The Paper Map

Sofia arrived in Dublin on a rainy Tuesday morning. It was her first trip to Ireland, and she was very excited. She took a bus from the airport to the city center.

The bus was full, and Sofia was tired after the long flight. When the bus stopped, she got off quickly with her big suitcase.

After five minutes, she put her hand in her pocket. Her phone wasn't there. She checked her bag. She checked her coat. Nothing. Her phone was on the bus.

Sofia stood in the rain and felt terrible. Her map was on her phone. The address of her hostel was on her phone. Everything was on her phone!

She walked into a small bookshop to get out of the rain. An old woman was reading behind the counter.

“Are you okay, love?” the woman asked. “You look worried.”

Sofia told her the whole story. The woman listened, and then she smiled. “Don't worry. Dublin is smaller than you think. What's the name of your hostel?”

Sofia remembered the name: the Green Door Hostel. The woman took a paper bag and drew a map on it. “It's ten minutes from here. Go left at the river and cross the old bridge.”

Then she called the bus company for Sofia. “Good news,” she said after the call. “Someone found a phone on the airport bus. You can get it tomorrow.”

Sofia wanted to give her some money, but the woman said no. “Just buy a book before you go home,” she said.

Sofia found the hostel easily. The next day, she got her phone back. But for the rest of the week, she didn't use it to find her way. She bought a paper map of the city. It was slower, but it was more fun.

And before she flew home, she went back to the little bookshop and bought three books.