A Chance Encounter

I stood there as the cashier slid items across the scanner, watching the total rise with each swipe as I gripped my pocketbook close to side. I knew exactly how much money was in there, forty-seven dollars and fifty-six cents. Times had been hard before, but this was different. I had been out of full-time work for several months now and only able to pick up part-time shifts at a local diner. I had moved here because of my job and then the factory closed.

The cashier announced the total, “That’ll be fifty dollars and twenty-nine cents ma’am.” I whispered to her that I would have to put something back, pointing to the most expensive thing I could spot on the counter, a bottle of ibuprofen. She was kind, nodding her head yes, as she smiled back at me.

“I’ll make up the difference,” a deep voice interrupted and shifted my attention.

“Oh no, it’s okay sir. Thank you though,” my voice faded in disbelief.

“I insist, please. Someone once covered mine and I’ve been waiting for a chance to pay it forward,” his dark brown eyes gleamed caringly.

The cashier did not wait for my response, taking the man’s offering. I thanked him as I reached for my bags and again, this tall, somewhat mysterious man interrupted me.

“Here, let me carry those for you,” he flashed a quick smile. “Lead the way.”

Opening the trunk, I took the bags from his hands and thanked him again. He nodded and snapped his fingers with a wink, “Just pay it forward one day, all the thanks I need.” He winked and headed off.

Once home, I began unpacking groceries and sorting through what was what for meals for the next couple of weeks. Lots of ramen. Again.

What is this?

Hidden underneath a loaf of bread was a small black book. Flipping it open to the first page it read:

Congratulations! You have been given the chance of a lifetime.

It could change your future. Within the pages of this book, there are three clues to different locations in town. If you can decipher the clues and find the correct locations, you will discover three things: a location, a date, and a time. You will need these details for a direct interview with our company’s top executive. Albeit this may seem an unorthodox way to recruit new talent, we can assure you, if you are willing to put in the effort, you will not regret it. If not, please pass this book onto someone you think would benefit from this chance.

I closed the book and sat it down on the table. A random life changing opportunity contained within the pages of a small black book just happens to end up in my groceries, seriously? Immediately I pick it back up and turned through the pages. Only the first four pages had writing on them, the rest were blank. A single clue on each read as follows:

Meeting between young and old ones happen here, between enemies and comrades, every day at noon, look under the biggest board…

Once long ago, a man lost his boots here, look where he left them…

The only time that matters, is the present, unless you are here…

The phone rang, startling me out of my trance like fixation on the words. It was Darcy, thank goodness. I filled her in on what happened and asked for her opinion. Of course, she rambles on and on about serial killers and horror movies, until she flips and starts referencing prince charming story lines. Eventually, she decides I should go for it. She will come along if I successfully decipher the location of the interview, in case I need back up…

Deciding to make dinner first, I mull over the sentence for the first clue while boiling water for noodles. Meeting between young and old ones happens here. People play chess at the park. Bee’s Cove by the river, lots of young and old people meet at noon to play chess. It could not be that easy. Could it? I jot down Bee’s Cove on the message pad next to the fridge.

I made a cup of coffee, deciding in that moment I would figure out these clues and take a risk. A quick internet search pulled up an article referencing an old folklore legend of a fisherman plunging into the river to save his dog, only to never be seen again. The only trace of him was his boots he left on the bank of the river, where now a bronze sculpture is located a West Ave and Stein Streets outside of the animal shelter. I wrote down the intersection and read the last clue again. I’ve got it!

The next morning, Darcy picked me up. My stomach was in knots as Darcy drove first to Bee’s Cove and we searched for the biggest chess board we could find. Underneath it, an inscription on the table read, ”18th”. Darcy looked at me, today was the 18th! “Maybe I’m too late Darcy,” my heart sank a little. “Nonsense!” she growled. We got back into her car and headed to the sculpture by the animal shelter just a few blocks over. The bronze boots glistened in the sunlight, set atop a limestone base, overlooking the river bend. We rushed towards the sculpture and peeked inside, another inscription, this one read, “Marcus Walters, last seen here, at 10:52 a.m. 1954”

Today at 10:52 a.m.

“Where next?” Darcy could hardly contain herself. “The clock at Yesterday Train Station!” now my heart was racing as I checked the time on my watch. We could make it!

There, under the clock, stood the tall man who had paid for my groceries. He handed me a large envelope and told me to open it. Inside, twenty-thousand-dollars, so new the smell rushed my nose.

“Consider that your sign on bonus,” his eyebrow flexed as he smiled.

That was the day my life changed.