Black Book Found!

Jess couldn’t believe it. Here it is a Sunday and she’s rushing to the office. She thought when she took this job weekend work and long hours would be over. Now it seemed she was working longer hours with more stress than her past waitress jobs. The pay really wasn’t much better when she considered tips and she’d had to invest in office appropriate attire draining her meager savings. She didn’t want to complain, not really. When her friend Emily had suggested she take the clerk job at her downtown office the idea sounded wonderful. “It’ll open new doors for you!”

New doors my arse! I don’t even have time to get my hair done let alone go out on dates or hang with friends!

She hurriedly picked up the free commuter newspaper shoving it in her bag and deftly hopped on the train. The doors shut behind her with a swoosh. Jess looked around the empty car.

Of course I’m the only one here! What other fool would be catching the early train downtown on a Sunday.

Jess dropped heavily on the seat. “Dammit!” she exclaimed reaching under her tailbone to pull out a little black book.

This was the first train of the day and hers was only the second stop. Someone must have left if yesterday. Knowing the lost and found would be closed today, Jess opened the cover hoping its owner had included their name or phone number. Nothing. Turning through the pages she quickly realized it was an agenda meticulously maintained. Every Wednesday had the same entry at 3 pm ‘Tutor.’ Every Monday ‘Piano’. Flipping further ‘Meet teacher’, ‘Dentist’, ‘Play-date – Ashley’ all appeared. There were entries for a ‘Dr. Somebody’. Jess couldn’t make out the penmanship on that one. This was clearly an agenda for a child’s activities and appointments. The owner will certainly be missing this! She flipped to the current week looking for a clue to the owner’s identity. There were a series of numbers carefully printed in pencil on the page for today. Yesterday too. Flipping back another page, the day before too.

How odd!

Nothing for last Thursday, but the same odd pattern of numbers on Wednesday and Tuesday. Flipping ahead, nothing for tomorrow and another set of numbers for the upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Union Station!” roared over the intercom interrupting Jess’s thoughts. She crammed the book in her bag and jolted up. An audible snap broke the quiet as her heel gave way.

Jess sighed. This day just keeps getting better and better.

Hobbling across the train station Jess considered ditching her boots altogether but knew better. There was no money in the budget for new boots right now.

I’ll glue it together for now.

Limping to the gourmet coffee stand Jess decided to treat herself to a latté, at this point $3 dollars wasn’t going to break the bank any further. Waiting for her coffee Jess idly watched the news on one of many screens that dotted the station.

“There’s a millionaire somewhere in the city today with the single winning ticket from last night sold right here in Toronto.”

A succession of 6 numbers flashed across the screen - 7, 13, 19, 26, 41, 48.

Wait a minute!

Jess pulled the black book out of her bag and opened it to yesterday - 7, 13, 19, 26, 41, 48. The numbers were a match!

It couldn’t be!

She dropped her bag on the counter. Pulling out the newspaper she opened it to the winning numbers for the week. Page by page the numbers matched! Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and now last night! Jess’s mouth dropped open.

“Vanilla latte up!” said the clerk.

Jess hastily shoved the paper back in her bag. Grabbing her order she hurriedly limped to the kiosk selling lottery tickets. Opening the book again she paused at today’s date.

I don’t know of any lotteries on Sunday.

Jess flipped forward a couple pages.

Turning the open book toward the cashier “Can I get these numbers for Tuesday’s pick 7?”

Handing him a five she accepted the ticket and with a little prayer tucked it in the pages of the book and back in her purse. At the office, Jess was the last to arrive. Coworkers all similarly tired and miserable about working the weekend tossed idle waves and grumbled hellos. Jess glued her boot together, promptly spilled her coffee on her lap and somehow made it through the day, barely catching the late train home. Rinse and repeat the same routine Monday and Tuesday. Gawd Jess hated year-end. This was her second year. She really didn’t know how many more she could withstand. Handing in her files at the end of her shift her supervisor Mary complimented her on her work.

“Any chance of a raise or promotion?” Jess half-joked.

Mary looked her in the eye. “I’m going to be honest with you Jess because I like you. Without a formal education this is as good as it gets.”

Jess didn’t remember the trip home. Kicking off her shoes as she entered her flat she proceeded to the kitchen and dropped her bag on the counter. This is as good as it gets Mary had said. Jess pulled a bottle of wine from the fridge pouring a glass. Downing it quickly, she refilled her glass and walked across the space to turn on the TV while idly sipping her second glass. The end of the late news was on but Jess wasn’t listening until she heard “And tonight’s winning numbers are 3, 11, 17, 31, 38, 43, 48.”

The ticket!

Jess had forgotten all about it and the book! And, those numbers sounded familiar! Heart racing, Jess jumped up and wobbled. That second glass of wine had hit her fast!

My own fault for skipping dinner.

Reaching for her purse she fumbled with the black book promptly dropping it. The ticket and a piece of paper fell out. Dropping to her knees she picked up the ticket and looked at anxiously – 3, 11, 17, 31, 38, 42 and 48.

Dammit to hell! It was so close!

Jess dropped sideways to land on her rump. Feeling deflated she stifled a sob.

Wait a minute, surely 6 out of 7 numbers had to be worth something!

Jess grabbed her smartphone and hastily pulled up the lottery site. Entering the code on her ticket she clicked go and waited impatiently for the spinning circle.

Winner! Winner! flashed across the screen followed by an amount: $40,934!

A series of disclaimers popped up with directions on claiming her win. Dumbfounded Jess couldn’t move.

How could this be? The book! The numbers! Yes, the ticket was off by one number – but still. Was it rigged? Luck?

She looked over to where the book still sat on the floor with the lone piece of paper that had fallen from its pages. She picked up the paper - a hastily scrawled grocery list on the back of an envelope. Turning it over she saw what she’d been looking for - a name and an address! Well it was time to get this book back to its owner. Did she owe them more than that?

She punched the name in the online directory and sure enough a phone number came back and she quickly dialed.

On the third ring a friendly male voice answered “Hello?”

Jess quickly explained that she had the book.

“Thank goodness!” was the reply. His relief was clearly palpable in his voice.

Jess quickly learned that Andy, as she discovered his name to be, took the same train as Jess every day. They arranged to meet in the last car the next morning.

“I’ll be wearing a camel overcoat and have a young boy with me.” Andy said.

Jess hung up and carefully packed the ticket and book in her purse before turning in for the night.

The next morning came quickly and although there was a chill in the air, Jess was excited. She had so many things to do today! She could feel the opportunities before her for the first time in a long while! She hopped on the last car and looked around. There he was, a man in a camel coat – Andy – seated beside a young boy no more than 6 or 7 years old. She’d seen Andy on the train before – they’d often taken the same car into the city but had never spoken. She had noticed that he always gave up his seat for older passengers and never scurried for the exits like most commuters. Jess admired that. She’d never noticed the boy before. She eyed him closely now. He was staring intently at the daily newspaper as if engrossed in it, his mussed hair peaking over top of the raised paper.

Jess approached the two and introduced herself. Andy took her hand warmly introducing himself and his nephew Ben. Ben grunted a hello but didn’t look up.

“Well I guess this is yours.” Said Jess pulling the day-timer from her purse.

At that, young Ben’s head snapped around. He jumped up snatching the book from Jess’s hand then flopping onto his stomach with it. Newspaper still in hand and open, the young boy started scratching in the black book with a pencil that he must have had all along.

Andy shrugged apologetically, “I’m sorry. My nephew is autistic. I watch him one week a year so my sister can have a break. This time he came to stay with me. His father bailed on them when he realized how much work Ben is. Ben’s latest thing is to copy numbers from the paper into his agenda. We must have lost it Sunday with the excitement of taking a train when we switched cars to join his friend from the special school they both go to every day. Normally he and my sister take a bus from their place. He’s been almost inconsolable since losing it.”

Jess leaned over to watch Ben – The lottery numbers! Ben was carefully copying them from the newspaper into the black book matching the dates to those in the agenda.

That explains it! The book didn’t predict the numbers, they were recapping what was in the paper! But what about last night?

“When he runs out of lottery numbers to copy, he starts writing any numbers he sees. I think mostly lucky numbers from the horoscopes right below the lottery section.” Andy offered as if reading Jess’s mind.

It was just dumb luck?

“Listen, Ben goes back to his mom on Friday. Can I take you to dinner then as a thank you?” asked Andy, then shyly, “I’ll be honest I’ve noticed you on the train before.”

“Now I have to come clean.” said Jess as she proceeded to explain the lottery ticket win. “If you can spare the time after dropping Ben at school might I make a proposition?”

Jess had already decided she was going to quit her job and take the winnings to go to school full time. She’d even researched a few programs before falling asleep the night before. Her handwritten resignation letter was in her purse ready to drop off. It’d be a bit tougher with only half the money but she turned to Andy.

“I’d like to put half of the money in an account to help Ben with his future needs.”

“You really don’t have to do that.” Said Andy.

“But I do. I just have a couple stops to make before collecting the winnings and I need you – well you and that black book for one of them.”

Andy raised his eyebrow inquisitively.

“I’m buying another lottery ticket for tonight with the numbers Ben just entered in that book. And maybe for next Friday and Saturday too!”

Andy laughed. “It’s a deal! But only if you’ll agree to that dinner Friday.”

Yes, things were definitely looking up!