Just A Little Black Book

"Once Upon A Time" is how these stories all start, and this one's no different. It comes straight from the heart. You see, people get caught up in all kinds of stuff. From their thoughts and feelings, and all kinds of fluff. Well this story happens, in a way i suppose, to tell of a man that begins in repose.

His name was Tom Daily, a sad little sort. Always moping around in a pair of old shorts. His hair was disheveled, and his t-shirt was aged, with the logo of "Big Dogs" that was tattered and stained. He carried with him a large canvas bag that held all the things that he currently had. With no place to go and no spot to lay, you'd see him walk around the whole city dismayed. He would find a nice spot and sit there a while while he looked through his bag with nary a smile. All the while everybody that would pass him by would look at the sign he had made that replied, "I'm Hungry and Lost, Could You Spare A Dime?" Though no one would even spare him the time. "I am Slime." He thought to himself everyday, which had led to the pattern of thoughts he had laid.

On this day as he was sitting and rooting through his sack, A lone passer by took a chance looking back. He was tall and was lean, he looked very clean. And thought to himself, "Whatever could this mean? Here's a man sitting there with his head in his hands, with all this opportunity all around he could grab!" He walked up and kneeled and asked him one thing, "Do you mind if I sit and talk to you about something?"

"Sure, it's a free country, do whatever you like. I'm just sitting here waiting for hunger to spike. Then I might just go and find a nice can that i'll rummage through just to find some food, man."

"Well that's fine, I could use some company too, you see, I was on break trying to find myself food. Then I saw you and thought that you might just like to have company and I could get you some food." Said The Tall, Lean Man with his smile that would light up his face with an almost sincere delight. "Would you like a hamburger or maybe a Taco? There a couple great places around here that would offer us both to eat well and full to the brim and get you through another fine day on a whim!"

But to him, Tom Daily, didn't believe in the charity. "What was his game?" he thought with such cloudy unclarity. "Some food would sound good, if you've got the time. I'd like to stay here though." The man said, "That's Fine, i'll just walk over to the cart down the street, and bring us back food so we'll have something to eat." And The Tall, Lean Man got up and was off, then he started to walk straight down the block.

Tom had just sat there, confused and bewildered. "How could this young man be so kind to this withered old fool that I am, and will he come back? It would be so good just get me a snack of a Taco or Burger or Hot Dog with mustard, then maybe dessert from the place with the custard." He wiled and imagined of the things he'd bring back. Then suddenly, The Man had come back with a sack.

"Here you go, my fine fellow. Have a Taco or Three. Have what you want, all of these are on me!" And they sat there and ate, talking on sorts, getting to know each other better by giving reports. Tom was just mentioning his troubles and woes, and why he'd been strutting around the city in repose. "I had lost my job suddenly, couldn't pay for my house. My wife and dog left me, and no one would help me out. I've been on the streets for a year or so now, just contemplating how bad my life has turned out."

The Man he had listened with a very kind ear, "I'm sorry to hear that, I know it's been quite a year. I've seen people like you everywhere so it seems, and I hope that i've helped you in some way to bring your esteem back to yourself and feel a little better." Tom said, "The pain in my stomach's gone, i'd write you a letter of thanks and then give it to you right now if I could, though i have no pen and paper and my handwriting is no good."

"Understood, glad to help. Hope you have a great day. Oh, there's just one more thing before I go on my way. Here's a gift I will give you and hope you will like. Just take it and read it, and believe what's inside." Then he handed the gift to the hands of Tom Daily, and went on his way as Tom thought, "Well Maybe I will and Maybe I won't." And he took that gift and put it in the pocket of his coat.

The Next Day, as Tom made his rounds, He thought about that gift as it made swishing sounds from his pocket and it was just flopping around. He pulled out the gift and he gave it a look, It was nothing more than a Little Black Book. "Oh, I thought it was something else, like a pamphlet of sorts. Like he was some witness to Jehova's retorts." He felt the bound leather, it felt nice to the touch, and the edge of the pages felt very clean yet rough.

Inside it were numbers that seemed sort of jumbled, with dates for the future above them were numbered. "Go here and do this." was written above many numbers that seemed to be inscribed with love. And directions below that seemed to incline, that he could go to this address and just wait in line. And that address was one that seemed so familiar, a gas station he would visit so often he trembled at the thought of just going back to that one spot. "I guess i'll go back there." he begrudgingly thought.

"This must be some new ploy from an advertising guy. I bet he works there and he wanted me to try some new product that he's trying to sell the masses. Well i've nothing better to do, so i'll just take my chances." Tom took the first steps to better his life, and was anxious to believe in The Tall and Lean Guy.

He walked up to the door, opened it and heard the ring of the bell when you have to pull open the thing. "Morning Tom!" said the Cashier who was always so cheery and greeted him always without any query. Tom said "Hello." and went to the corner near the boxes of beer that were stored by the former old snacks that he'd get when he wanted to get warmer.

He pulled out the book and was looking at the pages, and he thought to himself, "I think I know what these could be, Yes!" The numbers were there and all in a line, they had to be for the Lottery this time. "And the date there above is tomorrow's in fact. That must be what the man meant when to act out of faith and believe in what he was sharing. Let's see what they are." he said without even caring.

He took out the paper that you have to fill out, and filled in the numbers that were aligned without even knowing that anything would happen. He thought of the things that might be reimagined. "My life," he had thought, "has been such a rouse. I hope that these numbers that I had to choose are the ones that would be the best ones for me." Then he started to doubt himself, that is was all just for greed. "Why would somebody whom i've never met, give me the ride that i'd never expect." "Maybe that is just it, the words that he said, 'Believe what is written' just runs through my head."

As one single tear had rolled from his eye, he thought "Man, why not!! I must give it a try and believe in the good things in people sometimes." He walked up to the cashier and said, "I'd like to buy this here ticket and I thought I might try something new." "It's a great day for that, I'm so happy for you." Said the Cashier who new that a person like Tom, whom he saw many days with his head hung so glum. "May luck be with you on this good and fine day!" Then Tom took his ticket and walked out on his way.

That night it got cold, so cold in fact, that the spot that he chose to lay down with his sack was near an old friend who who lacked a response that was cheery or even slightly ensconced. "Well, well. Look who it is." As he saw with dismay, "What have you been getting up to today?"

His name was John Jacobs, who has been on the road long enough that the thought could make your head explode. He saw no light in anything or anyone, and lived just as cynical as his tone would lead on. "It's cold and i'm just trying to make it through the night." Said Tom with an air on his voice with delight. "Well you might make it through, and thats just one thing you can keep with you, now how about a drink?" "I don't think that I need one and I'd rather not." John Jacobs was disgusted that his request was not sought. "Oh you think you're too good, well I guess that's just fine, you think you're better that me because i'm drinking this wine?!" "No it's fine." Said Tom and he pulled out the book just to give one more look to the faith in the ticket he was holding and shook.

"What's that you got there?" said John Jacobs inquisitively. "It's my ticket to a better life." Tom said positively. "Oh the lottery, huh? you think you can win? There's millions of people who play that and then the odds of you solely winning is a million to one, only pigeons play that to believe that it's fun to waste all of your dollars on a ticket, that's dumb."

A typical reply he was used to from John Jacobs, a cynical man who believed from the ages of when he was young and didn't have anything, from a family that loved him or a song he could sing.

But Tom had once known that life was good and true, and remembered the good times that he had once knew. A life and a love, and a home with a view. And then how it became a reviled stew that no one would eat with a mouth that could chew. His thoughts and feelings were swirling as he lay in the spot that was cold with a blanket that was made out of all the old clothes that were tattered and frayed that he had sewn together with some string he had made. "My life has become what I wish it had not, though I am still grateful for the things that i've got. It's not a lot, and grateful I remain that one man had believed in the things in my brain. It's insane, to have met this one random guy to give me a book to believe in and try and to see what would happen if I would give it a look, and have faith to do the things written." It took him a while then he'd finally rest his thoughts long enough dream for the best.

The Next day as Tom had arose from his sleep, he had a new attitude that steadily creeped from dismay to good cheer that was good to hear from the thoughts in his mind that whispered in his ear. "Things are good, getting better everyday." The voice in his head put those thoughts and they'd lay all day long as walked along on his way. A skip in his step was with him all day. People would see him as they did on most days, though this time was different and some stopped and they'd say, "You okay? This isn't like you, man with the sign." he looked at them back and said, "Yes i'm just fine." It was time to be the positive outlook that needed to be in the world that he happily greeted.

And all through the day he thought of the ticket from the The Little Black Book that was indicative of the good life he sought and had such a smile that he had not felt for such a long while. Later, night was warmer, and so warm in fact, he found a better spot to lay down with his sack. "Today's my day, i'll believe in the good. Just like The Man said 'Have Faith' so I should." He thought through the night with all he could say, "Yes it's my time, Yes it's my day!"

Then in the morning he rose with a clamor, to find himself a paper with which he was enamored. "You'll never make it, the odds are too great!!" Said John Jacobs from the same spot he was laid. "Just wait!!" Said Tom as he ran to the gas station where he started. And then he had thought, "Oh! The Ticket! I need to see just what were those numbers that needed to be on the paper that I am just trying to read!" He reached in his pocket just to feel where it'd be. But the book was not there in his pocket you see.

He started to panic, he had thought the worst. "He this is just great!!" he said with an outburst. He patted him self down and went through his thoughts, how could he misplace the book now that seemed lost.

Then as he was rummaging all through his sack, he dug to the bottom and hoped he didn't lack the luck that he needed and wanted to bring back. He had jumped and reviled at all of the times he had been so reluctant to bring such a crime to lose something as valuable as much as his time.

Just then he remembered as quick as a snap, the little secret pocket with a little secret flap, on the back of his bag that buttoned with a snap.

"My god! I can't believe i had forgot to check the spot that I put the things I often kept to keep hidden from people who I hadn't trusted yet." The pocket was small and could hold just that, he opened it up and relief had come back. There was the book, all Little and Black, and a bookmark for the ticket he had purchased was back.

As he sat on the curb in front of the station, with relief in his eyes and the reverberation from his heart that was relinquished from such devastation, he walked in the door and started a conversation.

"Hey Tom!" said The Cashier. "How's it going today?" "A lot better now!" Tom had said, "Now may I just check out your paper? Something needs to be read." "Sure thing." Said The Cashier as he handed it then.

Tom flipped through the pages, just passed the funnies, in the top right corner of the "Business and Monies" section that he thought had seemed kind of funny and seemed so appropriate for the time he was running.

There they were, all in a row. Every single number was just written and shown and printed out so neatly, you know. "That's it." he said as he suddenly stammered, "Right here in Black and White." His hands start to clamor and shake with a great amount of disbelief. "The Tall and Lean Man was right." he squeaked. He walked on over the cashier and said, "Here's my ticket, i've won." With a blank stare in his head.

The Cashier looked down on the ticket and then he couldn't believe what Tom had just said. "Let me see that." The cashier said with with some disbelief, looked back at the paper twelve times just to see. "You're Right!", said The Cashier, "You've won the big prize!! Now how'd you do that?!?" Then Tom looked in his eyes. He took back the ticket and showed him the book That was Little and Black, all he said was "Just look."

Tom turned around, with his ticket and then, went on his way to retrieve all he'd win. The Cashier had seen him many times before, though he'd never seen Tom smile so gleefully sure that he was finally happy from the bad times before.

The Cashier looked at the book later that day, flipped passed the page that had today's current date. Saw the next page was the following weeks number, with the words "Just wait." below six new numbers. "Pay it forward." Was inscribed in the back of that Little Black Book who's purpose was cracked.

Tom got the money, he lived happily ever after. And went helping those who seemed bothered and blathered with troubles and woes just like his that he saw, giving what they needed and was happy to withdraw, for he knew just like the man who had helped him and said "Hey, have a Taco. May you truly be blessed."