The Little Black Book

The blaring of her alarm awakened Eva Banks with a start. Even after 8 hours of sleep, she was still bone weary. It was Saturday, her day to volunteer at the senior center, but all she wanted to do was stay in bed, wrapped in the cocoon of her thin but comfortable blanket. "Oh well," she thought. "A promise is a promise, and after all I've been through, I can't simply break the one I made when I signed up for this." She reluctantly got up, took a shower, got dressed, then steeled herself for the mile long walk to the center. Leaving her shabby apartment, she quickly glanced up and down the street, checking the weather, but also looking for any sign of HIM. Seeing none, she sighed with relief, then started her long walk. As she walked, she thought about her life, and all of the things which had happened to bring he to this place and time. She knew she shouldn't think about those things, because she was desperately trying to begin a new life, one devoid of fear, heartbreak and loss. So intent was she with her musings, she abruptly found herself stumbling over something lying on the sidewalk. Coming back into the moment with a jolt, she looked down at the thing which almost sent her sprawling, and saw that it was a book. A little black book, to be exact. She picked it up and opened it, thinking that it might be a novel she could read on those nights when she couldn't sleep at all. But all she saw on those slightly yellow and worn pages were letters and symbols which to her seemed to be some kind of foreign language or codes. Not being able to figure it out, and already running late for her duties at the center, she put the book into her purse, and promptly forgot about it.

Everyone at the center loved Eva. She was patient and kind, and always took the time to stop and chat with the seniors who came there for food and fellowship. Most of them felt as lonely as she did, so she could relate to them in a way which made them feel important and cared about. Eva understood their feelings well. She had come from a home in which there was no love, but only coldness and rejection. An only child, her mother died giving birth to her, and her father blamed Eva, always reminding her of the tragedy, and feeling sorry for himself for having to take care of the child who killed his wife. He saw Eva, not as a valuable human being, but as a burden. When she became old enough, she was made to cook, clean, and be quiet. She tried everything she could thing of to be a good daughter, in orde to win her father's love, but nothing worked. By the time she was 22, she'd had enough, so she decided to run away and live the life she'd always wanted. But her father had other ideas. He found out where she had gone, and was determined to punish her for deserting him.

Finding a job and shelter in a new town isn't easy, but Eva did it. She worked 5 days a week, taking care of a wealthy woman who'd been in an accident, and was bedridden because of it. Though she was stern, she was not unkind, and treated Eva well. Mrs. Hobbs spoke often of her son, who lived far away, but who phoned his mother daily. Eva listened to Mrs. Hobbs with interest as she spoke of all of the wonderful times she had with her son while he grew up, and when Mr. Hobbs was still alive. Eva had met Anthony Hobbs just once, when she applied for the position. Although he was a bit formal, there was a certain compassion about him which Eva immediately sensed. Eva at once felt the acceptance she'd never got from her father.

Six months later, Mrs. Hobbs suffered a major stroke, and died. Anthony Hobbs was devastated. Eva agreed to stay on while he grieved the loss of his mother. Over the coming weeks, Eva and Anthony grew to become friends, and he revealed to her that he had been secretly following and watching her, as he sensed that she needed a protector. He told her, "One Saturday morning, I watched as you were walking down the street, and not wanting you to see me, I fled around the corner. But as I did so, I dropped a very important book, a little black one, which had the formula for an important invention of mine. I'd worked on that formula for more than two years, so I was desperate to get it back. After you had passed by the place where I'd been standing, I went back to look for it, but it wasn't there. I was heartbroken! I prayed that whoever picked it up wouldn't be able to figure out what it was. That fomula was worth millions of dollars!" As Eva listened to Anthony talk, a bell went off in her head. She suddenly remembered the little black book she'd picked up more than six months ago, but couldn't at first recall what she'd done with it. All of a sudden, she jumped up, grabbed her jacket, and told Anthony she'd be back soon. Hurrying home, she ran into her apartment and began to search frantically fo the purse she'd been carrying on that fateful day. Rummaging though her meager belongings, she found the purse, and looked inside. Nothing! But then she noticed a rip in the lining, and reaching though it, she found what she was looking for. The little black book she had found and forgotten!

Racing back to the Hobbs residence, Eva presented Anthony with his book. A look of astonishment and joy crossed his face as he opened it and stared at the pages. His formula! It was safe! He was so overjoyed, that he lifted Eva off her feet, and spin her around until they were both dizzy! "Eva!", shouted Anthony, " You have made me the happiest man alive! And because of this, I am going to produce and market this formula, and reward you, as well!" And this is how Eva Banks became a millionaire, and changed her life. Oh, and she married Anthony too!