LOST AND FOUND

Abner Wentworth mainly kept to himself. Everyone who knew Abner – the wealthiest and longest-standing resident in the small town of Hansonville, New York – associated him with his most prized possession: a small, black leather bound notebook he carried with him everywhere. No one in Hansonville knew what was in the notebook, but if Abner was out and about, he could always be seen either reading through the notebook or writing in it.

Life in Hansonville was pleasant. About an hour north of the Catskill Mountains, the residential community boasted one hotel, a handful of restaurants, a movie theatre, and a three-block downtown of charming retail stores. There were three spacious parks and a lake, where Abner especially enjoyed taking walks.

The biggest news that came from Hansonville typically involved the birth of a baby, a lunch special at one of the local restaurants, or news from abroad from one of the families who had children studying overseas.

Most people in Hansonville were happy there; twelve-year-old Tommy Wilson wasn’t one of them. His parents were killed in a car accident when Tommy was eight. An only child without any known relatives, he was taken in by Sarah and Chris Howarth, close friends of Tommy’s parents. Sarah and Chris were kind and loving guardians, with three children who treated Tommy like family. Sarah was the music teacher at the local elementary school; Chris was a fireman. He often took Tommy to the fire station where he’d marvel at the new fire engines and play with the station’s two Dalmatians, Spot and Dot. Tommy enjoyed being at the fire station where – even if just for a few hours – he felt the comradery and togetherness of the firemen. He appreciated the Howarth’s for taking him in without hesitation but deep down, he always ached for his parents and yearned to fill the void left by their absence.

Days went by like they always did in Hansonville…until one morning, Abner lost his notebook. As he did most days, Abner had ventured on a walk through Entradero Park – the biggest park in Hansonville – then went downtown to his favorite café, Amy’s, where he was a regular several times a week. But when Abner got home that afternoon and reached into his pocket, the notebook wasn’t there. He checked his jacket, other pants pockets, and even his front porch, but the notebook was nowhere to be found. The expression on his face transitioned from confusion to sadness to panic. Where was his notebook? When was the last time he saw it? Was he writing at the café? He rushed to the phone and dialed Amy’s.

As soon as the hostess, Nicole, answered the phone, Abner quickly asked if anyone had turned in his notebook – so frantic he was barely able to get the sentence out. Like everyone else in Hansonville, Nicole knew what that notebook meant to Abner. She looked near the table where Abner had eaten lunch. Sadly, there was no sign of the notebook. She reluctantly picked up the phone and shared the bad news with Abner.

“Oh my,” he replied. “Well, thank you for checking, Nicole. I’m sure it will turn up.”

A few days went by; Abner began to grow increasingly concerned about his notebook. It meant everything to him, and he felt incomplete without it.

The next day, “MISSING” signs were posted throughout the town. The residents of Hansonville were sad to learn Abner had lost his cherished notebook. Simultaneously, they were thrilled – albeit surprised – to see that Abner was offering a significant reward for the missing notebook: $10,000. No one could believe their eyes. They knew Abner was well-established, but $10,000 seemed incredibly generous for a notebook. It further confirmed how much those pieces of paper meant to Abner and further drove the public’s stirring interest of what was inside.

The day after the “MISSING” signs became the talk of the town, Tommy was walking Otis, the Howarth’s dog, at Entradero Park. He had spent yesterday at the fire station and hadn’t seen the signs about Abner’s notebook. Like the rest of Hansonville, Tommy had always been curious about Abner. Abner Wentworth mainly kept to himself with little interest in striking up conversations or forming friendships with the residents of Hansonville. Tommy heard through the grapevine that Abner had a daughter, but something had happened that caused their relationship to suffer. According to the Hansonville rumor mill – which took great interest in the mysterious ways of Abner Wentworth – Abner hadn’t seen his daughter since she was in her young twenties. As far as anyone knew, he didn’t have any extended family nearby. He seemed to spend his birthday, local town celebrations and summers by his lonesome.

While running with Otis down their favorite Entradero park trail, something in the fresh cut grass caught Tommy’s eye. The out-of-place object was small, black, and stood out against the bright green blades. Curious, Tommy walked over and picked it up. Right off the bat, Tommy knew this must be Abner’s notebook – not only because every time Tommy had seen Abner, this notebook was right by his side, but also because the initials “A.W.” were engraved on the leather front cover. He was excited to find the notebook, as he imagined Abner must be upset if he realized it was missing.

Tommy grew increasingly curious. Of course, he did not want to pry, but he had always wondered what Abner spent day in and day out writing about and reading in his cherished notebook. He quickly looked around the trail; no one was in sight. He ushered Otis over to a nearby bench, took a seat, and opened Abner’s notebook.

The notebook felt good in Tommy’s hands. The leather was soft to the touch and was in tip-top condition, considering its daily usage. The pages were thick and sturdy; Tommy wondered what kind of paper it was. He thought about how he’d love to have a notebook like this someday. The first page opened with a quote, written in beautiful penmanship. It read: “At the point of the pen is the focus of the mind.” The next several pages were filled with similar quotes about writing.

Following the pages with the quotes, miscellaneous dates and events were listed. One of the first occasions was: “July, 1936, World’s Fair, Cleveland, Ohio.” Another entry read: “World Series, October 1941, New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers.” Several pages like this followed – dates and events, dates and events – and Tommy soon realized that Abner had recorded the most special times of his life in this notebook. Now, Tommy finally understood why Abner’s face lights up when he flips through the pages.

As Tommy sat there, engrossed in Abner’s extraordinary experiences, the rest of the town was frantically searching for Abner’s prized possession, with their eyes on the $10,000 prize. Because Hansonville spanned only a few square miles, people were mainly combing the stretch of the downtown area, and the neighborhood streets and front yards near Abner’s house. A few people began to make their way to Entradero Park – situated on the outskirts of town – but Tommy and Otis were seated out of sight.

A wave of guilt flooded Tommy’s conscious, and he began to feel that he should stop looking through the notebook. He decided to close it and return home, where he’d ask Chris or Sarah to help him contact Abner to let him know his notebook had been found. As Tommy was about to close the notebook, he noticed the final page tucked away. At the top were three words: “My only regret.” Tommy felt a pang of wrongfulness about reading the entry beneath the tempting title, but his curiosity got the best of him.

He began to read the final page:

“I have led a long and happy life. I have been healthy, I have always been able to find work, and I have traveled the country. I married a wonderful woman, and we had a beautiful daughter. My only regret is that we had a falling out when she was in her twenties, and we never had the chance to make amends, as I had wished to do. She was tragically taken in a terrible car accident, along with her husband, before we could reconcile. I heard my daughter had a baby – my first and only grandchild – who I never met, and I have no idea who or where that child is today.”

Tommy couldn’t believe his eyes. His heart was pounding a million miles a minute. He stopped breathing, just for a second. He re-read the last two sentences.

Tommy flew off the bench and yelled “Come on, Otis!” His heart still pounding, he raced out of the park. Instead of going home, he beelined straight to Chase Road, where Abner Wentworth lived. In his exhilarated but nervous dash, he didn’t notice all the people rummaging through the neighborhood in search of the little black notebook that he clutched tightly in his hand. Out of breath, sweaty, and with butterflies in his belly, he reached Abner’s front steps and rang the doorbell.

Abner answered the door a few moments later. Before the door was halfway open, Tommy exclaimed, “I found your notebook!” He held the leather bound book out for Abner to see. Abner’s face lit up like the flash of a camera.

“Well it looks like you did, son. Thank you! Where in the world did you find it?”

Tommy tried to catch his breath. “At Entradero Park! Otis and I were running down one of the trails, and I saw it in the grass.”

“It must have fallen out when I was walking in the park the other day,” Abner reasoned. “Well, I guess you have earned the reward. What is your name, son?” he asked.

“My name’s Tommy, but I don’t know anything about a reward.”

“You didn’t see the signs I posted across town? I offered $10,000 to anyone who found and returned my notebook.”

Tommy was shocked to hear about the reward. He knew that $10,000 was a lot of money, but he didn’t care. He looked at Abner and replied, “I don’t want the money, sir. You can keep it. I’m just happy that I found your notebook. And besides, I think I may have already received a much better reward.”

Perplexed – and somewhat astounded – that anyone would turn down that much money, Abner questioned, “And what would that be?”

Tommy smiled and answered, “I think you’re my grandpa.”

The next day, Abner invited Tommy and the Howarth family to his home. After a long conversation, they realized that Abner was indeed Tommy’s grandfather. From that day on, Tommy and Abner developed a special relationship. Every Wednesday, Abner picked Tommy up for dinner at Amy’s Café. On Saturdays, they met at Entradero Park on the bench where Tommy first read the little black notebook, and Abner told Tommy detailed stories about the happiest times of his life that he had listed on those pages.

Finding his grandpa filled the void in Tommy’s life. He loved spending time with Abner, learning not only about Abner’s special times, but more about his mother when she was a child. Hearing all these amazing stories, Tommy told his grandpa that when he grew up, he wanted to be a writer. For his next birthday, Abner gave Tommy his very own little black leather notebook so he could begin fine-tuning his writing and entering his happiest memories – many of which would turn out to be times that Tommy spent with Abner.

Tommy never accepted the reward money from Abner, but inside his newly gifted notebook was a check for $20,000. His grandpa said it was for college, so that Tommy could pursue his dream of becoming a great writer.