The Little Black Book

Walking alongside a hill my gaze got fixed on the silhouette of a boy standing on the hilltop with a faraway look at the horizon beyond. Involuntarily I began climbing the cliff towards where the boy was standing. Walking, panting, walking, after a full ten minutes I reached to the spot. The figure in front of me was of a handsome young boy small built, dark black hair, skin tanned. He was wearing a yellow and black checkered shirt with denims. I approached to tap him he turned then, as though sensing my approach. His stare caught me unawares the eyes were stunning green with a dark depth to it I caught my breadth at his gaze. I asked "son would you mind if I shared this space with you?" He did not reply but turned his head away and continued looking to the horizon beyond.

I found a Spot opposite from where the boy stood with a view of the water instead of the concrete and decided to sit down my legs were tired from the walk up. I opened my backpack removed my laptop to write; I find nature a catalyst to my writing, it provides me the fodder for my thoughts. I was engrossed in the writing my fingers went clank, clank, on the keyboard soon I was lost in my thoughts the boy standing faded as I got woven into my world of words…more than saw, I sensed the boy come towards me and sit down I felt his gaze upon me, reluctantly I turned to look at him… his face was captivating and mesmerizing. He spoke “what are you writing?” I answered, “a tale of the little black book” he asked, “can I be privy to its content? that is, if only I am not encroaching.” I smiled “absolutely” But first answer me "What are you doing up here?” He answered, “I am at the crux of my life, I came to make an important decision, ‘To be or not to be’ I understood what the boy implied, smiling I indicated for him to sit down.

This is a story about a very ambitious, greedy man he was a go-getter. He would stop at nothing to get what he desired…he is ruthless in his pursuit of happiness. Greed and ambition drove him to do bad things. One day in his search he stumbled upon the tale of 'the little black book' as gossips have…the black book held the key to secret treasury and immeasurable riches. The possessor of the book would be the richest man in the world . Many tried and failed in its pursuit. Rumors were rife the book was last heard to be in possession of a powerful king who lived in a faraway castle beyond the other side of the mountains however he could not enjoy the fruits of the book as he was struck with the curse, he fell very ill and could not walk thereafter unless, someone else broke the spell. Still his greed did not let him go off the book, so that no one else could find it he hid the book in a secret place. On reading this the man became more determined to find the little black book and get all the treasures to himself. Thus, begins the tale …For convenience I named the man ‘Pursuit’. In his travels he will encounter three testing situations; each a choice that would entail a different course to his life. The acquisition of treasure would depend on him making the right choice, but it also meant it would entail an unavoidable curse.

Days, nights, months, years passed season changed. Pursuit faced a lot of hardships on his voyage. His excitement dwindled; his strength failed but he did not give up. His greed for money would not let him give up.

The first encounter is an old, sick man around eighty-two years of age approaching death. But death could be averted if the old man receives treatment on time. I have named the old man ‘Helpless’ for convenience. Both Pursuit and Helpless get talking. Ironically as it turns out to Pursuit’s astonishment, the king is indeed the son of this helpless old man who then a young boy with dreams, had abandoned his father in search of greener pastures. Pursuit is happy on hearing this piece of information he stays with the old man for a few days recovers his strength and resumes his travel promising ‘Helpless’ to help him once his journey’s mission was completed. The second encounter entails the meeting with the king; Pursuit, by using unscrupulous and devious means achieved this task. Let’s suffice he met the king. The king revealed to him that the little black book was not an ordinary book it contained treasures as well as a curse on anyone who opened it. There is no knowing what the curse will be. The king then explained how he made a wrong choice, and the treasure was never revealed to him, he became ill thereafter and lost his legs. So, he hid the book under the banyan tree in a barren land. The land is now filled with filth, homeless and sick people no one dare go there for fear what they will entail there. However, Pursuit was insistent therefore, the king gave his consent with the condition he share half the treasure with him. Pursuit nodded and continued on his trip. Third encounter of Pursuit is in the land of suffering village; as he, entered therein he witnessed the most horrible and sad condition of humankind there, broken homes, poverty, sickness and gloom all over, he could hear moaning and crying. Loud wailing sounds asking him to help them, some cried for food, others wrenching in pain cried for relief… Pursuit covered his ears with his hands to block out the voices and made his way through the gloom and dirt single minded.

He had walked some distance when he spotted the tree the king had spoken of the sun was beginning to set, Pursuit set down his tools, without wasting time began digging quickly. He may have dug for about twenty minutes or so when he first witnessed the glimpse of the box excitedly, he grabbed the box and opened it. he saw inside laid the tiny black book he rubbed his eyes in dis-belief. At last, he had found the book! Pursuit bent over and picked it up immediately, a bright light shone around the tree he opened it, words begin to appear of its own accord It read; You are to die in seven days but should you sacrifice the treasure and riches to the most deserving cause of the three encounters you witnessed during your voyage then, you could be relieved of your curse and gain a long life, you will have great riches and happiness during the rest of your lifetime but if you were to make the wrong choice or pick a less deserving cause then, at the end of the seventh day you will die. At the break of dawn, you will see the bag of treasures and unmeasurable riches. Take it and fulfill the task on picking the wrong choice everything will disappear. The black book will go back to its place It will be empty unless a new hand opens it again.

Just as suddenly, the veil lifts… his heart opened; Pursuit becomes very sad...he becomes very vulnerable suddenly weakness overcame his body. He becomes aware of the sufferings around him he can sense and feel pain as though on his own person.… tears rolled down his eyes in great pain and agony of the sufferings. He was able to feel the king’s burden of making decisions providing for his subjects protecting the kingdom from enemies all the king’s fears become his own the burden as though on his shoulders; the suffering of the old man his loneliness, pain, fear of death, feeling of loneliness and unwanted, old age and sickness all became his own. Whole night the sufferings of his three encounters plagued him. It weighed on his body and mind. He had to make a decision before sunrise.

At the break of dawn, the book turns to yellow gold and at the bottom of the pit was a bag full of precious jewels and money. Pursuit picked the bag and rushed to save the old man’s life He then gave the bag of treasure to the old man and departs to the land of suffering to await his impending death after the end of the seventh day.

I pause to look at the boy sitting beside me, his face is now pensive he is struggling with his own thoughts… He looks at me and asked why do you think pursuit decided to save the old man and how did he think it was the most deserving choice? I smiled looking at him, I answered “you will see in a bit” but remember when pursuit touched the black book, the veil was lifted, and his heart had opened in way it had never been before.

Meanwhile ‘Helpless’ who is now rich and endowed with a new lease of life, is full of hope and goodness decides to pay a visit to his lost son. Thus, inspired helpless soon travels to meet with his son the King. The father and son have an emotional and tearful reunion after hearing all the events that transpired the king graciously asked his father to forgive him which his father did. Days passed thus blissfully in the kingdom. Then one day Helpless called his son to him and said “Son I have lived my life well my last wish was to see you, that has been fulfilled. I don’t need any of this wealth, I want to see you rule and make difference in people’s life, make wise decisions worthy of a noble king. This wealth will help you achieve that” saying this he bequeaths all wealth to his son. The king is overcome with gratitude. He looked at the forgiving eyes of his father and made a promise to himself and his father that never again would anyone in his kingdom go hungry or be homeless, He promised to remove suffering from his land and be a just ruler. His first mission was to reform the ‘land of suffering’. The king lived up to his promises, he was cured of his handicap and years passed blissfully. One day he announced, he wanted to visit his people in the land of suffering to see how they were fairing. News of the king’s visit spread through the village, people gathered around on roads and outskirts to catch a glimpse of their loving king. Pursuit too followed the people he stood at the far end of the line waiting for the king. Then his eyes brimmed up with unshed tears as he saw the old man Helpless and the King approaching the village …. It got him thinking, what would have happened had he not saved the life of the old ailing man? He had almost made the wrong decision thinking what good could an eighty-two already dyeing man bring to the world? but then the kindness the old man rendered to him when he needed it the most played on his mind. It was that kindness that drove Pursuit to make the decision in favor of Helpless. He just knew he must help the lonely dyeing man if he still had a chance to live. He had followed his heart’s prompting without thinking about the result. Now as he stood watching the king and Helpless approach, he understood why it had to be the old man.

The young lad looked at me there was glimmer of lightness in his eyes it glowed as he spoke “Thank you, Ma’am. I was going to end it all today but the with tale of the little black book I have found my own answers too “Every single life on earth is of significance, it’s value and purpose only be the maker knows. One does not need to do great things to effect a change. Simple act of kindness can trigger the karmic cycle of life bringing about universal transformations in the larger scheme of things.

I smiled at the kid knowingly, shut my backpack and retraced my steps down the hill donning a smile on my face.