Fortuitous serendipity

Introduction

My most important possession is a little black notebook my wife got me for my birthday. Yet in order to explain why it's so important you first have to know a few things about me. My name is Marcus Stones, I am a 30-year-old veteran who just found out he has ADHD. Although I've never been formally diagnosed, with the benefit of hindsight I now realize how it's been a defining part of my life. As a child I thought I was simply prone to procrastination, You see, I grew up poor and black in the American south. My entire life I've struggled with depression and anxiety. My father was never in the picture and I learned early that bringing such issues to my mom would simply result in her attempting to pray my struggles away. I have nothing against prayer but praying never helped my brain learn to function in a world not built for me. I can often be quite forgetful and thus keeping a list of goals, tasks and general thoughts can be so crucial to my everyday life.

When I was still in the military it was immensely important that others be able to rely on me. Forgetting the smallest detail could result in the death or harm of myself or even worse my fellow Marines. It was due to this understanding that I first adopted the strategy of always carrying a notebook with me. My notebooks became a sort of second brain. A brain that never forgot little important details or had to struggle to recall information from a cloud of thoughts. A brain that was organized as I was patient. I always carry a notebook with me to jot down any thoughts or ideas, keep a detailed schedule and a list of important details such as emergency contacts or important dates.

The final thing you should know is that on April 9th of 2020 at 1.11 pm I died. My breath and heart stopped and my second brain ended up in the hands of a stranger. This is the story of the twelve hours leading up to that moment and the twelve hours afterward that changed everything.

April 9th, 1 am - Stones household

Marcus sat solemnly in the home office he and his wife shared. Liza had gone to bed at a normal hour but Marcus simply could not sleep. The blue light of his computer screen illuminated his pensive face as he typed. He had been working on refining a business idea for years and had decided to start his own non-profit dedicated to helping transitioning veterans and college students move into fulfilling careers in fields dedicated to sociology, criminology and especially victimology. For the last six months, he had been working to develop a complete business plan and now it was finally nearly completed. Marcus sat back in his chair letting out a long sigh of relief. He had been so close to completing this all week that he hadn't touched any of his creative writing projects. Tomorrow he would head to his favorite cafe and put all the finishing touches on his business plan then reward himself with a pastry and some creative writing. Nothing made his mind feel more clear than completing a large task and thoughts of tomorrow made him almost too excited to sleep. Maybe he’d just write a bit more, he opened the black notebook his wife had bought him and began writing down detailed notes of everything contained within his business plan. This took him hours yet he didn't realize the time at all. When he was done, he flipped to the back of the same book where he reserved space for daily goals and began writing a list of all the tasks he hoped to accomplish later that day. Marcus had no idea that he’d accomplish them all just in time to fail at a task he didn't yet know of.

April 9th, 8 am - Stones Household

Marcus scurried around the kitchen making tea, cutting strawberries, and flipping omelets for himself and Liza. their dog Blueberry (a 90-pound grey pitbull) followed him around expectantly hoping for a gift or a happy accident. Honestly, there was no need for him to rush around like this but this was how his mind worked. Marcus was always either juggling multiple tasks for no reason or solely focused on one when there were others to worry about as well. Liza always said he needed a second brain to contain and focus his aspirations. Marcus had just finished moving breakfast to the table as Liza made her way downstairs. The first time Marcus saw Liza each day was his favorite moment, to him she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Liza had landed her dream job this year as a social scientist and consultant for Gender and maternal health non-profits. Marcus aspired to be more like his wife but their minds were so different. He knew that the path to his success would look different that hers.

“Good Morning my love” Her voice rang out like music to him as she reached the breakfast nook.

“Good morning beautiful, how'd you sleep?'' Martin replied.

Liz sat down cupping her warm teacup in her cold hands

“Good! Did you sleep at all last night? I hope you didn't stay up all night again.”

Marcus’s mouth was full of omelet at this point making it easy to dodge that question but his face said it all.

“You have to get sleep my love," Liza said somberly in a loving tone “it's hard to be creative with a sleep-deprived brain.

Marcus knew this to be true in most cases but also knew from experience that sometimes his craziest story ideas were born from insomnia. Marcus took a sip of tea and spoke

“Sorry love, I just lost track of time again”.

Liz responded softly “I know baby, did you get a lot done?”

this question excited Marcus as he replied

“So much! I finished my business plan finally, I just need to edit it today so I was gonna head to the coffee shop for a few hours later”

Liza smiled as she congratulated her husband then she changed topics

“I should be done with work by 1:30 pm today, I was thinking of taking Blueberry on a hike if you want to join.”

Marcus loved hiking with his family, his dog got so excited out on the trail and it warmed his heart.

“That sounds like an excellent idea, I promise to make it home by 1:30” Liz smiled and the two finished eating with no idea that they'd both be rushing towards st. Francis hospital at 1:30 pm and only one of them would be conscious when they arrived.

April 9th, 1 pm - District compass coffee shop

Marcus loved working at this coffee shop, so many interesting people came here every day that it was easy to get distracted by people watching. The shop was located downtown on the corner of two busy streets in the business district so he got to observe everyone from successful business people to the hopeful creatives trying to find their place in the world. People watching was one of his favorite pastimes. Sometimes when he felt stuck while working on a story he’d simply close his laptop and dissociate for a while as he took in the passive details of his surroundings. Today was definitely one of those days, Marcus had completed his business plan awhile ago and the dopamine rush he felt gave him the temporary energy boost to start working on one of his many unfinished novels. He had scribbled out a few chapters when his mind started to go blank leaving a single thought to cross his mind “I definitely should have gotten more than two hours of sleep last night”. Marcus didn't feel physically tired at all but it was the mental exhaustion that overwhelmed his mind. That feeling made it so that he didn't even realize he had been staring at a well-dressed man frantically packing his things. He was a black guy probably around 45 years old with long dreaded hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. Marcus had never seen him here before but he could tell the man was in a hurry. His mind wandered with free-flowing thoughts about the man. What was he late for? I wonder where he works? I hope he makes it to his destination on time. One by one these thoughts swept through his head until one finally snapped him out of his daze “oh shit, what time is it?” Marcus quickly reached for his phone which he had placed face down on the table to avoid distractions. 1:09 pm his next thoughts were a series of repeating expletives as he now also rushed to collect his belongings. Marcus knew that he should have left by 1:05 if he wanted to make it home in time but he’d be able to if he hurried. Luckily he had planned ahead and was already dressed for hiking with his khaki cargo pants and long sleeve grey t-shirt. Dumping his belongings into his bag he scanned his area one last time and was lucky to realize he almost left his black notebook sitting on the seat next to him. Marcus grabbed it and turned on his heels heading for the exit. Stepping out onto the busy sidewalk he was struck immediately with the thought to power walk as fast as he can. As a black man, he knew better than to be seen running through the business district not dressed in running attire. He hated the thought of possibly being stopped and bothered by someone who thought he stole something so he took off in a brisk power walk wondering if he'd make it in time. He'd soon realize that the answer was no, as he stepped to pass the opening of an underground parking garage, a vehicle moving far too fast exploded from the opening making violent contact with his body. Marcus’s body soared through the air limply as the impact rendered him unconscious immediately but it was the second impact with a moving car on the street that stopped his heart.

April 9th, 8 pm - St. Francis hospital - Bellamy Wing

Liza couldn't help but blame herself as she beheld her husband's body. She knew that if she could speak with him he'd tell her that none of this was her fault. Deep down she knew that was true but it was hard to see his battered body and not feel the strongest version of every emotion. Luckily he had received immediate medical attention on-site, They had been able to restart his heart before either of them even arrived at the hospital and most of his body only suffered minor abrasions thanks to the hiking clothes he had been wearing. He had a few broken ribs but aside from that the nurses said he just needed rest and he'd make a full recovery. The laptop in Marcus' bag was not so lucky, it had been snapped in half by one of the impacts which may have also provided some protection. Marcus’s birthday was in a few days and Liza had been planning to surprise him with a weekend cabin getaway. She had intended to tell him during their hike today which obviously never happened but now all she could think of was the past day's events. Liza's mind rushed with hypothetical questions, what if he had gotten more sleep? what if he wasn't wearing hiking clothes? What if after what if ran through her anxiety-ridden mind until suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door

April 10th, 1 am - St. Francis hospital - Bellamy Wing

When Marcus awoke his throat was drier than a desert. His ribcage and the entire left side of his body hummed with slight pain. His hospital bed was folded into a semi-seated position and the first thing he saw before he moved was the beautiful resting face of his wife asleep in a chair at his bedside. His heart warmed at the sights of her, he was the luckiest man alive to have such a perfect partner. He was glad she had been able to sleep knowing it had definitely not come easy for her. She must have been so worried, he wished he could reach out and touch her but he instinctively knew that even that simple move might cause him more pain. He was about to turn his head to survey his surroundings when a deep melodic voice spoke out softly

“You must be very thirsty”

The voice shocked him as he turned quickly to see the well-dressed man from before now standing near the opposite side of his bed from Liza holding a cup of water. The man tenderly placed the cup to Marcus's lips allowing him to drink for the first time in hours. He had never had a more satisfying cup of water.

“The pain meds plus the bed rest can make you a little parched,” he said placing the cup down

Marcus looked up at the man speaking for the first time now

“ I recognize you from the coffee shop”

A somber look came over the man's face before he spoke

“ I’m Dr. Geoffrey Bellamy, I used to work here… he paused for a moment then continued. “I’d also like to apologize upfront and say it was I who accidentally hit you with my car”

Marcus remained silent as he processed this information so Dr. Bellamy continued

“I received an urgent medical call and was actually rushing here when the accident occured, I was able to resuscitate you on-site but you suffered a few injuries that required medical treatment that I couldn't provide on-site so I rushed you here.”

Marcus looked up at the man who was still dressed in the same suit as before and knew he had been here a while, he thanked the man for saving his life but also inquired more about why he was still here. The man looked at him again, then began walking over towards a table in the room as he spoke again.

“This medical wing is actually named after my father, I grew up here so they let me stay with you for a while after all the commotion died down, all of your medical bills have been handled and you shouldn't see a single bill but there was something else I wanted to ask about if that's okay”

Bellamy stopped at the table and picked up Martin's black notebook.

“You had this on you when the accident happened, you and your wife's number are in the front so I was able to contact her quite quickly.”

“I’m glad you found it, that book is like my second brain,” Marcus said with a weak smile

“I hope you don't mind my prying but I was enraptured by the ideas you have in here. Your wonderful wife said you wouldn't mind if I glanced over it while you rested” Dr. Bellamy quietly took a seat next to Marcus's bed where they could look at each other eye to eye

“I know this is highly irregular but I feel terrible for the pain I've caused you both and I would like to offer you a gift of $20,000 towards your business's start-up costs.”

Marcus was stunned, that was way more than he needed but he could see that Dr. Bellamy wouldn't take no for an answer.

“I don't know what to say”

Dr. Bellamy placed the notebook on the bed next to Marcus

“This book said it all, I think your ideas are amazing and if I had learned of them in another way I’d still jump at the opportunity to support you”

Marcus could feel tears welling up as he spoke again

“Thank you so much, Dr. Bellamy, I guess I was lucky to be struck by such a sudden opportunity,” Marcus said with a grin, he could never pass up the opportunity for a bad joke. As the two men both stifled a laugh that would surely awaken Liza, Marcus temporarily forgot his pain. He knew that this was the event that would set him down a course towards his dreams. A day that could have been full of sadness and loss became one of fortuitous serendipity.

Conclusion

A year later Marcus had a thriving business that helped many young adults in his community. His company donates a large percentage of its earnings to local charities and social justice causes. Dr. Bellamy was there throughout his recovery and soon became a mentor to Marcus. Their friendship would last the rest of their lives and Marcus never grows tired of making bad jokes about this time he killed him. Most importantly, Marcus keeps his original black notebook on display in his office at all times to remind him that life is too short not to pursue what makes you happy, Liza gets him a new one every year before his birthday.