Good Deeds

GOOD DEEDS

“Manny...” his mom’s voice called from the kitchen, “I left eggs for you, milk is in the fridge and lunch is on the counter.”

Closer now she spoke “don't be late, I'll see you for your birthday dinner!” before kissing his forehead and leaving for work.

Manny rolled out of bed, got himself ready for school and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Another routine morning. The walk to his School a few blocks down was easy in nice weather. Today was a nice day. ‘A good day for a birthday’ Manny thought.

The sun was warm on his face and the breeze felt just right, ‘this must be what 12 feels like’, Manny thought. His mind wandered to the evening's festivities; he was looking forward to dinner with his mom. They would meet at the same diner they’ve eaten at for as long as he could recall, he’d order his favorite, a big-Fat-juicy burger and fries with mozzarella melted on top, mom would probably order pasta and chicken. Oh, and cherry cola, the best cherry cola ever, made especially for him with extra cherry syrup. Manny was so lost in thought he hadn’t noticed the rouge trash bag on the sidewalk. Tripping he spilled onto the sidewalk most ungracefully. He quickly jumped to his feet, much like a boy of 12 years would, glancing in all directions to be sure it went unnoticed. Unhurt, he made sure his clothing was still neat and clean, adjusted his backpack was about to continue to school when he glimpsed what he thought might be a one-hundred-dollar bill sticking out of a little black leather-bound notebook, he quickly grabbed it and confirmed it was in fact a one-hundred-dollar bill. What luck! He stuffed the book and its contents into the inside pocket of his jacket and hurried to school. Before the bell rang, he went to restroom to examine the book and the bill in private. He took the book from his pocket running his fingers over the leather cover, smelled it, he didn’t know why but he felt like that’s what you do when something is leather. He turned to the page where the bill was and noticed a drawing of a suitcase filled with stacks of bound one-hundred-dollar bills, not giving that another thought he folded the bill in 3 and tucked it in his pants pocket. The notebook had blank white pages and no name anywhere on it. Only a few pages had drawings, on the first page there was a rag doll with button eyes, on the second a field of daisies, third a sports car and then the page with the suitcase full of money. His curiosity was sidetracked by the bell sounding for class, he stuffed the little black book into his backpack and hurried to class.

Time dragged by, maybe it was his birthday, maybe the money he found this morning. All he knew was the day couldn’t go fast enough. Blah blah vocabulary, blah blah current events, blah blah math. Well, he liked math, but HIS current event was way more interesting than whatever mess his teacher was discussing, after all it was his birthday AND he’d found a hundred bucks!

At 11:10 the bell for lunch rang, Manny unzipped his backpack, still hanging in his locker, reaching in to grab his lunch he froze. He looked around but he was in the hall during passing, surrounded by, well it felt like everyone in the world at that moment. Manny could feel paper, lots of papers. Bills he questioned himself. He imagined they were one-hundred-dollar bills. He immediately became overwhelmed with anxiety, excitement, wonder imagining his backpack was filled with thousands of dollars? He didn’t eat lunch and ran home as fast as his feet Could carry him.

“Nineteen thousand nine hundred to be exact, wait” he spoke aloud to the room. He removed the bill from his pocket and sat on the floor of his bedroom surrounded by several neat stacks of one-hundred-dollar bills, totaling Twenty thousand dollars. ‘I’m in big trouble’ he thought, ‘very big trouble’. He laid flat on his back, arms outstretched, staring at his ceiling thinking hard about all the cool things he could buy, and things he could do with that much money but quickly his thoughts kept returning to the same question: How on earth did all that money wind up in his backpack?

The answer was obvious, unavoidable even, and entirely unbelievable.

The money had come from the brief case in the picture.

Of course.

Duh.

Right?

Manny was so distracted he almost forgot about dinner; he’d think on this later. He bundled up the money in a plastic shopping bag and hid it in a winter boot at the back of his closet along with the book, but before hiding it he’d perform a little test; he grabbed a pencil opened the book to a fresh new page and began to draw. He drew a box sitting outside his apartment door. Inside the box was the newest video game console, his favorite games and two new phones for himself and his mom. attached a bow and a card that read ‘happy birthday to a great kid and a great mom’. His heart racing, he stuffed the book in his boot and made his way to the diner to meet his mom.

After dinner Manny and his mom made their way up seven flights of stairs to their apartment, she said it’s how she stays young and strong enough to keep after him. His breath caught in his chest as they entered the hallway. There right in front of their apartment door sat a brown box, with a bow and a card, just as he had drawn.

“No way” he whispered. His mind scrambled to understand it. His gut a mix of dread, excitement, confusion and wonder.

“Are you okay Manny?” his mom said handing him the card

“It says ‘happy birthday to a great kid and a great mom.’” he said staring at the unopened envelope. His mom giggled and looked his way before opening the door and bringing the package inside.

“Why so serious Manny?” smiling she gently brushed his cheek “someone has left for you a gift, I wonder who it is? Do you have a secret admirer?” his mom chided

“Mama, the card will read ‘happy birthday to a great kid and a great mom.’ In the box will be a video game console, my favorite games and two new phones. one for you and one for me” he spoke gravely, his eyes pleaded with her.

She furrowed her brow at him but said nothing, running a knife through the tape the box opened just as Manny opened the card for her to read. She let it absorb a few moments before turning her attention to her son, crossing her arms “explain yourself young man”

“I will explain, you should sit” he pulled out a chair at the kitchen table, “I have something else to show you” he ran to his room and quickly returned with the bag and book, placing both on the kitchen table along with the box and card. His mom listened to an incredible story, Concern and disbelief shone on her face. When he was through there was a long moment of silence.

“I'm not sure I know what to say to you, do you expect me to believe such a story?” she said disappointedly

“try it for yourself mama, if you could have anything right now what would it be?” sliding the book and pen toward her he insisted “draw it. You'll see” his mom eyeballed him “Please trust me. Do it”

His mom turned to a fresh new page and began drawing. Shortly after she placed the book down there came a knock at the door.

“Impossible” she whispered as she moved to answer the door. Manny grabbed the book and flipped to the page his mom had drawn on. There he found a picture of his favorite cake from Amelia’s pastry shop a few blocks away, written in icing was Happy Birthday Manny, beside it were two plates and two forks. When he stood, he noticed the two forks and plates on the counter just as his mom walked into the kitchen with a box in her hands. His birthday cake had just been delivered from Amelia’s bakery. They stared at one another for a moment.

“The plates and forks are right there” Manny motioned to the kitchen counter.

The two sat beside one another on the couch, stuffed from two slices of cake each, feet on the sofa table studying the little black book as though it might speak the answers to the myriad questions, they each now had.

“what do we do Mama?” Manny added with conviction “we have to return the twenty thousand dollars” his mother looked at him curiously. “it is not mine. I didn’t draw it. We should leave it where I found the first bill” he considered his last statement. “but not the book, it wanted me to find it. The book is mine” he looked at his mom for approval “ours” he corrected.

His mom was nodding “yes we will return the money and yes we will keep the book. We must be smart about this. We have a great opportunity” they spent the evening discussing, dreaming, pondering and planning. Manny pointed out that there were as many wishes as there were pages in the book. His mom noted said wishes could be as robust as a picture. They agreed they would take little benefit from the book; the few wishes they drew for themselves would be thoughtful though robust. The remainder would be used to help those in need, to make the world a better place by ushering in love and light.

“I’m feeling a little guilty about the cake” his mom broke the silence. Manny considered her statement “me too, but it IS the best cake ever” they both had a good laugh before bed, they needed their rest, tomorrow was going to be an important day.

Saturday morning came earlier than usual, Manny and his mom got right to setting in motion a long-term plan. They would be deliberate in their drawings, having clear intentions. They began with a few drawings for neighbors and friends before making their way to the country, north of NYC. Manny’s mom always wanted to live in a house surrounded by nature in a small town, maybe open a small shop with curious items. So that’s where they began their new adventure, sitting at the kitchen table they began to draw out their future, a home on a few acres with fields of herbs, gardens and flowers, a few orchards and blueberry bushes, a shop in the busy three street town, and a car. They’d get settled before adding to their good fortune and before planning all the good they would do drawing by drawing. Life is good when you do good for others.

On their way out of town they returned the cash to where Manny found the first bill. As they traveled the few hours North of NYC, they brainstormed all the ways they could make the world a better place, Manny took notes in another little black book, this one he purchased himself. The hours passed quickly, as they approached their exit Manny saw in the distance a large brightly lit sign, it felt like home. “look mama a diner!” he pointed excitedly.

Manny and his mom sat enjoying his favorite meal, a big- fat-juicy hamburger with a side of fries and mozzarella melted on top and cherry cola made with extra cherry syrup.

Some things just didn’t need magik.