacks!!” “OK”.

I pulled into the driveway after work and took the stairs two at a time. “Well??” The look on mum’s face told me everything. “What’s wrong with it?” Remember when my sister said she had the same one as her friend Sam? So that means it had to be exactly the same! Mum pulled out the bag. It looked fine, maybe the straps where a little thin but no one would ever notice. What she would notice though was what was missing. The famous badge. The one with the capital MK wrapped around the strap. I was missing. “I’m screwed.” Is all I could say. Where the hell am I going to get one of those from?? We threw evidence of the other bag out!” Mum looked at me with her all knowing eyes. “No we didn’t. It’s in the top of my wardrobe!” She went and grabbed it, put the badge on the new bag and said in a tone that said this was it now there’s nothing else we can do “Go and put this bag where you found it, put the can of tuna and the watch inside it and shut the door!” I did exactly what I was told and shut her bedroom door behind me.

A few weeks later, mum asked me if I had heard from my sister about her bag. “No.” I said. “Is it still there?” I went in and looked in the wardrobe… No bag! “She must have taken it.” Mum said when I told her. “This MUST forever stay between you and me! No one can know!”

To this day 12 months later, my sister had never said anything about her Michael Kors bag. Maybe I will tell her at her 50th?...