Teen Returns Lost Wallet and Finds Unlikely New Friendship

Quick Smiles:

• Dee Harkrider, 61, accidentally left her wallet in a shopping cart at a Walmart in Forrest City, Arkansas. The wallet was found by Delivontae Johnson, a 19-year-old student, who decided to return it to its rightful owner.
• Using the driver’s license in the wallet, Johnson tracked down Harkrider on Facebook and delivered the wallet back to her, even when she was miles away visiting a friend.
• A unique bond has formed between Harkrider and Johnson following this act of kindness. Despite their age difference, Harkrider has become close to Johnson, likening him to one of her own grandsons, and even participating in his family events.

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When Dee Harkrider, 61, completed her routine shopping trip at a local Walmart in Forrest City, Arkansas, she didn’t notice that her wallet had slipped from her possession, left behind in an abandoned cart.

As luck would have it, 19-year-old Delivontae Johnson, who had just driven into the lot for a new tire, stumbled upon it.

Upon discovering the wallet, complete with Harkrider’s driver’s license, cash, and bank cards, Johnson felt an immediate sense of responsibility.

“I had to try to find out who this lady was,” Johnson tells PEOPLE, “and return her wallet.”

In a clever act of modern detective work, Johnson used the information on Harkrider’s driver’s license to track her down on Facebook.

Despite his initial message not receiving an immediate response, Johnson didn’t give up.

He reached out to one of Harkrider’s Facebook friends, Elaine Keown, who swiftly contacted Harkrider with the fantastic news.

However, there was a slight hiccup; Harkrider was miles away, visiting a friend in Palestine.

Undeterred, Johnson made a quick U-turn and the two arranged to meet in a restaurant parking lot.

“I gave him a big old hug,” Harkrider fondly recalls. “I’m relieved we have young people out there like him.”

Since their chance meeting, an unexpected friendship has blossomed.

Despite the generation gap, Harkrider, a grandmother of seven, and Johnson, a student working towards his commercial driving license, have bonded over this incident of kindness.

Harkrider has even been welcomed into the Johnson family celebrations, attending a recent baby shower.

“I’ve got two grandsons, 17 years old, and Delivontae’s like one of my own now,” Harkrider proudly shares. “I tell him I love him all the time.”

For Johnson, the experience has been a heartening one, turning a good deed into a valuable relationship.

“People nowadays, they have a lot of bad things to say about teenagers,” he reflects.

“My concern was returning the wallet to who it belonged to. I feel great now.”

This story serves as a wonderful reminder that sometimes, it’s the unexpected twists in life that bring us the most joy.

It’s more than just a tale of a returned wallet; it’s about the special connection formed in the most unanticipated circumstances.

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