Finding Family

 Adela Montgomery made it her business to mind her own business. She learned young that the only way to survive in this world is to keep your head down and take care of yourself. In high school, she ignored the cliques and gossip and became valedictorian. When her first job merged with a bigger company, she stayed away from the in-fighting and did her work as usual. She earned her promotion. In college, she finished her first two years in eighteen months by ignoring the parties and focusing only on her studies. Before she earned her degree, her mom developed dementia. She moved back to her childhood home, hired a sitter for the elderly, picked up a second and then a third job and continued doing whatever it took to survive. Her mother's doctor gave her colorful brochures for assistance; financial, emotional. medical. She thanked him and threw them away. No one helps for free.

Despite her lifelong philosophy of impassivity, she couldn't stop watching the elderly man sitting alone in her local coffee shop. The place was bustling with college students, hipsters and other young adults. He sat alone at a table for four, a black book clutched to his chest and an untouched cup of coffee in front of him, not moving a muscle. His black coat covered in patches, homemade scarf fraying at the end, and the soot on his face and staining his shaggy beard made her wonder if someone brought a homeless man inside and bought him a cup of coffee so they could assuage their guilt for being affluent. Adela tugged at the fraying cuff of her own winter coat and moved forward in the queue.

She smiled at the barista with the bubblegum pink hair. "A small latte," She told the woman. "Please, make sure to fill it all the way."

The one extravagance she allowed herself each week, she wouldn't let them cheat her out of a single drop. While waiting for her drink, Adela's attention drifted back to the man. She startled when his dark eyes met her own. She quickly averted her gaze, pretending to take a nonchalant look around, adjusted the strap on her worn denim backpack and turned back to the counter. The barista showed her the filled cup with a knowing smile before snapping the plastic lid on tight.

"Thanks," Adela murmured handing her a few dollar bills, enough to cover the cost of the coffee and still leave at least a dollar tip. She maneuvered her way through the crowded café to her usual table by the windows. The corner table allowed her relative privacy and prevented anyone from sneaking up behind her.

She set her coffee down and bent over to put her bag under her chair and between her feet. She rummaged in the bag for the paperback she carried everywhere in the hopes of a peaceful moment to enjoy a few pages. Mostly she took advantage on Thursdays. The one day of the week she worked all three jobs, oddly afforded her the only time she had alone. An hour break between jobs two and three allowed her the time to relax, regroup and treat herself. She sat up and let out a screech. The man stood inches from her. 

"Sorry, miss. Didn't mean to startle ya."

"You shouldn't sneak up on people then." Adela snapped. 

He held the black book out to her, grasping it with both hands. "It is your turn," He said in a whisper. 

The hair on her arms stood up and a cold chill went down her spine. The people around them vanished as her focus narrowed to this strange man."I think you have me mistaken for someone else."

"No." He said. His breathing quickened. He pulled the book back to himself and rifled through the pages. 

Adela glanced around to see what the other people in the shop made of this weird encounter. No one paid them any attention. Not that she'd expect them to help even if he attacked her. Oddly, she did not feel threatened by him. A sense of anticipation filled the area and now that he stood before her she realized she felt drawn to the black book, not to him. If not for the anxiety looking at it gave her, she would have said it was an ordinary but high quality notebook. The cover appeared to be canvas and it had one of those elastic bands that held it closed. She always loved those notebooks. She used to splurge on them whenever she needed a new notebook for work. Now... Adela shook her head and stopped those thoughts before they could form. Her mother sacrificed for her and now it was her turn. They had each other. Material things didn't matter as much as family. 

"See!" The man exclaimed in triumph, thrusting the book back in her face. 

Adela leaned away from the book, not taking it from his hands. Her eyes fell to the open page about midway through the book. She gasped as she read her name on the page. She quickly read the short passage. 

9th of October

1600 hours

Jack sat at the table, too nervous to drink his favorite tea. So nervous, he didn't realize Rhonda gave him coffee instead of the Earl Grey he ordered. Today was the day. The day his turn ended and hers began. Twenty-thousand dollars in cash will be paid once Adela Montgomery accepts her mission. Adela entered the shop precisely on time. She pushed back the hood of her coat and shook out her curly blond hair. Her eyes swept the room falling momentarily on Jack before she joined the line. 

"What the hell?" Adela exclaimed, snatching the book out of his hands for a closer look. His gasp drew her eyes to his own. She followed his gaze to the tabletop. Beside her coffee sat a stack of hundred-dollar bills. The man, Adela assumed him to be Jack, took a shuddering breath and picked up the money, shoving it into one of her hands.

He raised dark eyes to meet her blue-eyed stare. "Believe in the mission. You'll see the truth."

Without another word, he left the shop. Adela's mouth went dry. This would pay off the remaining mortgage on the house. She'd be able to quit one job and spend more time at home. She looked back at the book. She gasped. The passage she just read had vanished. Instead bold, dark letters ordered;

FOLLOW HIM!

She hesitated.

NOW!

She jumped out of her seat, grabbed her bag, and rushed to the door. A glance in either direction did not reveal Jack. She headed right, the opposite direction she would go for her job. A few feet away from the coffee shop, she caught a glimpse of his colorful scarf as he turned a corner. She increased her pace. She followed him out of the downtown area, into one of the surrounding neighborhoods. Her alarm sounded and she fumbled with her bag dividing her attention between the man and searching for her cellphone. For the first time in three years, she called out of work. She ended the call just as Jack walked into a large colonial style house. 

She stopped and glanced down at the book.

Adela stared at the house in confusion. She realized she followed this stranger into a neighborhood she knew nothing about. A glance around confirmed she didn't recognize her surroundings. She lost her way. 

Adela tensed. She did not look around. There was no need. She hadn't paid attention to where she went, too focused on following Jack. Her sense of direction sucked her entire life. It surely hadn't improved tonight. With trepidation, she approached the red-brick house. The lights on either side of the door chased away the shadows of the approaching twilight.

"In for a penny, in for a pound," she muttered. She took a steading breath, slid the book into her bag with her phone and secured it over her shoulder. She marched towards the door, trying to boost her confidence by faking it. She rang the doorbell before she lost her nerve. After a moment, the door opened a crack and a young girl in pigtails popped her head out.

"Hi!" she chirped not opening the door any wider.

"Hi," Adela repeated with a smile. "I'm looking for Jack."The girl's grin grew. She grabbed Adela by the arm and pulled her inside.

"Grampa, she's here!" The girl shouted. "She's really, really here!" Adela allowed the child to drag her past the entryway with the massive double staircase into the back of the house. They stopped inside a large multipurpose room. A big TV played cartoons and several you children laid on the floor watching. Adults gathered around heavy wooden tables, some working on paperwork, others on crafts. A couple in one corner folded laundry. A wave of silence spread across the room as people turned towards Adela. 

"I... I'm sorry to barge in, she pulled me inside..." Adela trailed off, movement from the left side of the room drawing her attention. 

Jack stood from a loveseat, holding the girl on his hip. Beside him, a woman in a wheelchair stared with a blank expression. He patted her on the arm and moved towards Adela. "Come inside. Let me show you around. I wasn't sure you'd come this soon. It took me months before I listened."

"I don't understand," Adela said. She took a step backward.

Jack gave a sweeping bow "Welcome to the Moleskine Commune."

"What?"

A heavily pregnant woman laughed and gestured Adela to come forward. "Ignore Jack. He's a bit dramatic. He named us that after the notebook that brought us all together."

"This is a commune?" Adela asked, "In the middle of town?" She continued, the skepticism heavy in her voice. She looked around again. The people in the room looked so normal. Not like the hippies or cult-types she'd expect in a commune. 

The woman laughed again. "My reaction exactly. I'm Danielle."

The man sitting next to Danielle wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "We all," he gestured around the room, "struggled to make it on our own. Then one day a stranger showed up with this odd black book. It brought us together. Now we live together. We all have our own apartments, but there are shared spaces too. Some of us work outside the home bringing in money for bills, others work inside the home, helping each other with the household chores, childcare, or the care of those among us with special needs." He glanced towards the woman in the wheelchair next to the fireplace.

"My wife," Jack introduced moving back to her side. "After her stroke, I struggled. 

"The notebook leads us to the next person to join our ever-growing family," Danielle said. "It chooses who we need to join us and gives them cash to aid in the transition."

"That's ridiculous," Adela said. She took another step back. Maybe this was a cult.

"It is," Danielle agreed. "Keep the book, go home and come visit another day. The book will explain. It gave us our mission statement and we've all been happier ever since."

Adela paused. Jack told her to 'believe the mission,' she thought he meant an assignment. "Your mission statement?" she asked.

"Live for the betterment of the community. No man is an island."

Adela gasped. Her mother's voice echoed in her ears. Her mother always worried about her antisocial behavior. 'No man is an island, Adela. It takes a village to raise a child.' Adela always laughed at the mismatched quotes and called herself independent instead of antisocial. Tears filled her eyes as she recalled the woman her mother used to be. A flurry of movement and Adela found herself held in comforting arms. Despite being surrounded by strangers, she felt like she found family.