Why Not

Cara was thinking about how much she loved the way the snow crunched under her boots, the satisfying way she sunk into each step. She was lucky she had her new boots on, they were fleece lined and waterproof. Perfect for the extra snowy winter they had this year.

She stumbled slightly as the toe of her boot kicked something partially buried in the snow. Taking a small step forward she leaned down to pick up the dark object that had skittered across the ice. Brushing off the snow, she was holding a small, black leather-bound book. It felt stiff as though it had been in the snow for a while, and she opened the book slowly.

As she flipped it open to the first pages, a small origami bird fell out into the snow. The page she had turned to had only the words, “early spring” printed on them. She almost laughed as she looked down at the deep snow at her feet, but the sound caught in her throat. She jumped, forgetting about the paper that had fallen, and took a quick step back from the long necked white bird standing inches from her foot. She almost slid on a patch of ice. The bird had certainly not been there a few moments ago. She looked around but there was no one else in sight. The bird stretched its neck and gave her a long hard look before taking a few steps away, unfolding its long grey-white wings, and gracefully taking flight. It flew towards the trees on the far side of the shopping center which bordered a small pond with a fountain. She watched it go in amazement and surprise. She had never been that close to a heron, or a crane, whatever that had been. In fact, she had never seen one around here. She watched the spot where it had landed for a few more minutes before deciding that it was really gone.

Absentmindedly, she put the book back into her pocket, and kept walking. She had a few errands to run, and before long she was balancing a stack of package. One last stop for coffee she thought, then she’d be headed home. The wind had picked up, but it was a warm breeze and felt nice against her cold cheeks. Her brain had started to wander when she nearly tripped over something in the middle of the sidewalk. Her packages scattering on the snowy ground.

A strong hand reached out to steady her, and Cara turned to see an older woman wearing several layers of different colored sweaters. The woman smiled at her and started to help pick up the packages. Cara looked at the sidewalk where she had tripped and saw that there was a small, battered box in the sidewalk not far from several bags, and a wheeled folding chair in an alcove to the left of the store front. She suspected she had accidentally kicked the box toward the woman. She gathered the last bags and noticed that the little black book had fallen out of her pocket as she tripped and was lying open near her feet.

She picked it up. There was a small sketch of a pair of shoes, and the words “In giving, we receive.” “Hmm,” she thought. She closed the book and tucked it away in her pocket again. She scanned the ground to make sure she had gotten everything that she had dropped, and for the first time actually looked at the woman who had helped her. She had no shoes on.

Cara thanked her graciously for her help and watched as the woman shuffled back to the chair against the wall. She reached into her pocket to see if she had any money to offer the woman, and her hand brushed against the soft leather book. On impulse, she went to stand next to the woman and began to unlace her boots.

“You look like you could use these, my friend,” she said.

“NO! you need those,” the older woman exclaimed looking shocked and concerned as Cara stepped onto the cold sidewalk in her socks. “What will you do?!”

Cara smiled. “I will be fine. I have something I can wear until I get home. I have lots of shoes there,” she assured the woman. She fished around in her bags for the box she was looking for and pulled out a pair of brand-new ballet slippers. “These won’t do you as much good as the boots will, but they will get me home just fine. I am glad the boots fit. Take care of yourself.”

The woman was still calling her thanks and blessings to Cara as she crossed the street to her car. What a crazy day, she thought.

She had decided to skip the coffee and just head home when she passed a sign for a sale at her favorite shoe store. She laughed. ‘Ah, just what I need.’ she thought and pulled into the lot.

It didn’t take long for Cara to find a new pair of boots, and she managed to pick up a really cute pair of red heels as a bonus. She didn’t really have anywhere to wear them, but that wasn’t the point of cute shoes. You got the shoes, because they were amazing. The occasion would present itself. She got to the front and the cashier had begun ringing her up, when bells started to chime, and lights started flashing overhead.

Alarmed, Cara stepped back from the counter before looking at the cashier. He was grinning broadly and waving to a manger who was fast approaching. “Congratulations, Ma’am! You have won our Sweepstake Prize as the 50th customer on the 50th day of the 50th year we have been in business! You my dear, have won 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS!” the man said putting his arm around her to steady her. She stared in disbelief, but they were quickly surrounded by other workers with papers to sign, and pictures to take. It was a flurry of activity.

After what seemed like hours, Cara found herself released, and headed back to her car. Her head was spinning after her adventure of a day, but she was smiling. Fifty Thousand could go along way toward--- whatever she ended up deciding to do. Suddenly her options felt wide open. She dropped the bags in the trunk and decided she would grab that cup of coffee after all. There was a little café across the street from the shoe store, and she pulled in looking forward to the quiet after the whirlwind of the last few hours.

Sitting down she ordered a Cappuccino and relaxed into the booth. Her hand felt the little black book still in her pocket. She pulled it out, looking at it with a little more interest now. It had occurred to her that most of what had happened today felt like it had something to do with this little book.

She took a breath and opened it. On the page was a pencil sketch of an old looking globe, beneath it, were the words, “you will go far, take a leap.”

She smiled and looked out of the window.

“Why not.”