Brownies and Tennis

LITTLE BLACK BOOK

Rose is watching TV enjoying her dinner when she's interrupted by a knock at the door. Due to her husband passing, kids moving away she has not had company in over 15 years and becomes startled and hesitant. Against her judgement she goes to the door looking through the peephole. To her surprise it is Hannah, a 15 year old with two big red curly puffs, freckles, and a charm bracelet with "H" on it. Rose opens the door. "Hi I'm Hannah, your new neighbor. I was wondering if I could get my ball that went into your yard?" She's a tennis player for her highschool team. Rose responds with "Yea sure go get it" in a very monotone nonchalant way. Being the bright bubbly kid she is, Hannah smiles, says thank you and begins to retrieve the ball.

As Rose goes back to enjoy her tv time she can't help but to over hear the joy of laughter coming from outside. Overwhelmed with memories she decides to go to bed. Two days later, Hannah is outside walking her dog JuJu. A brown curly haired dog with a yellow blinged out collar. She spots Rose in her garden and decides to speak. Letting out a confused "Hello" with a slight wave, unsure of Rose's response. To Hannah's surprise Rose waves back and gestures for her to come over. With excitement Hannah heads across the street. "Did you get your ball?" Rose asks. "Yes I did. Thank you so much. My mom would kill me if I lost another one." Hannah says.

" What kind of ball is it?". Rose asks

"It's my tennis ball. I'm on the tennis team at school and this wouldn't be the first ball that I've lost" hannah replies

"Oh you play tennis. My daughter loved sports when she was around your age" Rose says.

"Does she still play?" Hannah asks

"No, she's now married and living in Portland with her children," Rose continues. You remind me of her. So bubbly, outgoing and smart.

Hannah sits and listens to Rose go on about her life. Although she doesn't mind listening, the only thing she can think about is how she will pay for her tennis tournament and new uniform. After 30 minutes Hannah says goodbye and heads home. At home she prepares to eat dinner that her mother made, which was her favorite: Steamed rice, Honey glazed chicken and sauteed green beans. After her meal Hannah goes to bed with Rose on her mind.

The next day Hannah goes over to Rose's house and knocks on the door. Rose answers with excitement and says " Hi there I made Brownies and Lemonade come on in". Hannah enters. The two take a seat at the table. As she looks around a framed photo catches Hannah's eye. "Who is that?" She asks. Turning to see what Hannah is pointing at she explains "oh that's my husband on our wedding day. He passed 15 years ago and I've been alone since that day. I'm a widow some may say".

Hannah being in her thoughts, began to feel sorry for Rose. How could one be so lonely all day every day. She comes up with a plan to visit Rose everyday with her dog JuJu. Each day after that, the two became inseparable. Rose would help Hannah with her school work, every Saturday they'd get together baking and laughing. They'd also go on walks, plant in Rose's garden and practice tennis. She also began teaching Hannah how to journal her thoughts and emotions. Rose gained a grandchild and Hannah gained a grandmother. Although they weren't from the same bloodline the two grew closer each day.

One day Hannah and her family go on a 2 week vacation to Vermont visiting family. She's having the time of her life. Hiking, swimming with her cousins, fishing and enjoying cook outs. Her uncle is grilling, while Hannah teaches her younger cousins how to play tennis. With excitement in her eyes, she explains the rules. Tennis means everything to Hannah and not having enough money for her tournament, she's not sure if she will continue. After an hour of playing, it is finally time to eat. Hannah's Uncle says to her " I see your love for tennis hasn't changed'' She responds with a somber tone "Yes I love it". You don't sound too sure about that" He says". "Well it's just, I won't be able to play in the tournament because I don't have the money" she explains. "Don't worry honey, believe you have it and it's already yours" !!

A few days later it is finally time to head back home. Hannah is excited to share her trip with Rose and show off her souvenir. The day after arriving home, Hannah rushes over to Rose's house. She knocks but there's no answer so she rings the doorbell and to her surprise there was still no answer. Thinking Rose may be in her garden, Hannah goes through the back gate, and still no sight of Rose. Deciding to come back later she heads back through the gate where something catches her. Stopping to investigate, a piece of paper that read "HANNAH, I WENT TO SEE MY GRANDKIDS THANKS TO YOU. HERE'S A LITTLE TOKEN :) BE SURE TO GET A JOURNAL". Underneath the note lies a Little Black Book. Hannah opens the book which to her surprise a check made out to her tennis team for $19,000 falls out. There's also an envelope carrying $1,000 and a note "AND THIS IS FOR YOU! SEE YOU SOON HANNAH". Screeching with excitement, she runs home and shows her mom where they both celebrate.

The next day, still excited, Hannah takes the check to her Tennis coach. She is just as excited and begins to place orders for new uniforms and pay for the tournament. Hannah can't help but to thank Rose. She also goes back to the conversation with her uncle. "Staying positive is all I had to do. Believing is the key".

With this new knowledge she takes on life differently. Rose returns home after 2 days. She goes to the garden discovering The Little Black is gone. With a smile on her face she goes inside setting her bags down and warming a tv dinner before heading for bed. The sounds of chirping awaken Rose so she gets up and prepares for the day. After getting dressed she heads outside spotting Hannah and JuJu on a walk. Hannah happens to look up at the sometime and the itwo grin. Rose motions for Hannah to come over where she then offers a cold glass of lemonade and brownies. The two discuss their trips where they then exchange souvenirs. Rose receives a locket representing her late husband and Hannah receives a charm bracelet with Tennis rackets and balls.

Rose mentions The Little Black Book. Hannah can't thank her enough and invites Rose to her tournament. She proceeds to talk about their new uniforms. "They're light blue with gold lettering. We got new shoes, rackets and balls. Thank you so much Rose" she says as she embraces her with a hug. "You don't have to thank me. I know how much it means to you and you've inspired me to live on the edge so I took a trip to Oakland for my daughter. The two continue their conversation.

3 weeks go by and it is time for Hannah's tournament. Rose cheers her on in the crowd. With a big win the team celebrates with ice cream and pizza. As a surprise Hannah is introduced to Rose's daughter and grandchildren. With Rose's grandson being a year younger than Hannah the two become instant friends. Hannah becomes another member of their family. Spending holidays, Birthdays and Vacations together. A 15 year old and 65 year old meeting, changing each other's lives doesn't seem very ordinary, but with positivity, not giving up and getting out of your comfort zone anything is possible. How are you going to change your life today?