Pay It Forward.

Children crying, parents yelling, horns blasting— it all sounded so loud to Adam as he walked through the streets of his busy neighborhood. All he wanted to do was get the hottest cup coffee in the most quiet of shops so he could potentially try to rid himself of his hangover. Driving seemed unnecessary, and like a bad idea with how heavy his head was feeling, and with the mere six blocks he had to walk to reach his destination. He knew that getting as drunk as he had the night prior was not the brightest idea, but after having the worst fight with his girlfriend, he didn’t care. His pals had peer pressured him into going out with them so that he could rid himself of his negative thoughts, but after the night wore off, and his friends were gone all he had was negative thoughts with the additive of hangover misery.

Approaching the coffee shop, Adam sighed in relief. He could smell the espresso before he even opened the door. It was as if he was walking into heaven. The aroma filled his nose completely as he stepped inside, the bells on the door sounding a bit louder now that his head was accompanied with an unbearable pressure. The line was short, but still seemed to take forever as he zoned out and thought about his argument with his girlfriend. If he had to be honest, he wasn’t even sure what had started it, but they were both determined to finish it.

“A large iced coffee, black.” The voice in front of him spoke up, and Adam had to admit that his order was just what he needed. “And whatever this guy wants.”

Adam broke his gaze from the tile floor, kindly rejecting the man’s offer. When the stranger insisted Adam felt as though it was pointless to argue— his head also wouldn’t allow him to.

Ordering the same as the man in front of him, the duo stepped off to the side as they waited. They made small talk, Adam thanked him for his kindness, or whatever pay it forward scheme he was a part of, and eventually they realized they had something in common— marketing.

Taking a seat at the nearest table after swapping names and companies, they decided to talk about work related issues, and though Adam’s head was still pounding after his first sip of coffee, he didn’t mind speaking to the gentleman before him.

“I personally think it’s a company wide issue, but not just within my company, but within everyone’s company,” Derek, the kind coffee buyer, stated.

Adam mulled it over as he took another sip from his straw, feeling the bitterness rush through his mouth and down his throat. Coffee was really the worst drug of them all. “I personally haven’t dealt with it, but I do know several people in my department that have, and it’s just a waiting game at this point.”

They swapped horror stories of past companies, shared a few laughs, and even managed to finish their coffee. Derek received a call from whom Adam presumed to be his significant other, and sighed as he hung up the phone.

“I gotta get going,” Derek said as he clicked his phone off and stuffed it back into his jacket pocket. “But there is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about today.”

Pulling a little black book from his jacket pocket, Derek laid it down on the table and gently nudged it towards Adam. “In this book is a list of people that I know to be far less fortunate than you and I.” Derek could see the confusion form on Adam’s face and he had to excuse himself for springing it on his acquaintance so suddenly, but he hadn’t expected to be interrupted. “I will leave this with you, and what I need you to do is pick one. Any one that catches your eye. You’ll know nothing about them, except where to find them within the next hour or so.”

Adam felt as though he was going to throw up. He was sure he was being set up in some way. He was waiting for a catch, one that would state that Adam needed to murder whomever he was going to pick, or the like, and that was just not going to happen.

“Whoever you pick, I need you to give them this,” Derek sat an envelope down on the table, thick in form, like it contained a lot of one entity. “Ten thousand dollars.”

Adam almost choked on his own saliva. No, it wasn’t a lot of money compared to what he made in a year, but it was a lot to be giving away to someone that he didn’t know. Granted, it wasn’t his own money, but why? “Why do I need to do this?” Adam questioned, perplexity, annoyance, and fear all in his tone.

“Because I did a favor for you today, and now I need you to do one for me.” Derek stated matter of factly. “I believe in paying it forward. I paid it forward for you by adding your coffee to my bill, and while this isn’t really your money, I believe you need to learn the art of giving— need to see what it’s like out there in the real world.”

The tension that formed in Adam’s chest was unlike any other. He had remembered then what the argument with his girlfriend was about the night prior— selfishness. Adam knew she had a point, he was often selfish, but was it just a coincidence that Derek also knew that?

Derek stood from the table, chair scraping against the floor as his bid his acquaintance goodbye. He left as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn’t dropped ten thousand dollars into some random man’s lap and demanded he give it away. Confused didn’t cover what Adam was feeling. Had Derek been watching Adam? What would happen if he didn’t give the money away? Was he being set up? Was he going to go to jail because the money before him was stolen and they needed to hand it off to someone unsuspecting?

Adam wanted to scream, his head was pounding harder than it had prior, only his hangover was gone and was replaced by hundreds of thoughts and outcomes. Grabbing the money and book from the table, Adam rushed from the coffee shop hoping to be right on Derek’s tail, but to no avail. He felt like he was losing his mind. He was beginning to question if he was even awake. Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe he had died. Maybe it was real— and that was the oddest possibility of all.

Reluctantly, he peeked into the envelope. There was money, what did appear to be about ten thousand dollars worth, though he couldn’t be sure and he wasn’t about to count it. Adam sighed. How the hell did he get roped into such crap? Of course it was Adam’s luck to be handpicked for some crazy scheme that seemed to be too personally invasive.

He needed to get it over with. Just pick someone, give them the money, and go home so you can wake up from this crazy dream, he thought to himself. It had to be a dream, he was sure of it as he opened the little black book that contained a plethora of people he assumed were in need of ten thousand dollars. It was in alphabetical order, handwritten neatly in all capital letters, though none of the handwriting was the same. Perhaps there were a couple names and addresses written in similar writing, but no page had all of the same writing on it, as if different people had added onto it as they went.

Adam flipped the book’s pages from a to z, and z to a, reading the strangers’ names to find one that would jump out at him and end this awkward situation. His fingertips ran across the pages, feeling the indent from the hard pressed ink that had been dry for some time. None of the names spoke volumes to him any more than the other, and as he stood there propped against a stone wall on the corner of Chestnut and Hale, Adam knew he needed to hurry up. Derek had made it clear that the addresses written in the book were where he could find the people within the next hour, and he didn’t want to know what would happen if he didn’t deliver the money to someone.

Wagner Maier. What made the gentleman’s name pop off of the page didn’t matter, but that was whom Adam’s eyes had fixated on, and that was final. Adam typed the address into the GPS on his phone, it would take too long if he walked, so he ordered an Uber to take him to his destination— or rather a couple blocks away. The last thing Adam wanted to do was seem like a stalker ready to bombard the man he was going to give the money to.

Luckily, Adam’s Uber driver didn’t want to make small talk, as there wasn’t much small talk to make. Adam couldn’t very well tell him what was happening, as he was sure he would sound insane to anyone he told the story to. He mulled over the thought that perhaps that was the point, give someone a chore so outrageous that they won’t tell a soul, and just do it out of fear and the unpredictability of what could happen if they didn’t.

He thanked his driver as they pulled up two blocks away from his actual destination, checking to make sure he had the envelope and book in his jacket pocket as he exited the car. He walked slowly, preparing himself for the impending interaction. Did he say something? Did he just hand him the money and walk away? What if whomever he was bringing it to thought he was up to no good and shot him? There were so many possibilites, but he was wasting time by pondering all of them.

Making his way up the concrete steps, Adam knocked on the door and waited— impatiently. He fussed with his hair, his jacket, looking around inconspicuously to see if Derek, or someone else equally as strange had followed him. He was so lost in his own thought that he jumped when the wooden door creaked as it opened. A child stood before him and Adam had to laugh at himself thinking there was no way that the kid could be who he was dropping the money to.

“Is your father home?” He questioned the small child, trying to peek behind him into the home.

A stern voice boomed from behind the door. “Who is it, son?”

The door opened further and stood behind the child was a man who was definitely the child’s father. They looked identical, except for the fact that one was much bigger than the other. Blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin— not necessarily what Adam had expected, but he was quickly learning to expect anything but.

“Are you Wagner?” Adam’s voice cracked as he questioned the man, not knowing how the situation was going to play out.

They answered in unison, “yes”, the son’s being a bit more energetic than the father’s, and though the uncomfortable circumstances it caused Adam to smile.

“May I come in?” Adam’s request was met with a raise of a light brow and standoffish posture. “I have something for you,” he paused, “or maybe you.” He corrected himself as his eyes darted between the father and son duo. He was met with no reaction and figured it’d be best to explain quickly before the door was slammed in his face. “Listen, it’s been a crazy morning. Some guy paid for my coffee and then demanded that I bring someone in this book,” he pulled the black book from his pocket to show Wagner before he continued, “this money.” Adam sighed as he pulled the manilla envelope from the same pocket. He sounded absolutely insane.

Wagner stepped aside, still not saying a word, but gesturing for Adam to step inside. Adam thanked him, standing off to the side of their living room, taking in the decor around him. It wasn’t basic enough for just a man to be living there, he presumed there had to be a woman that lived there as well.

Wagner’s voice broke the silence, “What’s this about money?”

Adam could hear the disbelief met with concern in his tone, only Adam had no further explanation than what he had already offered. “This is ten thousand dollars, and it’s yours.” Reaching the envelope out in his hand for his acquaintance to take from him, Adam grew nervous. The man before him was much bigger in both weight and muscle, and could knock him out with a single punch if their interaction went in the wrong direction.

“Are you serious?” Adam could hear the disbelief in Wagner’s voice. He nodded. He didn’t have anything else to say as the man took the envelope from him. He opened it, didn’t count it, but instantly began to sob. The sound took Adam aback. He knew that it was a substantial amount of money, but he wouldn’t have thought that it would make someone cry.

Wagner leaned down to pick up his son, the small boy patting his dad’s back with a facial expression that matched Adam’s— confusion.

“Thank you,” the older man managed to get out in between cries. He tried his best to compose himself. “I lost my job about a month or so ago, and with the economy lacking it’s been hard for me to find another one.” He shuddered as another wave of emotion rolled through him. “This is going to help me pay for some of the debt I’ve accumulated.”

Adam suddenly felt the sadness wash over him as Wagner kept muttering his thanks. He had never struggled, he didn’t know what it was like, his family had always been wealthy. It was odd to see someone so excited over a simple amount of funds, but it made him feel better about picking the father and son before him.

The boy was in his own world as Adam smiled at the duo. “What did you do for work before?” He questioned.

“Security,” Wagner replied in between telling his son that they would be okay for a little while longer.

While Adam didn’t know what struggling was like, he couldn’t imagine having to wonder if he would be okay, nor could he imagine having a small child rely on him in such an awful time.

He cleared his throat. “My company is in need of someone to work security during the day, Monday through Friday, no weekends, no nights.” Though Adam was being kind, his tone was stoic, and his words were spoken as quickly as possible. “If you can apply today, I will let the HR department know that you come highly recommended.

There was a mix of emotions that crossed Wagner’s features. Disbelief. Happiness. Relief. He agreed, thanking Adam again for walking into his life and creating such amazing chaos out of nowhere.

Adam played off his actions as nothing more than something that was all in a day’s work, though he hadn’t even wanted to partake in the actions to begin with. He was surprising himself to say the least. He did feel bad for the pair, especially after talking with the father and seeing the gratefulness expressed through his features. All the man before him wanted to do was take care of his son, Adam couldn’t fault anyone for that. He knew that the economy had failed some smaller companies and caused layoffs, which lead him back to his argument with his girlfriend— selfishness. It hadn’t ruined his plans of accomplishment, so it hadn’t phased him. Now he understood why it was such a big deal.

“Dad, can I get a Nintendo Switch now?” The question made both older men laugh.

Wagner shrugged. “We’ll see if we can swing it, bud. We may have to wait till I start work again.” He smiled at Adam, silently thanking him again.

“If I may,” Adam started as he pulled his wallet and checkbook from within his breast pocket. “I don’t know when they’ll hire you, if they hire you based off of my recommendation, but in the case that they don’t, I don’t want you to worry if you’ll survive any longer.” Adam paused, clicking his pen as he opened his checkbook. “This should be enough to buy you more time in case, and buy him his game.”

Adam didn’t hesitate to write out the check and rip it from his book. He couldn’t leave this family struggling, nor deny the beautiful boy in front of him from his request. He reminded Adam of his nephew, which only made his heart strings more sensitive to the situation.

Wagner took the check that was outreached in Adam’s hand, and the tears fell freely. He quickly embraced Adam, taking him off guard, but Adam quickly reciprocated the affection. Realization had been quick to hit him, and for that, he was thankful. Guilt hit him shortly after— the guilt of all the donations he had avoided, or people he looked down at for not having as much as him. He had learned from the best, his own family, though that was no excuse.

“I’ve gotta go now,” Adam stated with a smile. “Here is my card. If you need anything, or need to contact me about the job opening just let me know. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

Wagner thanked him again before seeing him out, Wagner Jr. yelling thanks as Adam descended down the outside steps. He smiled, waving to the pair as he walked away from their home. He couldn’t believe what had played out before him, and was still partially convinced he was dreaming.

As Adam rounded the corner towards his home, near ready to pinch himself to see if that superstition was true, a man cut across his path and began walking next to him. He didn’t think anything of it… at first.

“Twenty thousand dollars.”

Adam recognized the voice, head snapping to look at the man next to him, partial glare on his features. He still wanted to be mad at Derek for springing such a task on him, but was grateful he did. Adam had come to realize more about generosity in one day from a stranger, than all the years he had spent around those that he knew. It was always like that, always taking an outside source to open narrow-minded eyes.

“Was that the point?” Adam questioned, as the pair walked down the street towards the coffee shop where they had met.

“Was the point for you to give that struggling father and his son more money?” Derek laughed. “Not necessarily, no, but the point was for you to understand that there are people that don’t have it as great as you do, and that your selfless act is going to help them live comfortably until they get back on their feet.”

Adam nodded in understanding, though part of him still didn’t understand. “I couldn’t just walk away. Sure, I gave them what you supplied me with, but it just didn’t feel like enough when I knew that there was more I could do.”

Derek let out an ‘ah’ in accomplishment. “I used to be like you— some hot shot at a company, following in your father’s footsteps, never knew what it was like to struggle for a second.” Letting out a distasteful huff at his own words, Derek continued. “This same task fell into my lap not that long ago, and has changed my perspective on life in ways you couldn’t imagine.”

There were so many questions that Adam still wanted answers to, but his head was beginning to pound again, the adrenaline and coffee both wearing off all too quickly. One question still weighed heavy on his mind. “Were you stalking me?”

Derek chuckled, having asked the same question to the man that had dropped it into his lap. “No, I wasn’t. No one was, we just happened to be on a list, so I guess you could say that someone, somewhere was stalking both of us at one time. Now it’s your turn.”

Adam’s brow came together in confusion, which seemed to be the theme of the day. “I’m not stalking anyone,” He stated defensively.

Bringing the two of them to a halt, Derek placed his hand on Adam’s shoulder, pulling another small, black leather book from his pocket. “This book is going to have a list of people that were just like you and I before we went through this— people that don’t understand the meaning of sacrifice. These people have had it easy forever, and much like us they will continue to have it easy afterwards, except they’ll understand that their greed is nothing but a killer.” Derek paused, knowing exactly what it felt like to have been in Adam’s situation, knowing that he still wouldn’t fully believe that it was true until he went to sleep several times and woke up with the same info. “Names, times, addresses of where to find them. These people don’t live in the real world, we don’t even live in the real world. We are far too fortunate to understand the struggles of real life. Now it’s your turn to help open someone’s life.”

Adam nodded in understanding, taking the second book from his counterpart’s hand and placing it into his pocket with the other one. Derek shook Adam’s hand, firm and sincere on their agreement. Adam understood why this had played out, but didn’t quite understand any other part of it, and perhaps that would come with time. Adam took Derek’s number down in his phone in case he had any questions, and couldn’t help but wonder how long it had been going on for— how many people prior to him had done the exact same thing.

Twenty thousand dollars may not have been much to Adam, Derek, or the people before and after them, but it was sure enough to change lives for many for quite some time, and as the train of paying it forward would get passed down to many others just like them, the value and lessons would grow. The world would change for the better, equality would blossom, and understanding would form. There would be no division, no belittling, but instead there would be aid, and nurturing. It wasn’t about staying at the top, and keeping others at the bottom, it was about understanding that everyone should have a common place in the world, and it was up to those suffocating the ones beneath them to realize that.

Adam felt guilty for the times he had done wrong by those around him, but it was never too late to refresh and become a new person. Ten thousand dollars wouldn’t break Derek, and it wouldn’t break himself, but it completed a man and his son that were drowning, and it was all Adam needed to see to understand that selflessness was beauty.