Find Me

"B.”

Silence.

“B!”

“Huh? What?”

“What are you doing over there? You’ve been staring at the same page of that book for like an hour and I’m boooored!”

The second part was only half-true: Julia was bored but also completely enthralled in whatever was currently occupying the screen of the little black box in her hand. But B hadn’t been staring at the same page for an hour. It had really only been about ten minutes but every ten minutes is sixty in twelve-year-old girl time.

“Yeah. I know. Sorry, I’m just- I have a lot on my mind right now."

“Oh yeah? Like what?” For all her talk of boredom Julia couldn’t be bothered to look up from her phone now that whatever spell had overtaken B had been broken.

"Well... our rent is due and the eviction moratorium is ending soon."

"Uh-huh."

"And my mom is really stressed about it. She doesn't know how long she can keep getting unemployment. I mean, our landlord is cool but not that cool."

"Uh-huh."

"And something's going on with Sis too. I'm not sure what but I heard her talking to mom the other night. Something about needing ten thousand dollars. Plus, her boyfriend's the worst. He claims he can't see her because he's trying to stay safe with everything that's going on but I know what's up. I try to tell her but she refuses to see the truth. Tale as old as time."

"You're weird." Julia came alive at this. She loved gossip, especially anything involving Sis, who Julia also looked at as a big sister. "And anyways, who can blame her for not taking advice from her little sister who's never had a boyfriend because she keeps her face stuck in a book all day, every day? L.O.L!"

"Did you just say lol out loud? God, you're the worst."

"Shut up. Here, come check out this new TikTok account I found. It's this guy who- B!"

"What?"

"You're staring at that book again! What's so interesting? I haven't even seen you turn a page."

"How would you know? You've been on your phone all day."

"Don't change the subject. Now I'm really curious. I mean, it's a book you wrote. How can it be that interesting to you?"

Technically, it was more of a journal. B wrote short biographies of her heroes. Both as a writing exercise and as inspiration. Some of the more well-known names populating the pages included: Toni Morrison, Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Malcolm X, August Wilson, and Rosa Parks. None of those names was the one that had B so transfixed on this particular day though.

Julia leaned over the edge of her bed to peer over B's shoulder since she was back to not responding.

"Who's Kira Johnson?", Julia asked.

"I don't know." said B. "I didn't write it."

In contrast to the facts and quotes filling the other pages of B's little black book, this page only had two other words, scribbled below the mystery name: "Find Me".

The sun was beginning to go down and neither B nor Julia had made any headway into finding this mystery lady.

"I just don't understand it.", Julia complained. "Everything about everyone is online but I can't find a single thing about Kira Johnson. At least nothing that makes sense with whatever we're dealing with here. Do you think Sis is playing a joke on you?"

"Nah, this doesn't look like her writing. Ya know, there are a lot of blank pages between the last entry I wrote and this one."

"So?"

"So, why would whoever wrote this skip all these pages? There has to be some kind of meaning behind it. I counted all the pages and this entry is on page seventy-six."

"I think we need some fresh air. We've worked on this so long and we aren't any closer to figuring it out. Let's go get something to eat. They'll bring it out to us."

"Yeah, I guess that sounds good." B glanced out the window. "It's getting kinda late though. You know how your mom gets about us being out after dark."

"It's cool. I'll text her and tell her we decided to stay at your house instead. She won't know what time we got there."

"Sneaky."

"You know it." Julia said with a wink.

Walking past the shuddered doors and boarded up windows Julia prattled on about her new favorite TikTok account. "And the guy can bowl strikes with any kind of ball you can think of!"

"Why is he even in a bowling alley right now?" B asked, only half paying attention.

"I mean, he's wearing a mask. And-"

"Wait. Look at that."

"What?"

"The sign. What's it say?"

"Seventh and Sixth. What's up with that place there at the corner? I've never noticed it before."

"Yeah. Me either." said B. "Let's go check it out."

"I don't know. It looks like they're closing up for the night and we've already got our food."

"True. But I just have a feeling that we'll find some kind of answer there."

Warily, B and Julia crossed the street and walked into what was apparently the new restaurant at the corner of Seventh and Sixth.

Outside, a white-haired lady was just about to lock the door. "That was a close one." she said, with her back still to the girls. "I didn't think you were ever gonna get here! Once I lock that door, I don't open it again until the next day so you're lucky." As the lady turned around, she looked vaguely familiar to both B and Julia. "And look you brought your friend too! This sure is a nice surprise for an old lady. Now why don't you two come on in."

Speechless and puzzled, the girls followed the white-haired lady inside.

"Now why don't you two take off those masks so I can look at you? It's been so long since I've seen you like this. I'm glad you were able to read my note in your book. I didn't know if you'd be able to make it out. Damn arthritis."

"We can't." Julia said. "There's a pandemic going on right now, ya know. You should be wearing one too. The virus is harder on old people."

"Julia!" B gouged Julia with her elbow.

"Well, it's true!"

"Hahaha!" the old lady laughed. "It's ok, B. You know, I do remember that virus a long time ago. Don't worry you'll come through it ok and I can assure you: you're safe in here."

"This lady's crazy." Julia whispered.

"Maybe. But let's just take off the masks like she asked." B didn't know why, but she just had a feeling she could trust this lady.

"There. That's better. And you two look exactly like I remembered. It really takes me back."

"What do you mean?", B asked. "We've never met. Julia and I didn't even know this place was here and-" B felt a chill come over her. "Wait. How did you know everyone calls me B?"

"I know plenty." the lady answered. "I know why they call you that too. It's short for Blanche. The detective in those books you were always reading. You loved those books."

"I did." B said. "I could always solve the mystery before the main character did. That was my favorite part."

"You were so good at that. I wanted to give you another mystery to solve but it seems you haven't quite gotten there yet." said the lady mysteriously. "With everything the way it is right now it's no wonder you're out of practice. Too many other things to think about."

"So, what are we doing here?" Julia interrupted. "I hope this isn't some wild goose chase!"

"Of course not." The lady was digging under the counter where the cash register sat. "I know it's here somewhere... There you are!" The lady sat a brown paper bag on the counter with a thud. "Here you go, B. This is for you. Or, for you to give to mom and Sis actually."

The girls had given up trying to make any sense to the old lady's seemingly magical ability to know random things about them. She must've been a family friend.

"What is it?", B asked.

"Well, just a brown bag with twenty thousand dollars in it of course!" said the old lady with a huge grin.

B and Julia opened up the bag and peeked down into it. They couldn't be sure without counting but it did appear to be quite a large sum of money.

"I don't understand. Why are you giving me this?"

"Because we need this B. All of this wouldn't be possible without it." The old lady stretched out her arms to signify she meant the restaurant.

"I still don't get it. What do you mean?" B was more puzzled than ever.

"It'll all make sense soon. You'll figure it out. Just like you did all those Blanche White mysteries."

"But-"

"No buts. Now you two get on out of here. I really have to close up." B thought she heard the faintest hint of familiarity in the lady's voice then.

The two girls walked back towards the door, still confused. When they got outside, they turned back towards the lady. A single tear was streaming down her cheek.

"It really has been nice seeing you again like this", she said. "Like you are now. Young. Enjoy it. I know it's hard right now but things will get better. I promise." The lady smiled and closed the door behind them.

As the girls walked down the street, towards B's apartment, they looked back at the restaurant. It looked abandoned now. Much like it had looked every time they had walked past it the past year.

When the girls walked in the door of B's apartment, Sis and Mom were sitting at the kitchen table, talking.

"Julia, I didn't know you were staying the night." Mom said.

"Yeah, me either until a couple hours ago." Julia answered.

"Guess what girls? I have a new man now. I finally broke up with that sorry-" Sis started.

"An old lady gave B twenty thousand dollars tonight." Julia blurted.

"What?" asked Mom.

"It's true." said B. "Now you can pay the rent for a while now, mom. And Sis you can use part of it to do whatever you were going to do with it. What were you going to do with it by the way?"

"Well, you know I've been out of culinary school for a while now. Since property is so cheap, I was going to open up a restaurant. I know it's a bad time but when things get back to normal people will be dying to go out and eat!"

A chill ran down B's spine. "Where were you going to open it?"

"I was thinking the corner of seventh and sixth. Why?"

Things were becoming clearer now. But neither Julia or B could fathom it. How could it be?

B pulled out her little black book and turned to page seventy-six. "Sis, did you write this?"

Sis examined the page. "Haha, yeah I thought I should be in your book of heroes! I was wondering when you'd see it." She looked more closely "But I didn't write "find me". And that's so weird; I wrote our last name, B. Not Johnson. But that's my new guy's name. Malik Johnson. What's going on?"

B and Julia were flabbergasted. B had always solved the Blanche White mysteries so easily but this time she hadn't been able to see the truth. Not until it was sitting ten feet away from her staring her right in the face.