LOOK INSIDE

The streets were quiet downtown during the week. Most businesses were closed due to this global pandemic. Unsettlement and uncertainty for many had gloomed over. Restlessness indoors overcame, yet the need to connect to something other than your own surroundings was prominent. With an overcast of clouds and silence outdoors, some would say a great day for a reflective walk. You never know what thoughts or sites you are going to connect with, or find in this case.

I turned the corner to an older street of down town. You can see others have walked recently before, as foot prints were still prominent in the light fluffy snow that covered the sidewalks. Ahead I could see this black square on the ground, what looked like garbage from the distance. I thought to myself, why not use the many bins around, or did something fall out of someone’s bag. As I got closer it looked like soft leather in a perfect square, too big for a wallet but maybe a small purse. Nope, with a few more strides I can see it is a black book of some sorts with a black elastic band holding the pages tight to keep whatever it holds inside protected and I can see it had a wide cardboard sleeve with a barcode number on it.

Now within reach, I looked around to see if its owner was near before I picked it up, but there was not a person in site in any direction. Curious as I was, I lifted it up and turned it over to what would be the front. In between the wet mushy cardboard sleeve and the book was a receipt. The receipt was a bit wet, with words washed out, as the leather cover only seemed to protect what was inside and not on the outside. I pulled the receipt out, turned the receipt over, to see what was pressed against the leather and in black ink was a hand written message I could barely make out. All that was left was “look inside”, as the rest was too faded and washed out. This little black notebook was never used or opened, how could there be anything inside I questioned? I ripped off the cardboard sleeve and started to slowly open it like I was a secret spy from another time. I noticed the paper was a light cream color with lines, a notebook or journal. I skimmed through it right away and could see there was some hand writing on a few of the pages randomly throughout. Near the end on one of the pages there was what looked liked a cypher of some sort.

More interested than ever and all I had was time on my side so I turned to the first page with writing. There in what looked like the same black ink was “Tom’s Cafe appointment number for location” written in cursive handwriting, then a _ X _ _ _ _ _0 _” and under 3 of the lines there were 3 different numbers in a shaded grey. 4 under the first line, 5 under the seventh line and 8 under the last line.

Well now this has piqued my interest, this location is a block down the street, back from where I turned the corner. Before I started back to the cafe, I took a last look around and noticed there were no foot prints going forward, nothing else around on the ground and still not a person to be seen.

I rushed over and stood in front of Tom’s Café. I see typed in large cursive black handwriting in ink on a white piece of paper “For appointment or walk in please call cell 397-737-7466” and under was a small statement in black felt “The process of making known one's thoughts or feelings”.

I tried to figure out what this meant and how it connected to the letters, numbers and black spaces. I looked at my phone and saw that every number had letters. What could those letters be. I looked at the statement "process of making one’s thought or feelings”. What does that mean I thought to myself? Then I looked at the number three and the letters on the phone. I saw X was under number 9. Then I thought of the first number 3 and D or F would not be placed beside and X, must be E. EX….. O near the end. With the statement in small black felt I thought of the word expression. I went through all the numbers and they all worked.

However, what does this word mean. It said in the notebook this is a location. I knew there was an Expression art studios, yes that is it. That is only two blocks east. I quickly thumbed through the notebook for any more clues. There were a few empty pages, then a page with a note that wrote “second location” in black ink and “every number is a letter”. Then 10 lines _ _ _ A _ _ _ I _ Y, three letters filled out and a few numbers in grey under 2 of the lines. 9 under the third line and 7 under the fifth.

Well, I can’t stop now I thought to myself. I quickly turned east and started walking to see where this leads me, and ends. There is always an end to a means or a means to an end I thought to myself.

In front of Expression Art Studio I saw the same white piece of paper with the numbers written in black ink 3,18,5,1,20,9,22,9,20,25 and underneath in small black felt was “the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work”. Well, I looked at the A and A=1st letter in Alphabet, Y=25th letter. I quickly went through the rest of the numbers in my head and came up with the word Creativity. Creativity worked and matched the statement in small black felt.

Now the only location in the area that comes to mind with the word creativity is this new business leader called Creativity Unleashed. They helped businesses rebuild, reframe innovation and be creative and leverage for success. This place was a few blocks north. Not far. Well, how is this location going to help me? Are there more clues in the notebook? I thumbed through some more pages. A few pages near the back I came across “third location” and a cypher that followed and then 9 lines _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ with 3 numbers in grey under 4 lines. 6 under the first line, 2 under the third line and 3 under the fifth.

I flipped to the last page that was against the back cover to see if there were any clues I missed and it said “When you get to the end M is always first”

Well, I can’t get ahead of myself. To the third location I go as I don’t know where this will end.

It was getting chillier outside as the afternoon was nearing an end. I must hurry before daylight is gone.

When I was in front of Creativity Unleashed all I saw through the window, on the wall at the back going left to right, was a serious of symbols. A straight face emoji, a skull with an x, a flag, a Celtic cross/knot, a smiley face, finger pointing west, a thumbs down, a finger pointing up and a finger pointing west again. I scurried to open the notebook, referenced the symbols and letters in the cypher and tried to remember them all. Without a pencil or pen this was harder than I thought. However, I soon noticed that it made a word, Knowledge. Well, that was the name of our local bookstore just around the corner and they sell notebooks like this, stationary, books and more. One of few businesses still open.

There were no more clues other than “When you get to the end M is always the first”.

As I approached the front of the book store and saw they were only open for another 30 minutes. I quickly searched and looked outside for anything relevant to give me my next clue. Taped to the front door glass window was a note in cursive black ink “figure out the word to win a prize” and underneath it said in small black felt “you get only 1 chance so make the journey count. See counter associate”

A prize! I thought to myself in surprise. This day was turning out not so bad. Now what word are they looking for. I looked at all the clues inside the book and thought about the words associated with them. As I thought, I realized I had not used those numbers in grey. What could they possibly mean? How does this make one word? Time was running out and the book store closing was soon. I started connecting the letters above those numbers, remembering M was always first. The word must start with M. I matched up the words I found along the way and used the letters above the numbers. 2=0, 3=l, 4-E, 5=S, k=6, 7=I, 8=N and 9=E.

I have one chance. I took an extra couple minutes to go over everything again to be sure. Time was running out. I must take a chance. Moleskine, is that the word?

I slowly opened that heavy glass door, walked inside the quiet and comfortable setting. I looked around for the associate at the counter and anxiously headed over. Could I win a cup of coffee, groceries, my bills paid for a month, what could this be. The lineup was clear and the associate looked like they were getting ready to close up.

She looked up and said “Can I help you?”

I did not know what to say. Do I say yes and that is my one word, my one chance? I couldn’t bare to do that to myself. I took a few steps up to the counter to get close and quickly blurted out “MOLESKINE”.

I patiently waited for any response, a look, anything. Her face was blank. All she did was stare at me, look down and dialed a number. I heard her repeat MOLESKINE to the person on the other end of the phone and hung up.

Then this astute prestigious looking man walked out and said “Congratulation! There were only a few notebooks in all of the last batch made for this store that had the clues for the prize. Not one person had claimed it so our Manager decided to pay for one and leave it to chance, if it had the clues and who would find it. Store associates were excluded from the game and were not allowed to talk about it, market and tell people about it. All we were allowed to do is write a note on the back of the receipt which most people threw out or never looked at. It has to be by pure chance”

Then after a short pause he said “your prize is inside this bag, $20,000”

I said "pardon, I think you made a mistake $20.00"

No “$20,000” said the gentleman as he smiled and handed it to me.

I graciously took the bag, thanked the man over and over again and then had to leave as they were closing the store.

As I walked home with a hint of the sun peeking out of the clouds, I thought to myself "you never know what is in front of you, and with a little time and hard work, wiliness to be brave and do something that you have no idea what the outcome is, yet how greatly it could benefit your life if you just try something new and take in the journey"