"Just pick up the pieces," rang in my head when I walked into the teacher's lounge. I usually enjoy the aromatic bloom of a cup of freshly brewed coffee before class. But this day, my steps crackled. Looking down, I saw shards of glass.

Just as I retreated, Elizabeth, a fellow teacher, walked in and asked, "What happened?"

I glanced up, and I heard myself in a childlike voice say, "Wasn't me." Then I continued in a more adult tone, "It looks like someone did a hit and run. Broke the coffeepot and took off. No idea who did it."

Elizabeth asked, "Do you think it could be her?"

"You know, I wouldn't want to accuse, but I know she usually comes early and makes the coffee and has a cup or two."

"Okay, let's get this mess cleaned up." Elizabeth said and went to the closet, brought out a broom and dustpan. I carefully picked up the plastic coffeepot handle and two large fragments of glass. Elizabeth swept up the remaining bits and dumped them into the wastepaper can. We went on to our classrooms without our usual cups of liquid energy.

During my free period, I ambled back to the teachers' lounge to relax. I arrived and found the mystery solved. There, to my surprise, on the coffee table was a brand-new Keurig K Supreme automatic coffee maker with a note that said, "Sorry for the mess, but I needed to buy the new coffee maker and get back before a parent conference. Hope you all enjoy the new coffee machine." The note was signed, Mary Gerrard, Principal.