You Just Never Know

Short story - You Just Never Know

Judy woke up to the sound of banging on her door, she lay there thinking what day is it? did I invite anyone here? Looking around she notices that it is still quite dark so it must be early, all the time the banging on her door is increasing.

“Hang on, Hang on I’m coming” she shouted.

As she opens the door, with trepidation as she is not expecting anyone, looking at the front patio it is empty there is no one around, so she looks left and right just in case they decided to leave thinking there was no one at home. No there is definitely no one here. Judy notices something on the floor looking down she sees a package that is addressed to her, “strange to deliver this early in the morning”, Judy thinks out loud.

Judy takes the package inside onto the kitchen table all the time wondering what on earth this could be, had she ordered something online that she has forgotten about, well only way to find out is to open it. Judy open's the box and inside is another little black box, this is getting more intriguing by the minute, inside the little black box is a piece of fabric with some writing, it looks very old and weathered, as Judy starts to read what has been placed on the cloth, she thinks her eyes must be mistaking her.

It states: $20,000.00 is yours and you are the beneficiary of this amount, it has been left to you by an individual that wants to remain anonymous until the money is given to you.

Judy is wracking her brain who would leave her $20,000.00 in their will, she does not know anyone who would do that. Judy turns the cloth over and there it tells her what she must do to retrieve the money.

Judy reads out loud, ‘there is a key at the bank for you, you need to speak to Mr. Foster, and he will show you where the safety deposit box is, there you will find further instructions. Judy does not know if this is a joke or not, is someone trying to set me up she thinks, but who? what do I have to lose if I go to the bank she thinks, absolutely nothing it is daylight and there are always a lot of people in the bank.

Judy hops in the shower and ensures that she has adequate identification to prove who she is takes the cloth and the little black box with her to the bank.

Upon entering the bank, it was like they were expecting her, no one said anything to her it was just that feeling of being watched. Judy approaches the counter. “I am here to see a Mr. Foster”, the bank employee is all smiles as he says, “Yes of course Mrs. Wattle come this way, I follow him to the back of the bank where Mr. Foster is waiting for me with a key that he hands me, he informs me to follow the blue line to the end, turn left and number 461 is your safety deposit box,” he thanked me and told me to have a good day.

This is not what I would have expected to have happened today Judy ponders as she follows the blue line then turned left looking for number 461, ok there it is just on my left so with trepidation and excitement Judy retrieves the key and enters it into the lock, “click” the key turns and the box opens, Judy can feel her heart beating faster and faster, she looks inside there is another piece of cloth, what is going on here? Judy questions herself.

This piece of fabric had instructions on what she must to next to receive the money, the cloth stated:

You must travel to an Estate on the North side of the Country, you need to make your way to 1579 the Boulevard, please knock on the door and James will invite you inside to collect your $20,000.00. All will be revealed to you upon arrival.

How cryptic Judy thought, well I have nothing to lose, if I let someone know where I am headed and leave the address everything should be fine, shouldn’t it? Judy makes her way North wondering if she is doing the right thing? this could be anything it could even be illegal which she did not think of before leaving. Too late now Judy thought while sitting on the coach making her way to a destination and outcome unknown.

Judy makes her way to the address on the cloth, upon setting eyes on the house, no, correction it was a mansion, so Judy soundlessly made her way up the winding driveway, with its flowering trees lined up all along the length with an enormous waterfall ornament at the front of the house.

Knock, knock.”

The door opens and there is a man in a suit he looks like a butler, we don’t still have butlers, do we? Judy thought, I do not even know anyone with a butler, “hello I am Judy and I believe you are expecting me”?

“Yes Judy, Welcome I am James, do come in”.

One inside James offered me a seat and a cup of tea, well this is all very proper Judy thought to herself, but kindly accepted the offer.

“Judy, may I call you that” asked James.

“Of course, you can James”, thinking to herself well that is my name this is very silly.

“Judy, I have been instructed to read you the last will and testament of Mr. Forthright.”

James proceeded to read the testament:

"I Mr. Forthright in sound mind hereby bequest Judy Wattle, $20,000.00 in thanks of a kind gesture that I am sure she does not even remember as that is her nature, Judy once stopped and sat with me a long time ago after my wife had passed, I was not coping in the day to day of life and Judy happened to see me on a park bench and took the time to talk with me, just to check if an old man alone was okay. I had never forgot that moment and act of kindness that you showed me; therefore, I give this money to you. You just never know who you may be helping. Thankyou".

“That was Mr. Forthright’s wish and please take the money as a thankyou from a kind, wise old man”, as he handed me $20,000.00.

I had forgot about that moment in the Park it was so long ago, I did not really know what to say so I stammered “thankyou”.

“Oh, Miss there is a car to take you back to your premises as I do not want to place you in any perilous situations with that much cash on you”

I had not thought about how I was going to get home, especially with all that money in my handbag,

“Thank you, James that is very thoughtful of you,” is all I could muster at that moment.

On the way home I started wondering, why the cryptic messages I wondered? Why a little black book with a special cloth and written directions on it? Could I have walked into some type of trap? My imagination took over at that moment, could it be from a bank robbery and now I have stolen money on me? What have I accepted; I did not even check the credentials of Mr. Forthright before I accepted the money, who was he?

That night Judy researched Mr. Forthright there were no details on this man, she couldn’t even find the death notice, Judy used different search engines to locate any information that she could, surely there must be some information, Judy thought, as I have an inquisitive personality I will do some deeper investigating on Mr. Forthright, firstly I will examine he’s credentials, Judy spent hours trying to retrieve anything on Mr. Forthright, apparently there is no information on him it is as if he did not exist. This was all very strange and bewildering, I wondered who he really was? were Judy’s last thoughts before exhaustion and excitement sent Judy into a deep dreamless sleep.

I reflect on that day at times, sitting on that bench with the man, who at that moment had no name, I now know as Mr. Forthright, I was not aware at that time my little act of kindness made such a difference in his life, while changing my life forever.

You Just Never Know.

Written by Julie Walters