Felicia Glenn Genovese

Billy's Book

Allison knew when she touched the surface of the black notebook that she had found something special. Its cover was worn leather with areas rubbed down from repeated use. She carefully pulled it out of the wall she was tearing down and blew decades of dust off its cover to read the name inscribed at the bottom: William “Billy” Ritter Jr. Sitting on the floor, she unwound the leather strap holding the book closed. Carefully, turning the cover she was surprised to see how well the inside had been maintained. The first page again listed the owner and included his birthdate of January 12, 1889. “Wow!” Allison said to herself. “This notebook is over a hundred years old!”