A Gift to Take

Yes, ma’am I’m fully aware that there is an outstanding balance. I’m trying my hardest to get caught up but it’s kind of hard when you’ve been laid off in the middle of a pandemic. I just need a little more time.”

These were Allen’s words as he pleaded his mortgage lender. He was currently behind 3 months on his mortgage. He worked at local factory that manufactured auto parts for 14 years, where he rightfully earned the supervisor position on the night shift. With the start of the pandemic, production in the factory came to a halt and a result Allen was one of the first to laid off. He was 33 years old with no college education, but what he lacked in knowledge he made up for in hard work. That was all Allen knew. The only thing he prided himself more of than being a hard worker was providing for his wife Theresa.

Allen met Theresa at his best friend's wedding. After sharing a dance together, he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Theresa. He wasted no time making her his wife after only dating for several months. He cherished her and loved to make her happy. He epitomized the old phrase "happy life, happy wife". Theresa shared the same immense love for Allen. If there was nothing more that she loved than her beloved husband, it was her work as a licensed practicing nurse at the local children's hospital. Theresa loved children and dreamed of one day being a great mother, but those dreams were sadly taken away when she was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. Because of this, the couple was never able to bear children of their own. This made Theresa work at the children's hospital even more meaningful.

Theresa made a very comfortable living and was capable of paying the bills while Allen was out of work, but he opposed the idea. So much so that he elected to lie to Theresa and assure her that all the bills were being taken care of. Allen knew it was wrong to deceive his wife, but he felt it was much worst to allow his wife to take on the responsibilities as the head of the household. Allen had a dangerous sense of pride and was often too overconfident in himself. He assumed that he would always find a way out of anything despite how terrible the situation may be. With great amount of newfound time, Allen spent a duration of it brainstorming on ways to come up with the money to clear his debt.

Whenever he wasn't busy thinking, he would often walk their dog Bosco. Bosco was a rescue pit bull that he decided to surprise Theresa as a way to cope with the difficulties of infertility. Allen enjoyed their walks almost more than Bosco. It became an escape from his recent reality and moment for his to clear his thoughts. With the stress of his financial crisis becoming overbearing, Allen took Bosco for a late-night walk before his wife returned home from work. Both Allen and Bosco became fond of a new trail that they randomly discovered one day. The trail was very secluded which meant that Allen could allow Bosco to roam free without a leash. On this particular evening Allen could not escape his thoughts and was continuously thinking of ways to come up money. As they continued with their walk, Allen noticed a light flickering over an old wooden bench. As they got closer that Allen noticed a little black book centered on the bench. The book was rustic, worn down and barely intact. Attached to the book was an aged quill styled pen. On the first page of the book read the following rhyme...

To whom this book finds are truly in luck

You are granted one wish to make

But for every gift given there is a gift to take

Cave Quid Volunt

Allen flipped through the pages hoping to find a name to return it to its rightful owner. To his surprise the book was full of signatures followed by wishes. One that stood out to Allen was a wish by a man named Tony Milton. Tony's signature was the last one entered in the book. His wish was very precise. A 1966 Pontiac GTO with a candy apple red paint job. Allen was skeptical because he didn't believe in the idea that some little black book would magically grant him a wish. Despite his skepticism he signed the book and wishing for $20,000. After signing the book, Allen set it back down on the bench and continued on his walk. While walking away Allen noticed a shadowy figure in the distance. Bosco preceded to bark at the figure. Allen and Bosco stood at a standstill confused as to who or what the figure could be. It was at this point Allen decided that it may be best to turn around and head the other direction. As he turned back, he noticed that the little black book had disappeared. The mystery of the book puzzled Allen and encouraged him to walk at a faster pace.

When Allen and Bosco returned home, they were met by Theresa walking in after them. This startled Allen. He was still a little shaken up by the mysterious encounter from the trail. Theresa said "Oh my god, I'm sorry babe. I didn't think I would scare you". Allen downplayed the moment and stated, "You didn't really scare me, you just caught me off guard." Allen followed this by asking Theresa how her day was at work. From Theresa’s expression, Allen could tell she was overwhelmed. Theresa responded "It was long. We had 3 nurses quit so we were understaffed". Allen hated seeing his wife work so hard and did everything he could to make her night better. He ran her a nice hot bath and ordered takeout from her favorite restaurant.

The next morning after Theresa left for work, Allen paced back and forth through the house overly stressed. The bill collectors have been calling relentlessly with their responses having a more threatening tone. It was at this point that Allen's confidence was rattled. He felt completely useless. He realized that it was finally time to tell Theresa the truth. All the worst thoughts began to run through his head. He imagined that Theresa would divorce him once the truth was revealed. Just as he began to prepare himself for the inevitable, there was a loud knock at the door. Allen opened the door, but there was no one there. He looked around wondering who it could have been when he noticed a distressed rustic envelope sitting at the foot of the door. There was no name on the envelope just the words Cave Quid Volunt. Allen picked up the mysterious curious as to what could be inside. When Allen opened the envelope, he saw a large amount of money. Allen could not believe what was happening. His initial thought was that this was some type of prank being played on him. He began to think about the little black book and the wish that he had made. Could his wish have really come to fruition? Was this the act of some miracle? These were questions that Allen had but he did not bother dwelling on them too long. He was in a moment of desperate need of the money. He counted the money repeatedly. With his final count coming to the large amount of $20,000. His priority was figuring out a way to use the money without suspicion. He knew he couldn’t just deposit it all in the bank. He ultimately decided to deposit $8,000 and keep the rest. He was then able take care of the mortgage, freeing himself of his financial crisis.

Once that was all taken care of, Allen couldn't stop thinking about how deserving Theresa had been of a vacation. For years the couple had planned of going to Bora Bora but never found the opportunity. That was all going to change. Nothing was going to stop him from giving his beloved wife her dream vacation. Allen contacted a travel agent and began to plan their surprise getaway. That evening, Theresa returned home from work to find Allen preparing a candlelight dinner. The gesture surely swept her off her feet. Theresa asked Allen “what’s the special occasion”? Allen responded by saying “I just wanted to surprise the woman that I love”. Allen began to pour Theresa a glass of wine and handed her an envelope. Theresa responded saying “oh, more surprises”. Theresa opened the envelope and found two flight tickets to Bora Bora and a confirmation letter for a 10 day stay at an all-inclusive resort. Theresa was in utter shock. “Babe is this real?” Theresa asked. “Of course, it’s real” Allen replied. “But how could we afford this? Theresa asked. “I came up on a little luck but don’t worry babe. Everything is all taken care of. All you have to worry about is which bikini you’re going to pack. Right now, let’s just getting away and enjoying this vacation that we desperately need”. Allen planned the vacation a month from the date. This would give Theresa enough time to notify her job and plan accordingly.

Two weeks leading up to their vacation, Theresa began to feel very sick. She was experiencing nausea and severe abdominal pain. Allen wasn’t prepared to take any chances and took Theresa to see her doctor. After hearing the symptoms, the doctor scheduled to have imaging and blood work done. To their worst fear the results came back with terrible news. The cancer had returned but more aggressively, now spreading metastatically to her liver. The doctors diagnosed her with stage 4 cancer giving her weeks to live. Theresa was admitted to the oncology unit of the hospital. Allen was in disbelief. How was this possible? Theresa was free of cancer for 6 years and was regular screened out of precaution. It was as if the cancer re-emerged overnight. Allen could not grasp the idea of losing his wife. He stood by her side before in her previous fight against cancer, but this time was different. The doctors were much more confident before now they weren’t sure if there were anything they could possibly do. Allen took this opportunity to cherish his wife. He took every opportunity to remind her that she was the best thing that has ever happened to him. He often held and kissed her hand. One night as Theresa fell asleep, Allen was watching the news when he saw a report of a fatal car accident to took place on the expressway. The owner of the car was speeding down the highway when he lost control of his car, crashing into a divider. The images of the crash were graphic, and the car was unrecognizable. The owner of the car was pronounced dead on scene. He was identified as Tony Milton. According to the reporter Tony recently gifted a 1966 Pontiac GTO from random stranger. Allen sat up from his seat to pay closer attention. He recognized the name but could not remember from where. As Allen watched the news, he heard the sound of Theresa’s patient monitor alarming. He jumped up from his seat to check on his wife. He held the sides of her face screaming “Baby wake up, please wake up.” Tears fell from his eyes as he grew hysteric. A team of doctors stormed into the room and attempted to assist Theresa. Allen put up a fight to remain by his wife’s side but was he ultimately removed from the room. As he stood outside the door crying, he noticed a shadowy figure at the end of the hall. The eerie sound of the patient monitor flat lining followed.

Cave Quid Volunt