Little Book of Riches

”That will be £2.50, thank you and have a good day.”

“Thank you.”

It’s been 5 months since my mother left this world, she didn’t leave much behind since we were barely getting by. But now, I’m trying to survive on pocket change to buy convenience store food. I need to make money but there aren’t many jobs in my town. It’s such a small town but it’s always so quiet and lonely..

“Please, help me!” A man yelled for me as I looked over at him before coming to a halt. He was sitting against the storefront, rugged up with a small pouch of coins, homeless perhaps?

“Sir, I am unable to help you, I am in the same kind of position as you..”

“I just need change to help my son get some bread or he’ll starve.. He went to find people who can help us.. Here. Look. I was handed this little black notebook by a man. He told me that when the time comes to either use it or sell it to improve my life. What a bunch of lies.. Selling would be better for me. What do you say?

I stared at him, he seemed desperate but I was also desperate. He has a son and I couldn’t look past that. So I tossed a few coins in his pouch and took the book. “Don’t let your son starve.”

“Thank you, thank you!” He clasped his hands together, thanking me endlessly until I left.

“Hm.. This looks like an ordinary notebook..” Or so I thought until I opened up to the first page. “Writing? It says..”

It seems you have picked up this notebook thinking it won’t have value. Whatever number you write in this book will grant you the same number of money however the more money you gain, the more sad you will become. Use wisely.

I laughed to myself as I closed the book back up. “This book is suppose to make me rich? As if.” My laughter slowly died as I made it back to my old home where my mother and I had stayed together.

“Mum, I’m home.. Not like you would greet me back..” I sighed to myself, feeling stupid for the remark.

I sat down on a pillow before reaching for a blanket to keep me warm as I began feeling sorry for myself. “I have this home that’s just.. falling apart and I can’t even pay for the bills. At least the house was paid off years ago..”

I looked over at the notebook that had been giving me second thoughts as I had looked for a pen that was on the floor before opening the book. “Okay! It’s now or never!” I wrote down the figures 1,000 and awaited the magic. “Hm.. Nothing. Nothing yet at least? Maybe it was just a joke after all. Whatever..” I leaned back onto the wall and closed my eyes until I eventually fell asleep.

Morning came and with it a knock at the door which woke me up along with a letter being slipped through. A little surprised I got up in surprise and made my way over to see the letter. “I haven’t recieved a letter in years.. It’s only addressed to this address but not to anyone with a name..” I opened the letter after much thought and to my surprise, gasped. “I-It’s cash! Alot of it too! Could this be because of the notebook?!”

After my initial surprise, I began to use the book to grant alot more money, thinking I could turn my life around without realising that with each sum of money, I fell deeper into a hole of sadness, feeling more alone and more depressed.

Eventually after becoming rich, she found that living in riches and sadness was no different to her previous way of life.