Leslie was on the way back home from work, taking the usual 20 minute walk from office back to his house. On that particular evening, it was slightly different walk. You see, Leslie had this funny lil' habit. As he walked home from work everyday, he'd count the tiles has he made his way home. The very few friends he has who are close to him say that Leslie found it soothing and it was a way to arrange his thoughts. Anyway, this particular evening as he counted the tiles he stumbled upon what looks like a wallet.
The wallet looked old. Wasn't very thick and probably even looked discoloured. Leslie would have normally walked past it. But somehow, this wallet caught his attention but he couldn't help but satisfy his curiosity and he eventually bent down to pick the wallet to his own surprise. Leslie was a life-goes-by sort of person, not concerned about anything else except for his usual routines that made him feel like himself.
As he picked it up, he was wondering about the contents of the wallet. Upon opening it, there were only five pieces of one dollar bills and a very well folded piece of note. Leslie didn't know what to make of it because the note was too short to be called a letter but too long to be a simple note. He didn't really want to read it because he felt it was violating the privacy of the owner but it was probably the only to find who the owner was because the wallet had no identification card whatsoever. Not even a credit card!
Upon reading the note, Leslie could conclude 2 things - 1. The sender was a woman named Jessie; 2. The recipient was Joseph. The note was written in a very nice, feminine, old fashion styled cursive handwriting. The words were a little faded but Leslie could still make out the words. The note expressed Jessie's love for Joseph but ended the note with a sad line saying she was probably never going to see him again because she had to leave for overseas to further her studies and was not sure when she would ever return.
In Leslie's mind, he could be certain about one thing - the note was something very dear to Joseph. The note was dated in 1959, 50 years ago!
Deep down, Leslie knew exactly how it felt to lose someone he loved so much due to such circumstances for his ex-girlfriend left him to further her studies abroad. Leslie then decided he was going to look for Joseph in order to give him back his wallet along with the note that he holds on to dearly.
The following day after work, Leslie started his search for Joseph. First stop was to pay the address written at the back of the note a visit. Leslie didn't know if it was a good idea, neither was he certain who would be living in that address, and he really didn't know what to expect.
Leslie walked up the pathway leading to the front door, rang the bell and waited. A young lady opened the door cautiously.
"Hi there, my name is Leslie, I don't mean any harm and I just want to find the owner of this wallet. In the wallet there is a note and I believe it was sent from this address by someone called Jessie," as Leslie handed her the note.
She took a look at the note, looked at Leslie and said, "Hmmmm.... Jessie was the owner of this house before I bought it about 5 years ago. If I am not mistaken she decided to place herself in a nursing home. I can't really remember, but I think the she's at St. Mary's Nursing Home."
Leslie thanked the young lady whose name he never got and went on his way home.
St. Mary's Nursing Home wasn't far from where he lived and he made a trip there the following day.
The nursing home was a well maintained place, with really nice landscaping that made the place brighter and more cheerful. There were many old folks in there, some walking around the greenery in the compound, some were playing chess among themselves, some were in a group having some form of private forum.
Leslie walked up to the nurse at the reception and asked to looked for Jessie.
"Looking for Jessie? Sure, let me take you to her room. It's rare for her to have a visitor. You are probably the first visitor in three years," said the nurse, as she led Leslie to her room.
When they arrived at Jessie's room, they found her knitting by the window sitting on a rocking chair.
The nurse greeted her, "Hi there Jessie! We have a visitor for you today."
Jessie turn around to greet her visitor, "Let me see..... You must be Leslie." and smiled.
Leslie was startled, "How did you know my name?"
Jessie chuckled and said, "Your name is written on your visitor pass hanging on your shirt's pocket. I may be old but I haven't completely lost it yet young man."
Leslie laughed..........
"Anyway Jessie, do you know anyone by the name of Joseph?"
Jessie's expression changed to a more sombre expression as she looked out the window and sighed, "Of course I know Joseph. Joseph Applebee I could never forget him; his blue eyes, high forehead, attractive smile. He was a tall, fine, handsome man with a personality to die for. It was really unfortunate my parents disagreed with my intentions to marry him and forced me to further my studies overseas to separate the both of us. Joseph was like the bee and I was like the honey. We loved each other to bits. Everytime we were together, it felt like we were on cloud nine!"
She took a long sigh and said, "I never got married. There was no one out there who could match up to Joseph."
Jessie and Leslie eventually talked for hours. Just before Leslie left, she asked him how she knew about Joseph. Leslie the explained to her about finding the wallet with the note she wrote to Joseph. With tears in her eyes, Jessie said, "If you ever find Joseph, please tell him I still love him and not once have I forgotten about him."
Leslie thanked her for her time and took his leave. As he walked into the elevator he took out the wallet and looked at it while he mumbled, "Applebee, Joseph Applebee. It's a lead."
Beside Leslie, a nurse in the elevator overheard Leslie and saw the wallet. "Hey! That's Mr. Applebee's wallet! How did you find it? Mr. Applebee has been trying to find that wallet for days. He always misplaces his wallet or loses it when he goes out on his own."
"Is he Joseph Applebee?" asked Leslie.
"Yup! That's him"
"Can I see him now? Is he still around in this nursing home?"
"Yes, I'll take you to where he usually sits and read his books. He's a really quiet guy. Doesn't mix around much."
The nurse took Leslie to Joseph and then said, "Mr. Applebee, this young lad here found your wallet."
Joseph grabbed hold of Leslie's hands and shook them with utmost gratitude.
"Thank you! Thank you! I have been searching for my wallet for days. Must have dropped it while taking the bus back here when I went out. How can I ever thank you?"
"Nah, don't worry about it Mr. Applebee. I knew it must have been important to you. But, I should inform you I went through your wallet in hope to find who the owner is and I also read the note in your wallet."
"You read it?"
"Yes. And..... and I believe I know where Jessie is."
Mr. Applebee had tears filled his eyes and asked, "You know where is she? You really do? Please, please, please take me to her! Or, or, or give me her number or something." He was literally begging to Leslie.
"I wonder how is she. I never got married or even saw anyone else after she left. I only ever wanted to be with her."
"Mr. Applebee, come with me," Leslie said.
Joseph and Leslie took the elevator to level 2 and both of them walked to Jessie's room where she was still facing the window looking at the setting sun while she knitted.
The nurse walked up to her and said, "Jessie," pointed towards Joseph at the entrance of her room, "Do you know this man?"
Jessie picked up her glasses and took a good look and covered her mouth with both of her hands. Tears rolling down her cheeks, "Oh my..... Joseph? Joseph? Is that really you?"
"Jessie, good lord. I never thought I would ever see you again!" tears rolling down his cheeks.
Both of them walked towards each other and held each others' hands almost as if they were trying to do a reality check to find out if they have gone senile and were dreaming.
Leslie and the nurse quietly backed away from the entrance and left those two together. The nurse and Leslie left the room with tears streaming down their cheeks.
The nurse clutched her hands together, looked up, and said, "God is truly great! God is great!"
About a month later, Leslie received a call from a nurse from the nurshing home. It was Joseph's and Jessie's wedding.
The wedding was beautiful one indeed. The nursing home management even sponsored the occasion. Joseph was in a tux, Jessie wore a beautiful pearl white dress and they made Leslie the best man. Joseph and Jessie were even given their own room in the nursing home.
If it was anything, it was a perfect ending to a candle of love that continued to burn on for nearly fifty years, waiting for the perfect lantern to compliment it.
It was a lost wallet that found love that was meant to be...............
How many times in our lifetime have we disregarded something we felt was insignificant or just too small to make up anything? A wallet with five pieces of one dollar bills and an old love note would have likely ended up in the dustbin. Some of us may have taken the money, then discard the wallet and the note in the nearest dustbin. You probably never thought it would have led to a reunion of a love affair of a lifetime.
A good majority of us are always waiting for the big thing, the big opportunity, the big chance - just that ONE big one. Far too often, in the midst of looking out for the big one, we let all the small things arounds us pass by unknowing to us the one BIG one might only come by after we add up the smaller things around us..........
~Path of Time~ by
Micky Foo is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License
