Strangers

Anna awoke with the yellow Labrador, Bree, laying on her legs and realized her feet were asleep. Her husband, Peter, had already gotten up to make coffee and get his routine started for the day. So she decided to just relax and enjoy the peaceful morning.

After a few minutes she realized that she needed to get her day started as well. Before getting dressed she opened her small black notebook and wrote down her morning thoughts:

Dear diary,

What good does it do to be kind to others when no one seems to notice when you are? In the words of one of my favorite actor/directors, Jackie Chan, “Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.” I guess it’s just best to be kind like Princess Diana said “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone may do the same for you.” That about sums it up for me today. I’ll check in again with you later tonight. She closed the little black book and finished her morning routine.

Bree anxiously waited for her morning walk and even brought her leash over. “Okay Bree, I’m almost ready.” She sat and waited while Anna clipped the leash on and they went out the door. When Anna turned to close the door she noticed an envelope that had fallen to the floor. It probably had been stuck between the door and fell when she opened it. On the front of the letter in large black print was “OPEN AT NOON”.

“Okay,” she thought. Bree tugged on the leash and she said, “okay Bree let’s go.” So she slipped the letter into her coat pocket and resumed the walk.

After Bree finished with her morning sniffing and potty time, they continued to their usual spot, the doggy park. Bree loves the park because she gets to run and play. Anna pulled out the ball that she had brought for her to play with and Bree immediately became alert. She watched as Anna threw the ball over and over again until she was too tired to chase it anymore and dropped by her side.

“Ready to go see if daddy’s made breakfast yet?” Bree’s ears perked up at the sound of “breakfast” and “daddy”, she was ready to go home.

When they got back to the house, Anna brought Bree inside to find her husband and gave her fresh water and got herself ready for her afternoon luncheon date with her sister, Ruth.

She gave Peter a kiss and said, “I’ll be home later honey after lunch with Ruth.”

“Okay.,” he said after the kiss. “Tell Ruth I said “hi.””

She got the coffee and muffin that was left out for her and hurried to get herself together so she wouldn’t be late for her birthday date with her sister. Even though it was a couple days early, it was a tradition for them to celebrate their birthdays on a different date so they could be home with family on the actual date.

She noticed a package on the front porch that had not been there when she had left. Knowing that her birthday was only a couple days away, she thought, “I wonder if he ordered something for me? But he hardly ever does anything like that.”

When she looked at the package she saw that it was addressed to her and thought, “I don’t remember ordering anything.” As she went to pick it up she realized that it was a bit heavier than she had thought.

“Peter?”

“Yeah Babe.”

“Can you bring in the package that’s on the porch?”

“Okay.” He stopped chopping the veggies to go get the box. When he returned he came in and set it on the table. “What did you order?”

“I don’t remember ordering anything. So I guess we’ll find out.”

He said, “okay,” then went back to making lunch.

Anna then remembered the letter that was in her pocket and quickly pulled it out realizing that it was already noontime. So she opened it and was dumbfounded by what she was reading.

The letter said:

“My dearest Anna,

I hope this letter finds you well and happy. You probably don’t remember me but I will never forget you.

About 10 years ago I was at my lowest point and just wishing death would just come and take me. I had fallen again at a local store and had hit my head quite hard so that I was bleeding and it was in my eyes so I could not see. Everyone just walked around me and looked at me like I was lowlife garbage.

Then an angel came a spoke softly to me and called an ambulance. After she wiped my eyes I was able to see the angel that appeared to help me, it was you. You helped me and even came to the hospital with me to make sure that I was okay. You gave me $20 to get me a ride to wherever I wanted to go. I will forever be thankful and grateful for you sweet kindness. It was you that turned my life back to normal and opened my eyes to the fact that my life was worth something.

So I am writing to you to let you know that I have no other family or close relatives to leave my remaining $20,000 savings to, as I no longer have any need for it. I would like for you to have it as thanks for “opening my eyes” to life .

I have taken the liberty to have the legal papers drawn up and I have signed them and included them in the package that will be sent to you at noon today. Thank you again.

Yours truly

Greg”

She was still dumbfounded. Not sure what to do. “Peter...”

“What’s the matter?” He rushed to her side seeing the confusion, “is something wrong?”

“I don’t know,” she stammered. “I think I have just got an inheritance from someone I don’t know.”

Peter quickly took the letter she was holding and read it. “$20,000!!!”

Anna slowly opened the package like it was a bomb and there inside was neatly stacked 20 dollar bills…

Anna was thinking back to when she had met this old beggars years ago. She had helped him and she had given him $20. But, that was years ago...he said 10 but it could have been more, as he looked about her dad’s age at the time.

All she remembered was that he was lying on the ground outside of the gas station and no one was helping him. They all just walked past him like he wasn’t even there. It sickened her, especially when she asked the clerk to get the first aid kit and call an ambulance and all he could say was, “what for? That dude’s been out there many times and he’s just a drunk!” She had said “than at least give me some paper towels.”

They reluctantly gave those to her but it wasn’t until she had wiped his eyes clean that she could see that he had kind old deep blue eyes. When they got him on the stretcher she had watched as they drove him towards the hospital. It was the same hospital that her daughter was in at the time. She had only gone out for a walk to get some fresh air.

When she returned to the hospital she went to the ER and asked if he was there still and how he was. She had bought a card and put $20 inside with a note for him to find a nice warm place for the night. That was it. She doesn’t even remember giving him her name or anything.

“I think I’m going to be sick. This can’t be really happening.”

“Oh it’s real baby! And these are real 20 dollar bills!” He said holding up a wad of bills. Peter looked over at Anna and saw the blood draining from her face, “oh honey, come here. Sit down and just breathe. Breathe. Don’t worry I will call our attorney and get this all checked out.”

She looked into her husband’s eyes and smiled gratefully at him, he was always her sanity and knew how to keep her mind at ease. Bree seemed to sense the stress and jumped up beside Anna and put her head on her lap. Anna reached down absentmindedly and ran her finger over the soft yellow hair on Bree’s ears.

About four hours later Thomas came out of his office and said, “well this all checks out. His name was Gregory Thornton and he didn’t have any family left anywhere. All the legal paperwork is in order and he signed everything. All that is left is for you to sign and accept the money.”

“I still don’t know what to do or even what to think.”

“Honey, we will pay of some of the bills, put a trust fund for the kids and then we’re going on a vacation.”

Anna smiled, “that sounds like a wonderful idea.”

After getting things situated for tomorrow Anna settled in for the night with Peter asleep beside her and Bree lying at the foot of the bed. She pulled out the little black book again and began to write her days thoughts.

Dear diary,

I don’t know what to think about today’s journey. My question this morning was about kindness and how most people don’t even know that you have shown them kindness so what’s the point. My whole life I have always believed that you should always be kind no matter what. Today proves that point, and it ways paid forward this time to me and my family. I am thankful for all that has happened and look forward to my next adventure tomorrow.