Mr. Chance's Little black book

"Hello Honey, I just wanted to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day and tell Stacey Happy Birthday. I am so sorry that I was not able to get an earlier flight home. My business meeting lasted longer than scheduled. I am headed to the airport now, hopefully I will be there by the time you finish getting manicures and pedicures. I hope you have a wonderful day together love you both dearly."

Stacey Your father left a message on my cell phone, wishing you a Happy Birthday, and he said that he loved you dearly. He is on his way home; it takes around five hours on the plane for him to get here so we have plenty of time to go out to eat after we get our nails done.

Hurry up Stacey get in the car we have an appointment to get to and we are running late. Mom, can we eat at my favorite restaurant since it is my birthday? Sure, so that would be Olive Garden right? Yes, Ma'am, you know me well! I am so excited I cannot wait to eat a big plate of fettucine alfredo with grilled chicken. Mom, what is wrong with the car why did it go off all of a sudden? "Look out Mom... ""Stacey...."

"Hello Mr. Chance, my name is Melissa I am a nurse at Charity Hospital I am calling to inform you that your wife and daughter have been in a car accident. We need you to come as soon as possible."

By the time Mr. Chance arrived at the hospital it was too late. He found out that his wife died at the scene of the accident, and his daughter just passed ten minutes prior to his arrival. She could not hold on any longer she was bleeding internally. So Mr. Chance identified his family members, signed the necessary papers, and went home to make funeral arrangements.

The minute Mr. Chance walked into the house he broke down crying he could not believe his precious family was gone. He never got the chance to say good bye, he did not even know if they had listened to his message on the phone. As he got up off the floor and walked to his room still crying he noticed a present on his bed. It was a valentines present that his wife bought for him. He opened it and started crying again. It was a box of his favorite kind of candy caramel turtles and a journal to write it.

Mr. Chance pulled himself together prepared a beautiful funeral for his family. Sold his house, car, and all their belongings. He put up a memorial site under the freeway where his wife died.

Then he did something that all of his family and friends tried desperately to talk him out of doing. He took a pillow, thick comforter, about a week’s worth of clothes, some bottles of water, his cell phone, wallet, a pen, and the black journal book from his wife. Called a cab, then disappeared to live under the freeway where his family had their car accident.

For the first month all he did was cry and sleep. He was stuck in a deep deep deep depression. He had not eaten anything; all he did was drink water. He did not even take a shower or brush his teeth. He blamed himself for his wife and daughters’ deaths. He was the one responsible for the up keep on the cars. He knew that the engine light was on one day and off another, he meant to go see about it but forgot. Business seem to always take priority over his family. So he decided to give up everything, because he felt as though he did not deserve it anymore.

One day Mr. Chance looked up where he had placed flowers for his family, and noticed a young man standing there. He walked over to the young man who was holding a sign that he had wrote, "Please help anything will be a blessing. I am available to work if your hiring." Mr. Chance began asking questions. What is your name young man? How old are you? What is the reason you decided to stand here with that sign?

My name is Ameer, I am eighteen years old, and I am trying to collect some money to help myself as well as the others I have met while I have been living on the streets. Where are these others that you are referring to? If you think you can walk about five miles from here I will show you a place where you can get a shower and a hot meal for a fee. That would be great, just give me a few minutes to get a change of clothes. As they walked and talked Mr. chance told Ameer all about his family and Ameer offered his condolences. When they arrived Mr. Chance could not believe his eyes there were so many families living in tents under the freeway. The shower was located inside a small office building, and the food was being served in front of that same building. Everyone who bought a meal just took it with them to their tents to eat.

After Mr. Chance paid the five-dollar fee, took a shower, and received his fried fish with potatoes and peas, he sat on the sidewalk and prayed over his meal. Ameer brought a few as he addressed them, close neighbors. Nineteen-year-old young lady named Shaneka, and seventy-one-year-old Mrs. Smith. They had both been evicted from their apartment when a larger corporation bought out the previous owner. As Mr. Chance walked around and talked to more people he realized that none of them were drug addicts or alcoholics. They were either veterans who served in the military and were unable to work. Or individuals who were taken advantage of by horrible landlords. Of course there were some young adults like Ameer who when they became eighteen years old their parents left them, then a few lost their parents to cancer.

Mr. Chance asked Ameer who paid for the tents and fee for all these people every day? Ameer explained that he was the one collecting money for most of them. He would move around to different locations so that the police would not bother him. On a good day I can collect a hundred dollars by the time the sunsets. However, lately because the covid has people scared I have been having trouble collecting enough for everyone. They are afraid that I will touch them and they will get sick, but I am not sick. Mr. Chance told everyone that he was grateful to have met them and that he would be back to visit them again from time to time.

Ameer asked him if he would be alright walking back alone. He told Ameer that he was fine, and that he wanted him to come visit him in a few weeks. As soon as Mr. Chance got back to his freeway underpass he took out his pen and the little black book his wife bought him and began writing. He also made a few phone calls to his relatives and mentors. After a week had passed Mr. Chance made the decision to be Ameer’s mentor and teach him everything he knew about business. He wrote down all his ideas and contacts information in his little black book.

Ameer came exactly two weeks from the day they first met. Mr. Chance did not waste any time he immediately started asking Ameer questions regarding his future plans. I noticed Ameer, that you have the characteristics of a leader and I was wondering if you would be interested in having me mentor you. I do not want to get into details, but I have been a successful business man for over 20 years now and I would love to teach you as much as you are willing to learn. Ameer thanked Mr. Chance and they agreed to meet every other day. Mr. Chance started out by explaining to Ameer that in order for any man to be successful in anything he decides to do he has to have a strong why, and a clear vision. Using helping others find a safe place to live and food to eat as his why, and he mentioned that a business can be made from finding a solution to a problem. All he needed to do was think about problems that he was facing or the community was facing and what types of skills could be learned to solve those problems. Then all he needed to do was set clear attainable goals and find his motivation to fulfill those goals. After six months of intense training Mr. Chance felt as though Ameer was ready. He told Ameer to meet him at his freeway underpass home on the upcoming Friday around 1pm. He old him to make sure he was clean and put his best clothes on. They laughed because they both knew that he did not have but two outfits. Mr. Chance gave Ameer a hug and told him that he was proud of all the hard work he had been doing to learn to help others. He also told him that meeting him was a blessing that woke him up out of a deep depression in which he would always be grateful for. Ameer went back to his tent five miles away, and Mr. Chance made a few more arrangements for Fridays meeting with Ameer.

When Ameer arrived for his meeting with Mr. Chance he found him passed out on his pillow with a smile on his face, holding a little black book on his chest. Ameer realized that Mr. Chance was gone to be with his family. He began to read the little black book it explained exactly what to do. Ameer found the cell phone in Mr. Chances pocket called for an ambulance, and talked to Mr. Chances brother. While Ameer was at the Hospital he found out that Mr. Chance died from contracting the Covid virus. He also had an opportunity to meet Mr. Chances siblings and tell them everything that had been happening for the past few months. A few days later Ameer attended the funeral he met Some business partners of Mr. Chances that told him that he needed to take a ride with them. Ameer got into a limo with the gentlemen they drove past the freeway where Mr. Chance passed away. After riding for about forty-five minutes the limo stopped. Ameer was confused all he could see was acres, and acres of land without anything but a lake and trees. The gentlemen explained that the land was bought by Mr. Chance for you to start a business of your own and fulfill your vision. The land also came with detailed plans on how to do that: such as planting fruits and vegetables, buying animals that will be food for everyone especially chickens. How they can fish and sell anything that they grow. The buildings will be like cabins with a communal bathroom facility that has several showers and toilet stalls. Mentors to help get everything built, as well as a bank account with enough to take care of all the expenses. The total project should be ready to live in within six to eight months. So in the meantime they were to all move on the property in RV’s which also will be handled by Mr. Chances business partners. Ameer was so overwhelmed on the one hand he was excited for his community, but sad that his mentor was gone. He found comfort in knowing that everything happens for a reason and, Mr. Chance was now with his family.