The Suitcase

This tale will begin as such:

This day began just like any other. This day was thought to be normal or average at best. It was thought to perhaps be ordinary. However, we know that nowadays are quite odd. Nowadays are seemingly the same, day in and day out. Lengthened by the same old same of mundane pleasantries and tasks. Yet, these days are undoubtedly a kind of bizarre made normal. The “New Normal” as it has been coined.

A virus has plagued the land. Near and far, life changed dramatically, abruptly and in an instant at that. Much like a computer virus crashes computers, this Virus nearly crumbled the world. THE WHOLE WORLD. The death toll rose every day from sea to shining sea. Families, people, humans, were kept in mental cages akin to animals in a zoo. Shelter in place orders, allowed for very little interaction with the outside world. The fear was infectious. The fear was real. The fear was more dangerous than the virus itself. The comfort zone of the predictable path had been thrown out the window. Scattered in the breeze, the very core of our being was now put to the test. What were we made of? Were we to perish and die? Were we to fight and feud with each other? Were we to drink and drug till the world seemed normal again? Were we to shed the old, mundane, ordinary world we found comfort in and blaze this new trail or trial we have been put to? Truth is, no one knew. We were in unchartered territory. So, what will it be?

Ruby pulled her jeans on and headed out the door. But first, she had to make sure Charlotte was snug as a bug in a rug. Her k9 years were catching up to her and she needed some TLC before her beloved headed out for the day. Charlotte would catch some z’s while Ruby was out, this was routine business for them both. Latching the door to her ‘77 Dodge Sportsman RV, this tiny house was secured. “Alirighty” she said as she rubbed her hands together to generate some heat. After adjusting the volume and giving a slight rev to the engine of her SUV, it was time to head down the hill. Classified as an essential trip for food and personal items, she was not violating any government orders. Take out and curbside pickups have become the latest and greatest, especially for those that are sensitive to large groups of people. Empathic by nature, Ruby was rather reclusive. Too much energy would short circuit her neurons and cause system overload. This Virus lockdown situation was not too bad for Ruby. Not too bad at all.

After checking her mail and an ATM run she headed to pick up her Thai Food take out. While pulling onto the Highway, a large shiny silver suitcase caught her eye. It is not that uncommon to see random items strewn about on the side of the road. Usually it’s an abandoned mattress or lazy boy recliner. Not today though. A mysterious suitcase shaded by the trees on the side of the on ramp. Immediate excitement twirled in Ruby’s interior. “Well, look at that!” “I wonder what is in that suitcase??” Ruby stays in the exit lane and circles back around to the site of the silver suitcase. She was met with green lights the whole way. She pulled up, hopped out and tossed the case into the trunk. Easy peasy and perhaps without even being noticed by potential onlookers. Feeling relatively light, the suitcase appeared to be nothing more than that, a sliver suitcase. Ruby still let the mystery of its contents or lack thereof, propel her with excitement to her next stop. Thai food.

Still hopeful the case was full of treasure, Ruby pulled into a parking spot and opened the trunk of the car. There was the mysterious silver suitcase. Moment of truth. It was locked. “Oh, man” Ruby thought. Upon further inspection it had been broken into. Whatever had been in this suitcase had been stripped away. All that remained was the lingering scent of an expensive mens cologne. Logical answer was that it was stolen from the local airport, emptied of its contents and tossed aside like yesterday's news. Times were tough right now. A Lot of people were forced out of work due to the virus. Thievery of all sorts had turned into the side gig for those now going without. Ruby’s imagination started summer salting possible scenarios. Even though the suitcase was empty, she still had more excitement in that 10 minute span then she had had all year. However short lived, this suitcase situation reminded her that there is still fun to be had in this world of unknown tomorrows that we find ourselves in. There is still joy to be felt. She closed the trunk, grabbed her take out and headed to Target for her curbside order pick up.

A Target team member loaded Ruby's order into the back seat. Still mentally playing out the silver suitcase mystery, Ruby didn't want the fun to end. She grabbed the new black leather bound notebook she had just purchased and jotted down a few sentences: “To whoever finds this treasure, please, pay it forward.” “I am a gal of humble means, however, I hope this finds you well and helps you in any way needed.” She grabbed the crisp hundreds she just pulled from the ATM and slid them into the notebook. $500.00 to be exact. Ruby was an online influencer, so she has some extra cash from time to time. One final note, “Be blessed.” With that Ruby buttoned the notebook, placed it in the silver suitcase and wheeled it to a curb in the parking lot outside of Target. She snapped a pic and posted it online with the caption “Pay if forward, the Suitcase revolution.” She then drove off into the sunset. Excitement and Joy in her heart, that was all the treasure she needed to find. The thought of when the next person discovers the suitcase gave Ruby the good feels and will forever make this average ordinary day, not so average at all.

It had been a very long day for Martin, a Target team member. Arriving at 5 a.m. each morning to clean the store in order to open early for the seniors to do their shopping before the masses. The elderly were most vulnerable to this virus. Martin was a single father. Unfortunately his wife has fallen victim to chemical dependency. Back surgery led to pain meds which led to addiction which ended in divorce and continuous substance abuse treatment for his wife. A sad sideshow to life in the US, pain med addiction. Martin did the best he could to provide for himself and his son, Martin Jr.. Fortunately his sister was able to care for MJ so that Martin could work. Sparking up a smoke while taking in the sunset, Martin reflected upon his day. Leaning against his station wagon he noticed a silver suitcase on the curb a row over in the parking lot. He quickly looked around to see who it could belong to. There was no one around. Not in that particular area. He smoked his smoke and didn't take his eyes off of the suitcase. “Hum, I wonder what that is all about?” He waited another 10 mins and then decided to wander over and investigate. Arriving at the suitcase, he took another look around, shrugged his shoulders and proceeded to wheel the suitcase back to his car. He loaded it into his trunk and headed up the street to further investigate.

He pulled into the small local park to see what the contents could be. Hopefully not a bomb. His mind tricks him sometimes, PTSD from his time in Afghanistan. He immediately went into a panic. “OMG, there is a bomb in my car.” “I just put a bomb in my car.” “Fucking idiot.” All of this banter ricocheted in his mind. He rushed to the trunk and flung open the suitcase prepared to be blown to smithereens. Closing his eyes tightly and bracing for impact he waited. Silence. Mere silence, aside from the chatter in his mind and the night sounds of nature. There in the suitcase, rested a black leather bound notebook. He immediately recognized the notebook from the curbside order he packaged earlier in the day. He picked it up and turned it over and all around. “Um, what in the world is going on?” Martin would clean the store in the morning and then prepare online orders for another teammate to deliver to the customers outside. “OK, this is strange.” He opened the notebook and was amazed when he read the note and saw the crisp Benjamins. He began to cry and immediately hopped in the front seat to drive home. With complete awe and excitement he called his sister on Bluetooth. “Sis, you won’t believe this, I have enough money to get your car out of repo.” “I’ll tell ya all about it when i get home. Tell MJ I love him. See ya soon!!”

This normal, average day turned out to be, not so normal or average afterall. The suitcase revolution had begun. When Martin got home and delighted his sister, the excitement bubbled up, joy overflowed. What will they do? How will they pay it forward? Cash is not that readily available for most right now or ever for that matter. They filled the suitcase with a warm quilt, fresh socks and shoes and a snack pack. They wrote a quick note in the black notebook about how the treasure they found helped them immensely and what they could give came from the heart. They left the suitcase at the local park. Fast forward to the next morning, Francis was on his morning walk. Recently a windower, and feeling lost, he came upon the suitcase. The quilt was almost identical to the ones his dear wife would make and the shoes fit perfectly. He was in awe and felt his dear Rosemary by his side. Ruby Tuesday as she was known online had started the Suitcase Revolution. Her pic had sparked immediate intrigue and went viral. How can one abandoned empty suitcase change your life?

Joy had been found. Excitement ignited. When living in a world of fear and feelings of defeat, the food for the soul is to give to give, not to receive. Bringing joy to others is the medicine. Freddy and Jaquelin Mason, of the Mason Freedom Foundation got hip to the Suitcase revolution. They owned a nonprofit organization that helped victims of domestic violence become survivors. With the state of the world as it was, domestic violence had skyrocketed. The Mason foundation had roots all over the country. They assembled silver suitcase survival kits to be scattered throughout the nation. They were intended for anyone fleeing domestic violence. Containing a hotel voucher, prepaid visa card, snacks, and a black notebook. Whether you were fleeing domestic violence, a drug addict, homeless, jobless, down on your luck or in need of renewed faith or comfort of some sort, the Suitcase revolution had begun. Ruby was beside herself when she saw the momentum online. Pics of happy smiling faces next to shiny silver suitcases. She hoped that day would be different. The day she found a silver suitcase on the side of the road. She did what she could to bring joy to at least one person. While preparing for her livestream, she got a payment notification. Anonymous payment of $20,000.00 with a note which read: “For the gal of humble means, Pay it forward. Be Blessed.” Ruby smiled a smile so big and with a twinkle in her eye she started her livestream. “Hey Guys, Ruby Tuesday comin at you. So, How many people can we bless today?!”