and so the book speaks

You’re telling me I’m suppose to just put that away and look forward to the future with it ?? NO WAY ! Listen I know you’re thinking , I’m not thinking, but really this is just the perfect way to go about it . Spend it . Spend it all . Money ? How much ? Twenty K baby … How did I get my hands on that ? Well let me tell you.

There I was taking the same route I would like any other day . Walking past the tree that I looked up to as I tried to find the sun beam that was less intrusive as it trickled down the leaves on the not so heavy branch. Avoiding the moment of blinding myself I catch myself staring a little too long til I saw the dots that cause me to put a pause in my steps. No one is around and I walk with hesitation feeling my path with the guidance of my feet. That is until something stops their track. What is this? I look down, patiently waiting for my vision to clear, a bag I see in bold presence. A black bag that matches the size of a computer case. In fact, as I crouch down closer I see that it is a computer case. The zipper is not closed for its’ purpose, leaving a peak to see what is inside. A book was placed inside this case. A small book, yet it’s worth was more than what meets the eyes. As I continue my curiosity of opening what isn’t mine, I turn the cover to reach a treasure that I thought could only be words. I immediately turn around to see if anyone was around, as money started to fall out of the book. Confused by its’ size and packaging there showed no signs of a thick book filled by more than just paper pages. Yet the money consistently fell out as if they fell out of thin air. The little black book had spilled hundreds of dollars. Hundreds. More than I could count without feeling the urge to pack it up and go. I place the computer case and book into my backpack and continue my path home. I walked with less confidence due to my nervous manners catching up with my breath as I question who’s money this was and why it was laying out in the public like that.

What if it was a drop off? Leave the money here, I’ll leave the drugs there. That kind of thing. What if someone did see me and now I’m in the middle of something I can’t just catch the ball and get out of. Or or, an act of kindness, it’s someone’’s lucky day! Let’s just go with that, I tell myself to ease the anxiety. Anxiety, who could have that in this moment, with this amount of money. The things I could do, the places I could see, the food… I could eat. My first thought after ignoring my worrisome patterns I think to myself, where is a place all my friends like? I could treat them to an adventure they deserve! However, I really should invest and double, even triple this! Okay okay, I can wait til I get home.

I pick up my speed getting more anxious to enter the front door and start counting. My mind blanks out the memory of the rest of the walk until I run to the door. “Hi mom, bye mom.” I say as I speed past her in the kitchen. I travel up the stairs and open the book.

“Huh?” The book was, empty?? Had I imagined it?? What kind of mind trick is this?

I close the book and open it again, nothing. Now confused, concerned, and quite frankly upset, I sigh. Instead of sobbing I take out my notebooks to start my homework. Why sulk on what could have been when you can just keep moving forward. I’ll make that kind of money soon anyway I tell myself. Until as I reached into my bag I see all the cash. I could have sworn I closed the zipper to keep everything in place, but I wasn’t about to question that. What I thought was a lot was nothing to what compared to the amounts placed at the bottom of this bag. I empty the bag on the bed shaking it til every last crisp dollar bill fell to place. I start making piles of one thousand dollars. The bills varied, but I counted quick due the excitement. One turned to five, turned to ten, there’s no way this can keep going. Was it going to end? Definitely didn’t want it to. The piles stopped at twenty. Leaving me with twenty thousand dollars. What, the fuck, was I going to do with twenty thousand dollars. A huge grin spread across my face like the cash spread across my sheets. A smile I never received from money, but boy did that change today.

So I couldn’t just tell my mom and dad I found this money. They wouldn’t believe me. I may only be seventeen, but they would make up some crazy assumption that I was selling drugs or doing suss things. Not that they would use the word suss, I don’t even think they know what that word is. However, same concept, you get the picture. Shit, what would you do with twenty thousand dollars? First things first, hope this money doesn’t play tricks on me again. Second, hide it.

I hide the money in my hat box I had found while thrifting that had newspaper wrapped around the box itself. Before I put it all away I take one for myself and put it in my wallet. I tell my mom I was heading out to do homework at one of my favorite cafe’s. I grabbed my bag that was now only filled by my notebooks, and the new black notebook, and walked out to my car. Hopping into my 1997 BMW roadster I drive away ready for this, what felt like, a new found freedom. Shortly after a minimal mile drive, I place myself in the beanbag chair I always sit in, after ordering a tea. I laugh with the barista as they widen their eyes, as my order is normally a coffee. He asked if I was okay, then if I was ordering for someone else. “Today’s a new day, mixing it up” I smile.

I took out the new notebook and write the date on the top right corner. The black leather felt so good on my hand as I cupped the back trying to write in a slouch. Looking behind me, remembering the window shows a clear visual of what I was writing, I sit up and change position to having it in my lap.

Braining storming time. I started writing things that were realistic, vs the reality of what I wished to spend it on. Obviously a new wardrobe came to mind, but do I want to buy it here or do I want to travel out of the country to have this shopping spree. Ordering online was not an option, instant gratification comes into play this time around. Realizing I forgot my computer I wouldn’t be ale to google new outfits to create a list and I didn’t feel like squinting on my phone to search that way. Then I remembered my phone was shattered in the back, could definitely add that to the list. Hmmm go big or go home, we can do better than that. I could just pack up, scratch that, I could just get up and move to Australia. Finish my senior year there, get a beach house. Finding a job, con, money can’t guarantee that. New thought new thought. Travel allover, stay in little huts, tree houses, igloos. I could definitely save by doing that, that’s doable under ten thousand. Still should be smart with my money.

I’ll spare you the details of me creating pros and cons. I know you want the juicy outcome of my spending. I went big. Fuck it mode.

I bought my own coffee shop. Not only did this coffee job have the environment of my dreams it also lead to my apartment upstairs. A beautiful two for one deal. As long a I don’t get robbed. But that won’t be happening. Not in my story. People did question how I came about my money. It was annoying when they would say my family just bought it for, because they didn’t. At the same time it wasn’t like I earned it with hard work by the average way of collecting it. Okay, but I’ve had some hard ships man so it was my turn to receive it. Sure I had money prior to this, but I was never dumb with money. I treated myself a few times, but for the most part it was all for investing in myself. And here I am, investing in myself again. Not only did this help me, but it created a community of like minded people as we joined together in this little shop. Writers like myself would gather and write with ease and inspiration, kids came to complete homework as I once did, and others just to meet with friends and catch up. I love what I created and what I get to continue to create off of it.

So.. I didn’t buy snow gear, a hundred animals, a jet, or traveled. That’s for later. After all, these days twenty thousand dollars can only get you so far, but it definitely jump started the growth. Wait till you find out what happens when you write inside this book.