A Brisbane family is keen to be reunited with a sentimental accordion after it was mistaken for a kerbside collection item outside a home in a Kenmore cul-de-sac.
Kylie Jayasinghe told ABC Radio's Steve Austin her father-in-law was loading the instrument into the car on November 3 to play at a family member's 21st birthday before accidentally driving away without it.
Ms Jayasinghe said the missing instrument may have been accidentally mistaken for a kerbside collection item.
"But it's a very wanted and valuable musical instrument in terms of its sentimental value," she said.
Ms Jayasinghe said there was no kerbside collection taking place in the neighbourhood when the according went missing.
"When he returned an hour later it was gone," she said.
"We think it has been picked up and it's an easy mistake to make, but it wasn't out there to be collected," she said.
Sentimental significance
Ms Jayasinghe said the accordion was used as a communication tool between her 14-year-old non-verbal son and his 89-year-old grandfather.
"Oscar, my son, has no verbal communication but loves music," she said.
"So this has been a thing that they've bonded over and Oscar will lie down or sit at his feet for ages while his grandfather plays this accordion.
"It's a source of enjoyment for both of them, but also for all of us, just to see that lovely relationship between them."
Ms Jayasinghe said Oscar bonded with his grandfather, known as Seeya, by dragging the accordion to ask him to play.
"It's got huge sentimental value for us," she said.
"And that's why we would really appreciate it if anyone knows of its whereabouts that they return it."
Ms Jayasinghe said the instrument, which was almost 20 years old, was played at every birthday celebration.
"It is played at all our family's birthday parties and was going to be played for my son Oliver's 21st birthday the day it went missing," she said.
Returning the instrument to rightful owners
Ms Jayasinghe said they had been knocking on neighbours' doors, handing out flyers, and posting on Facebook in an attempt to retrieve the accordion.
"It is red and has the keyboard on one side and the squeezebox is on the other side," she said.
"It's quite big and has dimensions of around 60 centimetres by 50 centimetres, and is reasonably heavy and pretty with shiny red enamel on the keyboard side.
"The brand is Preddie and it is the smaller size accordion but it is still a large instrument."
If anyone knows of the accordion's whereabouts contact ABC Brisbane.
