My Little Black Book: from the Little Black Book Angel

Recently I went to a local bookstore to pick up a small notebook to keep the contact information in and passwords for use on my computer. I keep forgetting them and needed a way that I could retrieve them when necessary. I was now mostly at home…with three kids not in school and an angry husband who’d also lost his job. Since that time, he’d become more angry and aggressive than usual and began verbally abusing the kids and me. But, now he was physically abusing me in front of the kids. It scared them…and me. I began trying to escape…but he had a watchful grip on me. I was also sporting a recent black eye and some facial bruises I tried to disguise with makeup.

One day I had to do the grocery shopping and stopped into a bookstore next door where they had a display of books of all sizes. I liked the little black moleskin books the best…just easy enough to pick up and hide in my purse, if necessary. It would also serve as a key to my account and personal information. Should something happen to me, my kids would then have access. We had no family close by to escape to. They all live in another state and I didn’t have the money to escape there. The shelters were already full. I was at my wits end.

Very few shoppers were in the store this early in the day…except for a young woman who was rearranging the little books. She saw me approaching and walked away back to the counter. We are still in COVID situation so social distancing is important. I figured she was just being considerate.

At first I just couldn’t make up my mind on what size to get…until I picked up the one I could easily hold in my hand…a little black moleskin book. This would be perfect for me. While leafing through the little book my eye caught handwriting on one of the last pages….”If you need help…place this book at the counter when you leave…with your contact info." Someone will help you”. At first I thought someone was pranking the store customers and defacing property. But, then I remembered reading in the news that the cases of spousal abuse notifications had dropped since the COVID lockdown. No wonder. I was one of those women who was now afraid to report spousal abuse for fear of something more serious happening.

When I approached the checkout desk, the young woman recognized me as I handed the small black notebook to her. She quickly leafed through the pages. We looked each other in recognition, woman to woman understanding. She nodded and took the book. I had left my contact info in the book. Quickly, she bent down and handed me what looked like the same little black book…but it didn’t have the writing in the back. I purchased the little book and she said to me…” Please come back tomorrow at this time” …We will be able to assist for your order. She then winked. I thanked her walked out not knowing exactly what she meant…or what to expect.

The next day I did as requested and showed up at the book store and walked up to the young woman at the counter who’d told me to return. “I’m so glad you came back! You left your purchase at the counter”….What?, I said confused. She placed the same little black book in front of me. “Yes…this is yours…please look inside.” To my shock there was a cashier’s check for $20,000! “Is this real? I asked….”Yes, and now you can go and take your kids to your parents for safety. It will help you to get transportation and living expenses for a while”. In shock, I asked “Why would someone do this”.

She whispered to me that her aunt is a wealthy author and former victim of spousal abuse. She briefly showed me some of the books that her aunt had written to help abused women. When I told my aunt about some of the women I periodically see in the community, she wanted to help them. My aunt was the one who gave me the rescue idea to put a note inside one of the books. I then placed placed this message throughout the store in different books. If a person was experiencing abuse of any kind, they would follow the directions. Others might ignore the writing and just choose another book…considering that one defaced. My aunt wanted to help you. The young lady’s author aunt became my “Little Black Book Angel.”

Personal Note:

If I win the $20,000 prize I would like to pay it forward and donate it to abused women and children non-profits. I was saved by a kindly woman and now I want to do the same.