Just a day

Alarm blaring, I slowly open my eyes to find the time is well past any ability to arrive to my workplace without getting a pink slip or worse… fired. Leaping out of bed I run to the shower and take the quickest shower in history, throw on clothes and run for the parking garage.

On the way to work, I ponder my pitiful life, pitiful salary, and no way to move up the ladder at work because I am not currently related to the boss. On the upside, I am doing what I love to do. My entire life has been built around becoming an author. Sure, writing for the Beauty section of the newspaper is not exactly what I had in mind. Just a minor detour. Just being around others as excited to write is a reward in itself.

Slamming the car into park in the parking structure, I run full out in stilettos to the elevator. Pushing up, I hear some grunting and thumping in the alcove. Curiosity shimmies into me like an old friend and I peak around the column blocking the view.

An older man in a suit is being beat up by an obviously younger man in sweats and a hoodie.

Ping! The elevator announces the arrival to the parking garage. It takes me a nano second to realize I must help this elderly man. He does not have a chance. I take of my shoes and sneak behind the man doing the beating. All the while thinking, “fired or not, this has to be done.”

Sticking my stiletto deep into his neck, followed by a swing of my very heavy briefcase, he rolls off the man. In that moment 2 other cars arrive and begin to approach the scene. The guy runs. Doubtful that he is running from a stiletto wielding crazy woman, but the men getting out of the car.

As I kneel beside the man, he hands me a small black leather book, says these words, “keep it safe, tell no one” and promptly passes out.

No pulse, I start CPR as other men arrive directly above me and I hear one of them calling 911.

10 agonizing minutes later the rescue comes and soon he is carted off in an ambulance as I stand there looking at the retreating ambulance. I do not even know his name. The police take my statement, but I leave out the black book because I am a rule follower. He DID say trust no one.

Finally, I arrive at work a full 90 minutes late to a fuming boss. Very soon after fuming came confusion on his part as he looked me over. Dirty, blood on my clothes and apparently my face.

“I do not know what possessed you to come to work late, much less looking like that,” he says while pointing his finger in my face.

“But!” I state.

Kirk just was not in the mood.

“OUT!” he screams.

So, I pack up my office and head my unemployed self without a reference back to my flat. It is here that I finally loose it. All the adrenaline of the day dumps into my system and I begin to sob. With less than $1,000 to my name and rent due, well, not the best of days.

Still, I cannot help to wonder about the poor man. Who is he? Where did they take him? Is he going to be okay? It is at this moment I remember the black book. Taking it out of my purse I examine it. I open the front cover to see If it has a name. Nothing. My ethics stop me from searching the book for more clues. I shoved it between the refrigerator and cabinets and decided to have a cup of coffee and start the day anew. When that does not work, I go for the ice cream and sit on the couch sniffling and eating myself full of mint chocolate chip.

Days, weeks, and months pass. I can no longer keep borrowing money to pay bills and a new job has been a long fruitless effort. I decide to do what I said I would never do before, move back in with my mom.

I hate packing but with only 2 days left on my lease, I force myself to go get boxes and start filling them. So many awesome memories of a bustling city I love so much. I may have never expected to settle in a big city like Chicago, but it was now home. Going back to Glendon, Indiana certainly felt defeating. After all, this girl was going to make something of herself.

Interrupting my listless packing, I hear a knock on the door. I open it to find the elderly gentlemen standing there looking much better and sporting a cane. I could not help it, I hugged him and said that I was so happy he is alright. With his kind, sparkling eyes he said, “I am fine, thanks to you.” I invited him in and offered him coffee, let’s face it, I really had nothing else to offer.

How did you find me? The book! He smiled as I scampered over to the refrigerator and dug it out with the help of some kitchen thongs. Cleaned it off and handed it over. “That was your safe place?” “Yes, I replied, who would think to look there.”

"Are you going somewhere.?” I must have looked like a fish out of water because he guided me to a chair. He then explained that he knew about everything that had happened to me after that fateful day. And apologized.

“Why would you apologize? you are the one that was treated badly”

“My lady, I own Joshua Tree publishing company and several others in the Chicago area. Would you consider a job as a favor returned from an old man?”

The hour went by in a flash, he was basically leaving it up to me, what I wanted to do in the publishing world. I was ecstatic.

“ Do you have any idea what was in that book? Did you look through it?”

“No” I replied. I did not think it was my business. I only looked for a name under the front cover.

“This book is my life. You see, I am old fashioned. This book lists every good thing that has ever happened in my life. Dates, plans, dreams, relationships, everything. I plan to include our story in there as well. You have given me back my life. “ Unfortunately, it also contains all by bank accounts and passwords in the back of the book. You could have taken all you wanted while I was in the hospital”

He then rose from the couch and said he expected me to work on Monday as he laid down an envelope on my coffee table. “Sign on bonus,” he said as he winked and left the apartment.

Shakily opening the envelope, I found a check made out to me in the amount of $20,000.00.

I was not late for work the following Monday or any day after that. My 4th book in a series is coming along nicely. John and I have become very close. Like a father to me and me a daughter to him. Life is good.