After housesitting for some relatives for 2 separate weeks, I returned to my apartment and put things back into their rightful places.
  But...something was missing.
My Rachael Stephens handle comb, which I used to work oil into the ends of my hair was nowhere to be found. 

I searched my apartment and car...even went back to my relatives' place to look for it there...but to no avail. Finally, I gave a full description of it to my aunt (the lady of the house) and asked if she'd seen such an object.

To my horror, she answered, "That sounds just like the one I threw away!" 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Needless to say, I was disappointed, but at least she gave me money to replace it. 

Yikes!  I wonder why she threw it away?  I mean, if it were me, I would have just stuck it in a drawer somewhere.  Ah well, at least you can get a new one. 

Cynde

Holy smokes! I wonder why she tossed it out too?  Next time hide your stuff!!

, Glad that you can replace it,

*doing tv commercial lady voice* And now you can buy 2, for the price of 1 at... http://uncommonscents.com/hair-brushes.html

a few days a go Anais Satin said they are having a 50%off of Racheal Stephens combs, so THANKS Anais Satin!

p.s.the handle comb is at the very bottom of the page

So last night, I went to uncommonscents.com and ordered a new handle comb at half price.  Somedays, you just get lucky.

The only explanation that my aunt offered at the time was that she found it in her mailbox (I'll explain later), thought it was some type of clever advertisement and simply tossed it out. She was rather embarrassed to admit this when she learned that it was actually a prized and rather expensive possession of mine.

Now as to why she found it in her mailbox.... as a general rule, if one of her family "finds" a random object lying around (in the yard, etc.), they put it in the mailbox. I can only surmise that it would be easier for someone who has recently misplaced something to find it there. *shrug* I'm afraid I don't quite understand their methods sometimes.

Anyway, my theory is that it may have slipped out of my bag, as I walked from the house to my car, and landed in the front yard somewhere.
  Naturally, one of the family would find it there, and place it in the mailbox where my aunt would later find it. The rest you now know.

Either that, OR she harbours a secret vendetta against my hair, knew the object was mine all the while and threw it away out of spite.  hehe

Do you think that your relative is trying to express her disapproval of your long hair, or growing of long hair from short? I mean maybe that comb represent this dedication to hair? Or am I going to far?