Fortunate

It was definitely time for Chinese food. Sesame chicken was calling to me. Actually, it was more likely that my mouth was demanding some MSG. A fortune cookie or three also wouldn’t hurt. Either way, I was headed downtown to The Great Wall. It was my absolute favorite Chinese place.

I was driving my old Civic and it sputtered as I pressed the accelerator and pulled away from a red light. Today had been a miserable day. The pattering rain and the womp, womp of my windshield wipers weren’t helping my mood or my headache. Today my job had been the absolute worst. Not because of any one thing. No one yelled at me today. Though, working at a collection agency, that was normal. I had actually met my quota for the week, so it wasn’t that either. Today it was not \my job that was crushing me. Those days ended in wine and pizza. No today was a Chinese kind of day because my job was making me feel directionless, lifeless. Sighing and glancing at my tired eyes in the rearview, I sped up slightly.

Finally, The Great Wall, appeared up to my right and I did my best Tokyo drift impression as I slid it into an open parking spot. Yes, I know Tokyo is in Japan and really this moment was all about the Chinese food, but I was hoping no one would be offended by my mashing of cultures in my tired brain. I didn’t exactly drift into the spot either. That was also in my head. I simply dove the front end of my car into the spot scraping the curb as I went. Shoving the shift lever into park, I breathed out slowly as the pouring rain smeared down my windshield.

I took my quiet, driveway moment. Technically, I guess it was a on-street parking moment, but I let my self indulge in the drumming rain, the ticking of the engine, and let the warmth of the heater air wash over me. It had finally decided to turn off, now that I was destined to leave the car. I counted to twenty in white noise and warmth and then popped my head up with a new determination. Me time!

After checking for cars, I shouldered out of the sticky door on the driver’s side and headed into the restaurant. I paused briefly to run my hands over the smooth lacquered surface of the dragon statue at the doorway, making a wish as I went in. My wish today: “I wish I could quit my job, just for a little while, and find what I really want to do with my life”. I drew in air through my nose and exhaled through my mouth just as some random YoutTube yogi had shown. When I woke up from this slight little trance, I noticed that I was now soaked and my hand was covered in a slippery grey film. “Great, more icky feelings.” I grabbed open the door with my clean hand and slid my now filthy wishing hand down my pantleg, smearing the grime and probably staining them. It was official. I was an unhappy heathen.

“Renee that you!” sang out Mrs. Zhao in her thick Chinese accent. I popped around the fish tank into her view.

“Hi Mrs. Zhao!” I said in voice that I hope concealed my mood.

“Oh Renee, you know I know you are not happy! I saw you outside, your scowl!”

At this moment two things occurred to me: One, I eat entirely too much Chinese take out and two, Mrs. Zhao had magical powers. Apparently she could see through walls. Or more likely, she was watching the CC TV security feed.

“Yes, Mrs. Zhao it has been a day”

“That’s ok. What you want today? Vegetable Lo Mein, Orange Chicken, Rangoon?”

“Sesame chicken, please, and yes to the rest.”

“Okay, you go sit down, I get for you right now”

Mrs. Zhao hurried off to the kitchen in her usual business like manner. She handled her day like she had handled our conversation. Efficiently. Really it was ok. Mrs. Zhao had said so. And now we could move onto the food. I looked at the three booths that were closest to the front of the restaurant. Normally, I would have sat in the first one. But today, someone else was waiting (sitting?) in the first, so I gingerly sat down in the second one, knees out to the aisle. I wanted to leave as little a puddle as necessary from my wet clothes. Stretching my arms out behind me, I supported myself and leaned back.

“Eh!” I made a little squeak. My hand had been tickled by something smooth and small. It felt a little bit like smooth lizard skin. My hand immediately retracted from the sensation. My brain was saying creature, but as I turned my head, I could see a little black notebook sliding into the crevice of the booth seat. I turned and grabbed it before it could tumble through the crevice and onto the unseen floor beneath the booth. Did people still use address books? I brought the little black book out in front of me and stared at its plain shape. I was pretty sure most people wanted to express their individuality these days, so the fact it was just boring old black seemed eccentric. Because I am human and a bit nosey, I opened the book to its first page. The lines that read “ This belongs to” and “Phone/Address” were left blank. Well, so much for determining ownership. I flipped to the next page. I cocked my head to the side like a curious cat at what I saw. There taped onto the pages with cello tape were fortune cookie fortunes. The first one read, “The weather is wonderful”. Okay, so not so true today. I flipped a few more pages back, and my eye caught on “Welcome change”. That one I liked and smiled. Yes, that is what I needed, change. Knowing that my food was probably just a few minutes out from being done, I hurriedly flipped through the pages. “You are going to change your present line of work.” Yeah, I wished that was true I mused. “Your biggest virtue is honesty”. Well that was true, to a fault, with everyone but myself. I flipped to the last fortune taped in the book. It read, “You will be traveling and coming into a fortune”.

“Renee!! Here you go!” Mrs. Zhao held up the plastic bags filled with scrumptious food.

I shoved the little black book into my back pocket as I stood and then reached for my wallet stashed in my hoodie pocket.

“Oh no! On the house! You feel better!” I made a motion to speak, but Mrs. Zhao waived me off, deposited the bags in my hand, and left me to attend another customer. Smiling brightly, I left. One did not argue with Mrs. Zhao.

Dodging the rain much more efficiently, I slung open my car door, expertly placed the bags on the passenger seat, and slid into the seat. The lump under my sit bone reminded my I had stashed the little black book in my back pocket. Sitting awkwardly sideways, I slid it out and righted myself. On impulse, I leafed to the back again. But instead of landing on the last fortune, I opened to a page with a name and a phone number in neatly printed block letters: If found please return to- Mr. Smith, 5427 Sycamore Lane. Well, it looked like travel was in my future. I grabbed my phone out of my console and punched in the address. I started the GPS route. It was only 3 miles away. Awesome. I would deliver back the book, do my good deed for the day, and head home to devour some Chinese. Dinner and a purpose.

The five minute drive gave me just enough time to zone out as thankfully my headache had relented a little. I frowned when the GPS said “You have arrived”. I had pulled into a driveway with a gatehouse. “Ugh!” I hated bothering people anyway, but a gatehouse seemed complicated. It was brick and pretty with evergreens but still intimidating. Mr. Smith did request that the book be returned so I approached the gatehouse and a guard came out.

“Can I help you?”

“Um, yes. I found this little black book and it said to return it to this address?”

“Oh wonderful. Mr. Smith will be so happy. Please write your name and address in the log book” My eyes must have widened but he continued on “Mr. Smith requires it for all visitors even if you don’t go up to the house.”

“Oh ok, so you will just take it up then?”

“Yes I most certainly will” he smiled kindly as he held out a leather bound guest book. I quickly filled out my name and address and then handed the book back. I also handed over the small black book of fortunes.

“Here you go!” said the guard as he handed me back a fortune cookie. I smiled, confused and amused.

“Thank you ma’am” he tipped his hat and gestured for me to pull a u-turn in the driveway. Disappointed with the whole odd exchange, I dropped the fortune cookie in the bag and I zipped my civic around and headed back to my house.

Finally, at home, I plunked down on my couch, bags of Chinese food spread out on the table. As I unpacked the takeout boxes, I noticed that Mrs. Zhao had neglected to include her regular handful of fortune cookies. I always eat them first. At least I had my little black book reward fortune cookie. Cracking it open, I pulled out the paper which read: “Pennies from heaven find their way to your doorstep tomorrow!”

“Sure” I said out loud. Tomorrow seemed pretty specific for a fortune cookie. I tossed the fortune back on the table and dug into the delightful food. I then drifted off to sleep at 6:30 on a Friday night. It seemed like the only guaranteed way to kill off the mood and the headache at once.

I was startled awake by the sound of my doorbell. I felt furiously around the couch for my phone and located it wedged under my elbow. I swiped it on. The time read 12:02 am. My heart realized that it was pretty late for a visitor. It was racing. I slowly crept off the couch trying not to make shadows and slipped up to the peep hole in the door. I saw the back of a slight, probably older man as he turned to drop an envelope in my mailbox. He turned and walked smoothly off the porch and back to a sedan on the street. The car left quietly, and I was left bewildered. What could possibly be so important to deliver at midnight. I waited, peering out the peep hole for several minutes. When my heart stopped racing, I dared to peek my head out my door. The lock chain was still engaged. I listened and looked and finally determined it seemed safe to open the door and retrieve the envelope. It probably wasn’t, but I did it anyway.

I undid the chain and quickly darted out, grabbed the envelope with the other mail and then darted back in. Locking the door and chain quickly, I sat softly down on the couch again and examined the envelope. It was just a plain white envelope. I inserted my thumb under the seam and tore back the top. Inside was a check for $20,000 with my name on it. Taped to the check with cello tape was this fortune: “From now on your kindness will lead you to success”