The Magical Black Book

My grandmother, like me, was seen as an odd ball to the rest of my family, her aura whimsical and distinct, a hopeful artist living in a colourless world. She hypnotized anyone in her presence, her skin like silk, her afro resembling that of a lion's mane. She was a magical woman simply vibrating on a higher level.

My grandmother often carried a little black book by her side, she said it answered her deepest desires. She spoke tales of how she acquired her wealth and married her lost love, she attributed her luck to what she called her “ magical black book.

For my 23th birthday, my grandmother gifted me her magical black book, she said it has been passed down in our family for centuries, given to the one who believes in it's magic. It was worn down, the pages flared like butterfly wings, it almost looked as if it could fly. She told me in order to unlock the magic within the black book, I must sleep with it under my pillow for seven days in order for it to connect to my deepest desires.

“The book speaks to you through your dreams, a deep bassing drum that rumbles the pits of your soul, let it guide you to your deepest desires”. I was skeptical at first though I felt compelled to tell it my deepest desires. After seven days I decided to give it a try and wish for the most obvious desires one could wish for , I wrote in big letters "I win the lottery'' fifty times across the entire page in red ink then put it back under my bed until my wish would come true as my grandmother told me.

One day on my way from work I got off the bus at my usual stop, suddenly I began to hear drumming, the ground beneath me rumbling in sync with the rhythm. I looked over to where the sound was coming from, as I saw a billboard spelled in big red letters resembling my handwriting from the book. The billboard said " you win the lottery '' I couldn't believe my eyes, as I stood paralyzed in shock, the air grew thick and I could smell my grandmother's rose and tobacco perfume she wore everyday.

The drumming grew louder and louder until my eyes rested on an old chinese man housed under the billboard. He was selling goods from his tiny shack, stained with rust from rain water that sat on his roof and ran off the sides like a waterfall.

He looked up at me and waved for me to come to him, I crossed the street and to my surprise he sold lottery tickets, he picked one up and gave it to me. Smiling he said "as you wish" bowing his head as he handed me the ticket. My tongue was tied from what I had just witnessed, I hurried to visit my grandmother to tell her what happened.

She sat in her rouge, gold dipped bamboo chair drinking tea while humming to her birds, two white doves, “yemaya and oya” (named after ancient african goddess deities) sat next to her listening as she hummed unknown melodies, her voice soothing and enchanting, they alerted her of my arrival.

"Hello chosen child" she said as she put down her tea and welcomed me with a hug, her afro colourful like a rainbow blocking my sight. "Did you receive your golden ticket?" She said smiling, taken aback by her knowledge I said “That's what I was going to tell you I had the weirdest experience…” " hush child that is the least of your excitement, your journey has just begun" .

As I sat next to her she nudged me to look at my ticket, faint circles formed around certain numbers, I sat in amazement as my ticket came to life. " It seems as though we have a winner " my grandma says looking over my shoulder, Immediately after her TV comes on with static, the channels switch to a bald man dressed in a white suit covered in green dollar bills, calling lottery numbers.

He pauses while looking at the screen and slowly calls out the numbers on my ticket, with a grin on his face he says” congratulations Maya” before the tv quickly shuts off, Stunned I looked over to my grandmother greeted with an expected smile on her face. “I won… I won!” I said shouting at the top of my lungs, I leap out of my grandmother's couch dancing around her living room as she laughs, her birds fly around me circling me, chirping.

" Look what happens when you believe in the magic of the black book, treasure it and it shall always tend to you" she says while kissing my face and laughing, “Welcome to my world.”