The Mystery of the Little Black Book

Vivian was not one to venture out since her move back home. The three years she spent living in the city made her more of a hermit than ever. Now, even in this place, the small hometown she thought she knew, it seemed to be filled with strangers just “going” and “doing”. All she wanted was just to be alone. She yelled inside her head silently, “Go away! All of you! Leave me alone!” She was not sure how long she desired to be alone because she had to get up and go to work every day. The only thing that got her motivated was the dream of something wonderful happening. She wanted to be surprised and delighted. Until then, she just wanted to be left alone.

One day after the usual busy day at work, which turned into a mundane drive home, Vivian climbed the stairs leading to her apartment to find a package leaning against her door. She had not ordered anything. The package had her name and address. The return address made her burst into tears because the package appeared to be from her beloved and deceased grandfather.

When Vivian was very small she could not say “Grandpa Ed” and it came out more like “Grampie” so the name affectionately stuck. Vivian was Grampie’s favorite person in the whole world and he was her hero. It was not surprising that when Grampie became ill, he asked Vivian to move back to town. No one knew how fast his illness would take him so by the time Vivian got settled into her new apartment and job back in her hometown, Grampie was in his last days. He only had one lucid moment with her before he passed in which his final words to her were, “The mystery of the little black book awaits you my dear sweet Vivian”. He made is sound like one of the mystery series he read to her as a child.

Grampie’s death was months ago, so who sent this package? Vivian opened the package to find a little black book. “Ahh”, she thought, as she remembered Grampie’s last words to her. She opened the book and there were names and addresses. Next to each name was a box to check off. The boxes were labeled clue 1-5 respectively. Grampie had been busy in the months it took Vivian to relocate from the city to her hometown. He must have spent his final days creating this mystery for her.

Clue number one was the name and address of her Aunt Lucy. Lucy was Grampie’s youngest sister and Vivian’s second favorite person after Grampie. Vivian and Aunt Lucy had only crossed paths once in the last 4 years and that was at Grampie’s memorial service. Vivian lost touch with Aunt Lucy and everyone else after her move to the city. Was this Grampie’s way of getting us to reconnect? Vivian hesitantly knocked on Aunt Lucy’s door and was instantly embraced! “Where have you been my sweet girl?” Aunt Lucy inquired. The two sat down with some tea and talked for hours eventually discussing the little black book from Grampie. “Oh, I had almost forgotten about my brother’s strange request” Lucy exclaimed as she popped up from her chair and went to her desk drawer. Lucy handed Vivian a small box labeled, “Clue #1”. The ladies said their goodbyes and made a date for the next week at the same time. Vivian promised to report to Lucy of her progress solving the mystery of the little black book.

Inside the box labeled “Clue #1” was a key and a note. The note was from Grampie and in his writing it read, “Dearest Viv, I thank you for following the clues in my order as noted in the little black book. Love, Grampie.” Vivian’s eyes flooded with tears, putting the key aside as she pondered clue number two. Next that box was the name and address of her older brother Craig. Craig was 10 years her senior and basically grew up separate. When Vivian was eight years old, Craig joined the military’s Army Special Forces. She had only seen him a few times in the last 20 years. She always enjoyed Craig’s postcards from far away places but they had never really bonded as siblings. Her stomach was in knots as she knocked on his door.

Craig did not make it back for Grampie’s memorial so Vivian had not seen her brother in years. When he opened the door he looked at her strangely and asked, “Do I know you?” Vivian burst into tears as Craig embraced her. They sat down on the couch as he apologized for the mess. They were strangers really but they felt the connection. The siblings caught up with each other’s lives and vowed to keep closer in touch. At the end of the visit, Craig was walking Vivian to the door he stopped to riffle through some papers on the entry table. “I almost forgot about this. Grampie sent it to me with his last letter instructing me to only give it to you if you stopped by. Strange huh?” he said with a smile. He added, “You know Grampie and his mysteries.” The two hugged goodbye and off she went with her envelope labeled “Clue #2”.

Vivian waited to get home to open the envelope. Inside it read, “Dearest Viv, Don’t be impatient, just follow the clues. Clue #1 was a key but what does it do? Clue #2 is the number 272. Embrace the journey as you move on to Clue #3. Love, Grampie”. She checked off that box and moved on to clue number three in that little black book. Clue number three was the name and address of a coffee shop where she used to meet her creative writing club. As Vivian walked in the door she breathed in the mouthwatering aroma of the shop’s signature brew. She walked to the counter and ordered her coffee then sat down to take in the ambiance of her once favorite place. Vivian looked around the shop and saw a few faces that looked vaguely familiar. She looked at the walls filled with art of all kinds; paintings, collage and photography, but one piece in particular caught her attention. There was a beautifully framed watercolor painting of the house she grew up in. The artist was Vivian herself. Last time she saw that painting it was in a pile of art she had left behind in the art class she was taking before she moved away to the city. Almost on cue, the barista came over to me and sat down. She said, “Hi, I am Luke Grant’s daughter, Bella. He used to talk about you all the time. Dad owns this place now and I manage it for him.”

Bella’s father Luke taught the art class that Vivian was taking before she moved to the city. It was at the local community center. Luke taught art at the elementary school also. During the brief conversation with Bella, Vivian learned a few things about Luke Grant. Luke and Vivian’s brother Craig went to school together. They we close friends and Vivian can vaguely remember Luke coming over to hang out on occasion. That ten-year age difference seemed like a big deal back then. After Luke and Craig graduated they lost touch, with Craig going into the Army and Luke staying back to pursue teaching. Luke married at 18 and had Bella right away. Bella’s mom died in a car accident when Bella was 2 years old so Luke has been a single father ever since. The third clue seems less obvious. It has to do with that painting of the house she grew up in and possibly her art teacher Luke.

As Vivian left the coffee shop, Bella handed her an envelope labeled, “Clue #3”. Grampie was also a patron of this coffee shop until he became bedridden. Again Vivian waited to open the envelope from the comfort of her own apartment. Inside it read, “Dearest Viv, I hope you are enjoying the mystery of the little black book. Clue # 3 is simply home and heart. Move on to Clue #4. Love, Grampie”. Clue number four was the address of the home she grew up in. Her father died when Vivian was 17 and her mom sold the house when she married Hank three years later. Mom and Hank live on a farm outside of town. Mom calls once a week to check up on Vivian but they haven’t been close since she the marriage to Hank. Hank is nice and good to Vivian’s mom, but they are caught up in their life on the farm.

Vivian drove by the house that she grew up in and there was a sign that read “For Sale” on the lawn. Vivian realized that she wanted to buy that house. It was a passing thought with her saving depleted by the recent move back to town. Just for fun, she called the listing agent on the sign that promptly met her for a tour of the home. After the tour, which brought back so many fond memories, the agent looked at the paperwork Vivian had filled out and realized who she was. The agent was the mother-in-law of Vivian’s best friend from high school, Silvie. Silvie now married with twin girls. The real estate agent, Ms. Bean, who was also Silvie’s mother-in-law handed me an envelope that read, “Clue #4”. She said, “Your grandfather gave this to me and told me to give this to you only if you called to view the house.” Vivian said her goodbyes and took Ms. Bean’s card, the information packet on the house and the envelope back to her apartment.

Vivian opened the envelope and inside it read, “Dearest Viv, I am sure that by now you must be confused but I assure you Clue #5 will clear it all up. Please see the customer service representative. Love, Grampie”. Inside the little black book next to clue number five was the address of the local bank. Vivian had not been inside the bank in years because she always did her banking on-line. The bank looked just as she remembered with the teller line as the first thing you see as you walk in the door. Two offices were to the left and two offices to the right. As she walked to the door of the CSR, Vivian smiled at the cleverness of her Grampie. The CSR was her old best friend Silvie! Vivian and Silvie gradually lost touch after high school but now thanks to Grampie…here they are!

Vivian told Silvie about Grampie’s mysterious little black book. Silvie told Vivian that Grampie would often come to see her at the bank and the key must be to his safety deposit box #272. Vivian's smile was so big as she opened that box and found $20,000 in cash and an envelope that read, “Clue #5”. Vivian sat down on the bench inside the safety deposit box vault and opened her envelope. Inside it read, “Dearest Viv, Now that you have all your clues, this mystery is all yours. It is up to you to determine how these pieces all fit in your life. I am with you always and forever in your heart do I live. For this to be so your heart must be open and know there is room for so much more. Love Always and Forever, Grampie”.

Vivian bought her childhood home, wrote a book, created many things in her art studio, started dating Luke Grant and pursued meaningful relationships with the other characters in this story. Grampie not only gave her a mystery and money, he gave her the life she didn’t know she wanted. That little black book cleverly opened her heart!