The Little Black Book

Submitted to Vocal before March 02,2021 deadline for contest using Little Black Book and 20,000 in money. Princess Hannah.

Crying uncontrollably, Rose Elder could not decide where she was, on a swath of rural highway in Pasco county Florida. She was frightened out of her mind and just kept driving, looking for something familiar to guide her. Later she would understand that she had gone into a very deep shock.

It isn't everyday you enter a market with someone you love with all your heart, go to the restroom and come out to find them missing. Page him, over and over and walk the aisles ,finally going to the car to find the door open and the keys in the ignition....and then gone without a word.

When Rose got home there was a little Black Book filled with Russian writing and a hundred dollar bill on the table .She couldn't read Russian and was terrified to stay a night by herself, in that run down mobile home, She packed and left.

A hundred dollars, and seven years of her life taken out by the collapse of the mortgage market in the mid 2000"S. There was no work and they were broke, living in a bad area in a run down mobile home.

Viconti had spent his time collecting silver in any form those seven years . Rose had loved him without reserve, and planned to spend the rest of her life with him. Little did she know before his exit, he had removed all that silver to a safe place, meaning to come back and take it. The rain hid his tears that day he got on a plane back to Russia, and he later said, the heavens cried with him that day.

Her phone rang, and he begged her to forgive him, and that he would return. He let her know that his clothes were stored in a facility, and the silver with his friend.

Will you pay for now, the 35.00 a month in storage fees to keep my clothes safe?

So for the next three years Rose Elder paid and paid that storage fee. He had left to attend a very aged mother , and was her only son and last living relative on earth. They spoke often on the phone and his mother passed away. Viconti never returned to Rose, either by choice, or other.

Rose Elder lost her job, again and never once thinking to open the storage shed to look, could not pay the thirty-five dollar rental fee, she pleaded with the manager to let her open the storage shed. She had never violated his privacy by looking into the shed. Her thoughts strayed from time to time and recovery had been slow. What if it really wasn't him on the phone? What if it was artificial intelligence and not him at all? And what if the storage shed contained his body in a barrel? After all he had done the cruelest thing imaginable to do to someone you know loves you.

The manager and Rose got the lock cut off and when the door opened-----Rose recognized the containers. SILVER-------lots of it., hundreds of pounds of silver.

they wheeled it to Roses' car and filled the trunk and the whole interior. That silver was worth 20,000 dollars, or more.

The Black Book , well Rose found a translator. It said, my Rose, I love you and this was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. You won't come to my land with me and my mother is old and very alone. Rest homes in Russia are not safe. You will find your parents hanging. My love I will return to you one day, but what will I find waiting for me? It was signed '"The Little Prince".

Me, you'll find me waiting, said Rose aloud.