Legacy of the Workman’s Guild

In 2010, at 21 soon to be 22 years old, Braden D. Leaumont had succeeded in many things. Coming from humble beginnings, she worked hard to become independent. This perseverance was sown in part due to how her mother was ridiculed after the passing of her father. Upon graduating from high school in 2006, Braden made the decision to attend college while also supporting her mother. Since the university was a few hours away, moving out was practical and reduced the cost of food and utilities for her mother. Taking out student loans and gaining employment allowed Braden to support herself financially. Even managing to send her mother a tiny monthly allowance in her father’s absence. Since enrolling at the university, Braden had reached some of her short and long term goals. A first generation college student, who purchased her first car in cash, and was the first African-American editor of the campus newspaper. Who also successfully became homeless after, in her words, not lying to a customer to steal their home.

Braden worked part-time at Getty Bank’s mortgage division at the height of the subprime mortgage crisis. Working in loan re-modifications, she started the application process often noting the probability of loan approval. While mention of the probability isn’t allowed, Braden advocated for her customer and advised her accordingly. This customer’s spouse had recently passed, leaving the surviving spouse on a fixed income. The story hit very close to home. Braden advised the customer to continue making mortgage payments, rather than not paying as previously advised. Explaining how this tactic was to ensure bank repossession of a property if loan modifications weren’t approved. In this customer’s case, there was only a 53% chance of approval.

Unknown to Braden, she was silently monitored on the call. Having previously failed two prior phone calls, a third write up was the worst possible scenario. Citing that Braden had disclosed private company data, she failed the third silent monitoring call. This was resulted the third write up and according to company policy, dismissal.

The stress of dismissal caused Braden to fail final exams a semester away from graduation. Currently on her first academic probation, she was placed on a semester long academic dismissal by the university. Devastated, but trying to generate income, Braden went to work for a mall portrait studio. However, it wasn’t enough to pay rent. Always looking for a solution, she places her belongings in storage and decides to live out her car. Not the safest thing for an African American woman, but Braden was confident this was the best decision. On the positive side, her vehicle was still running and she was gainfully employed, even if it was a third of her previous pay. This afforded Braden to live within her reduced means then pay for her mother’s groceries and medication, with no mention of being homeless.

On her way to work, what Braden wasn’t expecting the day she turned in her apartment keys, was the package waiting in the office. Addressed from the last customer. How curious. On a break, Braden calls her mother and mentions the mysterious gift. The package was forwarded to her home after first being delivered to the bank mortgage division. Her mother teased it could be a birthday gift; a reward from a benefactor whose test she passed. It was the day before Braden’s birthday after all.

Her curiosity now piqued, Braden eagerly awaited the shift to end. Keeping to her nightly routine, dinner was purchased on the way to her gym to shower and change, then finally to one of the many 24 hour park and rides the city provided. Once settled, she tore open the package and was immediately underwhelmed. It was a small black notebook.

Not a reward from a benefactor, but the notebook was beautiful. It was a sweet birthday gift. The notebook was matte black, hard cover, and rounded at the corners. In her hands it felt lived in but sturdy. It seemed to be brand new, free from blemishes or scratches. Gently, she caressed the silkiness of the color coordinated gold ribbon and the tightness of the notebook’s matching black elastic closure. While opening to examine its contents, the notebook softly exhaled.

Flipping the pages, Braden saw they were a soft cream color and ruled; perfect for her handwriting. The front flyleaf contained a “Notice of Ownership” where her name and reward could be recorded if the notebook was ever lost and returned. The back pocket of the notebook expanded. There she espied a handwritten note. It was saved until the morning to be read. Personalized in gold on the front cover was the symbol of her father’s workman’s guild. During his life, her father was a craftsman and landscaper. He built the home her mother lived in and an entire apartment complex with his father.

It warmed her thoughts that by sheer coincidence this customer may have had a connection to that same guild. Holding the notebook to her heart, Braden sighed a word of thanks. It felt as if the notebook hugged her back. That night her dreams fluttered of a future with financial stability and completion of her degree.

The next morning Braden woke, turning off the happy birthday alarm programmed in her phone. By sheer luck, she had the entire day off. Grateful the universe coordinated the notebook arrival in time; she remembered the handwritten note and pulled it from the expandable back pocket.

Hello Braden,

I wanted to thank you for your generous advice regarding my home. I was able to pay the mortgage with the assistance of my children who want to keep the home in our family. Our application for the loan modification wasn’t approved, but our family home wasn’t foreclosed upon either. As a token of my appreciation, here’s a gift that will return the grace, generosity, and honest advice you have shown me. It’s my dearest wish this small black notebook becomes a reliable tool you can confide in as you clear your mind and shape your future. Be sure to complete the notice of ownership so this notebook stays with you.

Kind Regards,

Your humble supporter

Upon closer inspection, this notebook was similar to those used by award winning artists and famed writers. Those notebooks were rare and valuable. Assuming this was the same, Braden immediately wrote her name as the owner. As for a reward, she repeated her customers words and added a few of her own, “Grace, generosity, and honest advice to guide you towards a prosperous future”. The notebook seemed to hum, and at that moment “Contract Complete” appeared in gold calligraphy then disappeared again.

Braden dropped the notebook. Startled, she started to panic; the notebook is alive! Confusion in the air, the notebook pages started to flip and eventually gave her its backstory. Once calmed, she settled in for the story. The notebook was a sacred tool used by legendary artists, writers, orators, craftsmen, and so on who all belonged to an elite social club. The Workman’s Guild. Her father was a member, and Braden earned legacy membership. Notebooks were issued to initiates at the time of acceptance, and legacy members at the age of 22. The age of 22 was sacred for legacy members because that’s when a person’s true character has been developed.

The notebook was a vessel that influences opportunity in an opposite version of Murphy’s Law. It was called Workman’s Law and stated that “If it’s possible for something positive to happen, it will happen, at the best possible time.” As she let that sink in, her phone rang. It was her father’s lawyer calling to inform her of a sudden change. The many properties her father and grandfather built were sold before she was ever born. However, one property, the apartment complex had a clause. Upon the owner’s death, the apartment complex transferred back to her father. As his beneficiary, ownership passed to Braden. The complex expanded over time to become a chain of apartment complexes owned by a property management company. All of which Braden now owned. After all expenses, Braden now had a recurring paycheck of 20,000.000. The first payment had just been wired to her bank account.

Hanging up, Braden let out a long exhale. Her head buzzed and felt almost dizzy from the news. She checked her bank account, letting out a small scream as a credit of 20,000.00 was displayed in the balance. Her notebook flips and displays the symbol of the workman’s guild and confetti. Suddenly the notebook and her change in fate felt very real. She wishes herself a happy birthday and for a warm breakfast. She places the notebook in her messenger bag and at that moment, the notebook flips to the expandable back pocket where a free birthday meal certificate drifts out.

Eager to reach the restaurant, Braden starts her vehicle and her heart sinks. The engine wouldn’t turn over. Realization hit, the lights were still on. The battery was dead. Defeat setting in, she questions who would give her a jump at that time of morning. At that moment the notebook starts fluttering in her bag and a guard starts walking towards her. Just great.

After manually rolling down the window the guard explained that he wanted to help. He arrived for work and heard her engine sputtering. Assuming Braden returned from an overnight shift and left her lights on, he gave her a jump start and advised her to drive around town to allow the battery to charge. That was perfect since the restaurant was over a half hour away.

Once at her destination, Braden was thanked for being a member or legacy of the workman’s guild after presenting the birthday certificate. This restaurant must be part of the puzzle. She ruminated over what being a member or legacy of the workman’s guild meant, but was interrupted in her thoughts when presented with the king’s feast of breakfast meals. After indulging in the meal and whispering a prayer of thanks, the whish of the notebook pages became apparent. Braden pulls the notebook out and it promptly flipped to a page; in the same gold calligraphy, the words write appeared and disappeared.

Sensing nothing sinister, Braden grabbed a pen and began to write. Unsure of what to author, she recounted her life story within the pages. Her mother’s illness was explained in detail as well as how the family survived decades off her father’s social security survivor’s benefits. Questions spilled out as the story delved into how their immediate family gave them the cold shoulder. How the community she grew up in proclaimed “They didn’t want to know their business”, and how government agencies stated the survivor’s benefits pushed them marginally over the threshold for public assistance. Braden lamented how despite being an honor student in high school, being a first generation college student had been challenging. Her dreams for the future were imagined in the notebook pages. Including reconciling with family, purchasing land and building a forever home, and her entrepreneurial aspirations. The catharsis of divulging those painful memories sharpened Braden’s focus. Her new property ownership was the path to achieving once distant goals.

Starting to connect the dots, Braden realized she now owned the apartment complex she recently vacated. Her new beginning began with a small black notebook and 20,000.00. Enough to fully support her mother, pay down her credit card debt, and pay down her student loans. The thought occurred that she wouldn’t ever need to take out a student loan again. Just then, the notebook absorbed her words and replied in the familiar gold calligraphy; “A beautiful offering”. And thus, her adventure as a legacy member of The Workman’s Guild began.