Dedicated to my creative and wonderful sister Julie, who critiqued and also read this document, who gave me tips and encouraged me a long. This is for you, Julie, my grammar cop. Bet YOU didn’t expect that one.
Bourne Publishing Company Copyright 2011 @R
Moral: Be ready for anything that might come your way, be aware of your surroundings, do take advantage of you quiet, nice life, and please give to the poor and do not be greedy.
Foreword,
At the beach under sand and gallons of sand, pierced by crabs and other creatures, in a treasure box, I found an old leafy document, and then looked at it. I copied it down, made a new modern document, and published it. I found it on the beach in Wales. And I was amazed it was from 1849, from that guy Richard Simmons. On the internet I found out such a man existed. People will call me a fraud, say I made it up, which I probably did, or didn’t. You decide. I, like Richard Simmons, think this book should be known to the world and will do everything in my power to make it famous. I found the leafy document while I was on vacation there, and I was very glad to have it. I gave it to a museum after I found it, copied it and the whole thing. So, although it is a little far fetched, I hope you like it. My part in this is only a fourth of the picture, and Samuel Rivers is a fourth, Richard Simmons is a fourth, and you, reader, are a fourth of it. Enjoy this, please.
A Day He Didn’t Expect:
A Day He Didn’t Expect:
A 44 year old with brown close-cropped hair and a handsome appearance woke up at the crack of dawn. His name was Samuel Rivers, and Rivers stretched and yawned after a good nights sleep. Yesterday was a Monday, and it came and went as many Mondays did in River’s life, and today was a Tuesday. Rivers took a bath, and scrubbed and washed. Then he came out of his large bathroom, and came into his dressing room. (Rivers was a very wealthy man.) Mr. Rivers dressed, and he put on his breaches, undercoat, and other garments as was popular in that period. He placed his necktie in, combed his hair, and brushed his teeth. He went into his lofty dining room, and ate the breakfast that was already prepared for him by his kindly cook, Mrs. Topsy, the plump creature who’s only talent in this hard world is cooking. Everything was steaming hot, as was Mr. Rivers style, and he ate and wiped his mouth off. Then, he drank a little of his water, and repeated this process again and again as his scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and beefy sausage all disappeared from the plate. The big grandfather clock on the far side of the room struck 6:30, and he quickly left his dining room and his butler, Mr. Topsy (the ancient brother of Mrs. Topsy) slowly opened the door with extreme hardness, and when opened Rivers slipped out. A cab with a small passenger area and great big horses came up along the country drive. Rivers stopped it, got in, and quickly checked the time again. 6:34. At that moment, the day would change from a normal day to a unormal day.
Of course, Samuel Rivers, a single, stern banker whose only joy was money did not think anything out of the ordinary. It is amazing how one action can do many things.
If Samuel Rivers, an unobserving and never looking around person, had looked at the person who was making the horses go, he would have seen that it was not in fact his usual hired cabbie that takes him to the bank every day. It wasn’t that man at all. But how Did Rivers know that? He was unobserving.
“Where too, sir?” a voice in the front seat sounding cockney and of a un proper kind said.
“Where too?” Rivers said in surprise. “Daniel, you know very well where to! To the bank!” Despite this surprising moment, Rivers simply brushed it away and thought about the new accounts opening in the bank. A wealthy sea captain… an old governor… the cab screeched to a stop. The sound of dropping feet was heard outside. “Daniel!” Rivers yelled. “What’s the problem?” Rivers got out of the cab, and opened the little door. He was barely down the steps when he was hit over the head and his temple ached. Rivers sank into unconscious. If he had been awake he would have seen two men, a fat thug with a bat and a small, lean man who was heard before and supposed to be the Daniel man. The thugs took all of Rivers clothes off except River’s undershirt and underwear. They took his purse, full of 300 pounds, and then got back in to the cab and drove away. Rivers, unsuspecting and unaware, was left by the road with no more to protect himself from the March day than what he had on his body. A caterpillar traveled on River’s nose, and as the wind swayed the drops of rain from the previous night resting on the tree branches fell upon the unlucky banker. Samuel Rivers’s day just turned sour.
Chapter 1: Alone and in despair
Samuel Rivers awoke with a start as he sneezed the caterpillar off his nose. He sat up, with a confused look on his face, as he sat there bewildered as to whether what had just happened was a dream or not. For one of the first times in that day, Rivers looked around. He sat under a dying willow tree, a little old thing right by the dirt road, and Rivers looked at his hands. They were dirty with wet dew of a filthy freeman sort. Rivers was disgraced at himself. How dare he look like that vermin! As he felt his body, he quickly felt not the regular feel to his clothing but a wet, dirty cloth shirt. Looking down, he sees he is only dressed in the one shirt and his under wear. “Oh my God!” Rivers exclaimed. “I must get back to my home!” He stood up and felt a cry of hurt as he stepped on a few acorns. But, Rivers didn’t know where he was, or where he needed to go to get there. He knew his house was on Browning Drive, and he knew his address to be 18675. But, as unobserving as ever, Rivers had barely noticed that he had traveled more than a few miles west to a nearby town. There were two paths set before the unlucky banker, and as Mr. Rivers shivered as the breeze came, Rivers pondered, not just thinking, but really deciding. A bird in a tree sang a melancholy song, a squirrel on the ground gathered his necessary acorns, and a banker faced with a decision pondered. “I will flip a penny,” Rivers said to himself. He searched his pockets, and noticing bare skin instead of pockets, Rivers realized he was stolen money from. Too focused at the task at hand (for once) to unleash his anger at the fiend who stole from him, Rivers simply went down a hill into a little forest, and carefully avoided stepping on anything that might hurt his feet. He walked on, walked on, and looked at himself in a small puddle on the muddy road. Was that the once proud and wealthy banker? The dirty, horror stricken appearance in the mirror. The stickled and dirt filled hair was once washed and combed down? And to think that all this had happened in a matter of less than 30 minutes. It was amazing for Mr. Rivers to even try to contemplate.
Mr. Samuel Rivers felt a throbbing hurt on his forehead, a red bump caused by the bat that hit Rivers. It hurt, and blood poured out. They hit him very hard, and Rivers felt all of a sudden dizzy and un focused. He felt as if the world turned upside down, and colors of blue and red and green flashed in the banker’s brain. Rivers knew in his mind that immediate attention was necessary for this hit. He walked along faster, at a more hurried pace, and he was very glad when he saw a small kindly one-floor cabin on top of a hill. Pushing with all of his strength, Rivers climbed and ran up the hill little by little, stumbling and losing balance as he did so. At the top he stood up, yelled a weak, “Help!” and sank to the ground. His eyelids closed, his hands and feet fell limp, and Mr. Samuel Rivers went out cold.
Chapter 2: Of a cheery sort
Mr. Samuel Rivers awoke and found himself on a bed with a beat up mattress beneath him. He was laying down in small room, with a painting of a little girl and a window, which saw the barn further up the hill. He found himself stiff, parched, but no longer in agony. He felt for his wound, and found a bandage around his head. On a small mantelpiece by the door were a kettle of water, and a wooden cup. Everything in the room was wooden. The roof over him, the floor under him, the bed, the mantle piece, ad all of a rotting wood, more green and odor filled than it’s regular brown. But anyway, Rivers stood up, poured a cup for him and took a small sip first (to be sure it was water and safe water at that) and then when he assured himself he drank it all down. He then stretched, and cracked his fingers, head, and back. He was about to open the door when he remembered what we was dressed in. Only an undershirt and… but wait… Rivers looked down expecting to see what he thought he had on, but instead he saw a long sleeve black shirt of a hard mesh kind, and overalls under him that looked like they would fit a giant. Mr. Samuel Rivers, now assured he could go into sight of people (he is a vain fellow), Mr. Rivers opened the door to see who were his hospitable hosts. He walked into a small kitchen and dining area all connected, then went down a small hallway like an elephant fitting into a cupboard, and then stopped at the first door, one on the left. He knocked, as was polite in that era and still is. “Hello?” he asked. No answer. “Hello?” he asked again, a little bit louder. He then heard a laugh as loud as a sirens wane. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” It sounded like a women’s. The door opened and a fat women stepped out, her cheeks as red as roses, her face as wide as an anchor, and she had a large skirt on and her hair was down, instead of up. “Hello!” she bellowed in a welcoming voice and sounding cockney. “What brings you here?”
“ Umm… I thought…” Rivers stammered.
“Umm… You thought, umm… you thought… Get on with it! I won’t hurt you.”
“I thought that you bordered me here and put these clothes on and…”
She did not reply. Instead, she turned down the hall and called, “He-he! Come here!”
“HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEHEHEHEHEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEHE!” A door on the right of the little hallway swung open as young women in the same outfit as the other women came out. She had blonde and brown hair, a face like a queen, and a body as small and cute as her. “Hello Ha-ha.” Ha-ha? He-he? What are these absurd names for? This and more was what Rivers was thinking about.
“Come in to the dining room so we can talk about this matter.” (All sentences that are by the women are said in a happy, almost stupid way.)
“Alright!” They all traveled into the small dining room by the fire, and they all sat down. Still avoiding discussion with Rivers, she said to He-he, “Did you take this thing in here? Did you give him these clothes?” she asked, pulling on the shirt. “HEHEHEHEEHEHE! Yes, I did! It was on the ground on the hill, and after I was done washing the dishes I went outside to garden, and when I saw hit I picked it up, placed it in these clothes (for it was naked) and then I…”
“Naked! You picked up a naked… thing!”
Rivers had had enough. He stood up and in a fierce tone said, “Thing! Thing! Are you calling me a thing! I am a very wealthy person, taken from all my clothes and such by two filthy vermin! I am used too much more comfortable quarters, and I want to be treated like a human being! Now, my name is Mr. Samuel Rivers, and I would like you to refer to me as that. Now, He-he and Ha-ha, tell me how to get to 18675 Browning Drive, and I will go away from you.”
“You can speak!” Ha- ha exclaimed
“Of course I can speak! You heard me speak only about 5 minutes ago!”
“Oh yes! Now I remember that! I am a very forgetful person.””
He- he agreed. “She’s right, she is. Ha-ha, remember that time that you forgot where you left the cutting knife?”
“Oh yes! Then, a week later, I sat on it!”
“HEHEHEHEHEHEEHEHEHEHE!”
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!”
“EXCUSE ME!” Rivers yelled. The two women turned his way and stopped laughing; they were as quiet as a fall night. “I have tried to be reasonable, but my patience is limited. Now, ladies, where is Browning Drive?”
“How am I supposed to know?” He-he asked. “I’ve never been off these grounds of the house.”
“What? Never in your life?” Rivers asked in bewilderment.
“I have.” Ha-ha said. She continued. “When I was very young, I went out into the world.”
“When? Where?” He- he was excited.
“I went into the forest down there, and I saw birds, and bees, and… I saw a fox!”
“Oh my! You are so lucky! I’ve dreamed of seeing those.” He- he looked up in a dreamland and thought.
“But, you cannot go now, as the forest is gone and there is only field.”
Rivers knew better. “I was just in the forest. It is very well still there.”
Ha-ha looked at him killingly. “DON’T TELL HER THAT!” She went to the kitchen, picked up a cutting knife, and ran fiercely toward Rivers. He was very frightened and he showed it. This crazy loon is trying to kill me, he thought. He stood up, and ran out. “Ha-ha, don’t do this!” He- he pleaded. “Get out of my way, girl!” Ha-ha said, pushing her down with her free hand. He- he bite her on her finger, and then kicked and screamed. Ha-ha took her knife, and swiped across He-he, cutting her dress but not wounding her. “I WILL HURT YOU!” He-he sat down, defeated. Ha-ha ran out, but Rivers was already down the hill and into the forest. “That’s right, run! And don’t come back!” Rivers wouldn’t have EVER thought of going back, even if he was paid all the money in the world. Although prideful and wanting to look manly, Rivers was just glad he escaped with his life. The unlucky banker’s day just turned into a nightmare.
Chapter 3: Contemplation
A terrified and confused man with dirt all over his body and long large overalls and a sweaty black shirt strove the forest. His name was Samuel Rivers, a banker who had been chased away by a home by a crazy woman, hit in the head and robbed from by two murderous tramps, and also had had a headache such as one would have handling a nation and stopping a revolution or a man in deep debt with his hands in his face, sobbing. Mr. Rivers was confused at why the woman (Ha-ha) had wanted him to not tell He-he the forest was still there, and he wondered why she even hid it from the other loon, He-he. Why are those their names? Why do they dream about seeing regular day things as if they are distant treasures? And, why do they live together? Why do they act so strangely and forget everything? This and more was what Rivers was pondering about.
He also was distraught about getting back to his home. Surprisingly so, Rivers only knew so much about his home, he knew the address, and that it was given to him by his father, and that he had lived in it for 7 years. He should know exactly where the bank was, but years of going in a coach knowing where to go left him not knowing. How stupid of him to not even know how to get to his own home! He simply was not paying attention as the cabbie went another way, off course. He was a lot farther than he thought he was from Browning Drive, and he wondered where the day would bring him. He must find a town, a city, or a generous knowledgeable person that would take him to where he needed to go, someone who knew the area. He should know the area! But, because the only thing he did was go to and fro from the bank every day and do things in that city, Rivers was like a wounded warrior drudging into enemy land. But he knew one thing, the path that he took only a good 30 minutes ago was only full of loons and lunatics, and the other path was still uncertain. At that crossroad, Rivers of course went the uncertain way, and as Rivers walked on and walked on, the terrain became steeper and there were more big boulders. The mud was deep and dewy, and as Rivers stepped on a patch of mud, he quickly slid back and fell down the hill, sliding on all of the mud, making his blue overalls brown and his face totally brown. He looked like a pig after a good days work. He was filthy, and he stumbled and struggled to get a grip as he squeezed onto the oozy mud. He staggered forward, slowly getting to the top. It was a terrible exercise, and Rivers hated every minute of it. By and by he got to the top, and took a deep long rest on top of a small boulder. He was starving like a poor boy in London, and he noticed from the point where the sun was in the sky that it was noonday. It seemed like only an hour ago that Rivers had gotten into the cab, and then was left for an hour until it was 7:56, only to pass out and sleep for two hours, where he woke at 9:21. Then after the whole experience with the lunatic women, it became 11:48. By now after his long, long rest, it was then 12:00 exactly. Rivers rested, and didn’t know what to do. He could continue up the steep slippery hill and MAYBE find something of prominence on the other side, or, he could go on a straight path to the right in the deep dark part of the forest. So tired and too drowsy to object, Rivers followed the dark dreary path, going further and further away from any light. The trees were black and ugly and twisted, the sounds deep with sounds of terror. As Rivers kept walking, he was unaware of the bulging eyes looking at him. He was tired, and was not thinking of anything lying in wait for him.
Chapter 4: Strawicus
Rivers heard a fading grunt. A post saying: TURN BACK! Was hidden in the brush, un seen by the tired man. A growl was heard further up. Rivers stopped, listened, and kept walking again. For some reason he was hearing a faint growling in the distance. Then, he heard what seemed to be a scream. A scream that was more of a long cry like “Ahhhhh” faintly heard and in a high dying tone. This made Rivers a little uneasy. He heard footsteps. Then, a great man jumped in front of him, a skinny bony old man, with long locks of hair counting the years. “GET OUT!” he cried. “You are not safe here!”
“But how?” Rivers asked.
“No time, no time. Go, go!” the old man said, pushing Rivers back and down. “THE BEAST! THE BEAST! GO! THE BEAST IS COMING!”
Rivers obeyed. He quickly ran as fast as his tired legs could go, finding new strength as he did so. He was so confused about the whole day, it was like a bad mystery novel. Lunatic women, old scared men, why am I running when I should be rescuing that man? Why am I doing this? I must save him, he thought.
Rivers quickly turned back, but now he noticed he was on the muddy hill. He was in the dark forest again when he heard a very close growling, and the next thing he knew he saw a beast of the kind of a bear, with black and white fur and a porcipines quills coming down his back, and nasty yellow teeth and red eyes. It was coming toward him. No matter if he was not rescuing a strange man, his own life was on the line now. Rivers ran as fast as the antelope, making as much distance between him and the beast as possible. What is it? Rivers had never seen something like it before. Rivers was more scared than he had ever been in is life before. He ran up the muddy hill with new found strength, but the beast was holding strong. Rivers was staggering up, and the beast jumped high up into the air and raced up. He had to do something to make it stop. He couldn’t possibly outrun it forever. Then a prayer was answered. As Rivers turned back, he saw the beast race up and then get pulled back. He was chained to something! Now Rivers could get away! But wait, the beast kept pushing and pushing further. He might break it! Rivers had to work fast, so he raced up the hill and down the other side, and then slid down in all of the dirt and mud. He was very dirty now, but at least he escaped with his life! He feared of the fate of the old man though. Was it his fault that the man might be… de… a…d!
Rivers found himself in a valley with a bubbling spring. Unable to process what he had just seen, Rivers took to the ground. He washed his face in the water, than took off all his clothes and took a bath. The pleasant cold feel was going through all his system. He was relaxed and tranquil.
Rivers came out, washed off, and put his clothes back on. Then he washed them as much as he could. He could do without the lagging overalls, but they were big and kept him warm. He went across the big valley, and picked up a big stick by a dead tree. At least now he had something to defend himself with. He believed he would need it.
It seemed to him that the beast was not following further though, and that was something to be grateful about. Grateful about! How can he be grateful about anything! He’s been stolen from, chased out of houses, and attacked by beasts! Is this some act of Divine Providence? Or is this just what was coming to Rivers after so many years of selfishness. Does he want me to learn a lesson, Rivers thought? If so, what lesson? To be observant and to know his surroundings? Possibly. To not take what he has for granted, as it could be gone in more than one day. That seemed like the more promising answer. Well, when Rivers got out of this, he would never take advantange of having such a comfortable and regular life. IF, he got out of this.
Just then he saw a scarecrow on a hay bundle with multiple hay bundles around it. Why would a scarecrow be out in the middle of nowhere where there are no crops, no feed, no anything. The scarecrow was in a sitting position, and his arms were on his lap. He was just hay, not anything else. He had longs locks of hay down his hay face. And why for the bundles? Shouldn’t they be food to animals by now. Rivers approached uneasily, as he trusted no one now. Something unexpected just happened.
“Hello Stranger,” the scarecrow made of hay said. Rivers was taken aback. He slapped himself in the face. Was this really happening. Am I dreaming? “I am Strawicus, a being that knows everything about you once you sit down on these bundles.” By now Rivers was fairly close to the “being.” “Are you so?” Rivers asked sarcastically. “Or are you some machine of modern man?”
“I am not, son of man.” Son of man? Rivers was confused. “Come here.” Rivers walked suspiciously up. He didn’t know if this thing was playing tricks on him or not. He could now see great features in the face, the straw being long haired and going all around the body. Rivers could barely see facial features under all of it. “Sit down,” the being said. Rivers did, his stick still in his hand. Then the unthinkable happened. The straw mans face changed into the appearance of Rivers, with his close cropped hair and pretty face. Rivers let out a cry. “Peace, peace. When a son of man sits on the bundle, I take on his face as my own. You are connected to me because of your buttock being on my straw, which is connected to me. I can also sound like you.” The straw man’s usual powerful deep voice was gone. In it now was Rivers’s regular English accent. Rivers sat in disbelief. “Let me tell some things about yourself. You are 44, you are a banker, you have a wealthy estate on Browning Drive, and, you are a selfish man who is so accustomed to his everyday activities that he doesn’t even notice that his cab driver is a man who was beaten to death on the country road and impersonated by a ruffian and his pal. Then you were…” Rivers yelled aloud. “DANIEL IS DEAD! NOOOOO! HE WAS SO KIND TO ME!”
“Yes, he is dead.”
“How do you know all this?” Rivers sobbed, unable to fight back the terror and tears.
“I am chosen to help out poor souls who are finding there way back home.”
“What can you do to help?”
“All I can do is tell you to find out who you are,” he said.
Rivers was in despair. “How do I do that?” he said, crying and breaking down. Just then that unwelcome growl was heard again. Rivers stood up, and when up, the face of the straw man became normal again, and his voice also changed back. “Go, son of man! Go!” Rivers took his stick and ran, even though he was tired of running from everything. The beast leaped down, and Strawicus picked up a bundle and threw it at the beast. The thing let out a final cry as the hay fell on his head, and then after all the dust cleared the beast was seen frozen, in time, with hay all over him.
“I am allowed to freeze animals with my hay, but it will not last long. You must go.”
But Rivers was already gone.
Chapter 5: A town
Rivers ran up the hill, and down some, and into and out of forests. Before he knew it he was 5 miles away from the incident that just happened. He was so confused, so dazed, and very sad at the same time. It was so strange what had just happened, and very bewildering. Rivers did not even notice that he walked into a small town at the bottom of a hill because he was so confused. He had seen a man of straw talking, not just that, but in his voice and his face. He was unable to process that. It was just so colossal.
And also, he found out his long time cabbie and friend had been murdered by two ruffians that also left him to die. He was mad, but more sad and grief filled than angry. Also, he was wondering why all this was happening to him. Why me? Because I’m not generous, is that it. Or is this another sort of lesson. Mr. Rivers needed asnswers. But wait, where was he? He spun around, taking in his surroundings. He had landed in the middle of a booming little English town. Yes! Now he could get someone to take him home. All he had to do was give him a little money… wait, he had no money! No one would do anything for no pay. He had no way of making money. But then a prayer was answered.
“Can you get me a bagel at the bakery,” a wealthy man with a top hat and curly hair said to Rivers.
“Yes, I would be happy too. Money, perhaps?”
“Money! You should just do it because of your class! The only money I will give you is to buy the bagel with. You should be happy I didn’t whack you with this stick.”
Rivers was enraged. “I happen to be a wealthy banker who was just happened to lose…” He didn’t get to finish. “A banker! And I’m the King of England! Get down scum!” And with that he knocked him over the head with his cane, making a big bruise on Rivers forehead. Rivers fell down into the snow, knocking into a barrel of ale. Ale came down like the waterfalls in Canada, making the brandy go into the banker’s eyes and face. A noise sounded “Oik,” and a pig came up to the unlucky man, shaking himself in the mud and snow. Rivers stayed in this position for about 10 minutes, then sure that the man was gone, he stood up and leaned against a barrel. He was aching all over and smelled of whiskey. He took his stick that was still in the road,(that he dropped when he was hit) and leaned on it, walking into a dark alley. Rivers would somehow get a lot of money, and then he would buy better clothes and food at a local store. But how would he get money? That was the question Rivers needed answered.
Chapter 6: The most Unexpected
A tramp with a scraggly beard and skinny gait lighted a match in a narrow street, looking at his drunk, sleepy friend, a fat thug with red cherry cheeks and a large stomach, growling, not because of loss of food, but of too much. The tramp said, “Get up, you drunkard. Chap!----- I don’t know why I even teamed up with you. Get up, you lug!” The tramp took a dirty bucket filled with water and dumped it on his accomplice.
The “lug” awoke with a start, getting up, and shakily steadied himself on a wooden box, filled with rats. “WHAT DID YOU DO THAT….”
“Shut up you rascal!” shouted the tramp. “Time to move out. We’ll do the process again, this time in Wallgreen Forest. Can’t do it so close to the other one. And we’re not using THIS money on ale or beer. We need something to eat, besides this darn bisquit.” The tramp threw down the stuffed bread with molded cheese a lying cook made into what he called food. “Come on, let’s go.” They made up, and walked out of the alley just as a man with messed up hair, large overalls, and a long stick whacked the tramp in the eye, injuring him and making it bleed. “That’s for killing my cabbie, and friend!” Rivers screamed, after lifting his stick and letting it fall on the mans chest, many times. He also hit the thug in the face. He would’ve continued until they were dead, but a man with a top hat, black overcoat, and small mustache stopped him, bringing him back with a cane. When Rivers looked in his face, he saw a blue-eyed brown curly haired, the man he saw earlier, the bagel man. “Hello, ruffian!” The most unexpected of the day happened. The mans arms turned into claws, and his head turned into that of a crab. Rivers screamed in terror. He tried to get out of the mans hands(well claws really,) but could not move. Rivers was held my the man…creatures gaze. The thing made Rivers fall back into a pool of fire. The fire engulfed Rivers, and Rivers was so confused as he slowly burned. It had happened so fast. Rivers life flashed before him, as he remembered being a bad, clever boy, his hard lived adult hood, all the way how he cheated others and got much money. Is this the end? He thought so. Was this the punishment all along for being a bad man? For him to be engulfed in the flames of H…
Rivers awoke with a start in his bed, with Mrs. Topsy hovering over him, a rag in her hand, quietly moving it along his forehead. “Mr. Rivers, I thought you were gone! I’m so glad your okay.” She tried to hide her fast-falling tears. Did Rivers really mean this much to this old women, her being only his cook? He rembered the day she came into his office, needed money because her husband had died. It was the only real day Mr. Samuel Rivers had shown a lot of compassion. And now she had feared for his life. “Mr. Rivers, are you alright?” “Yes, I believe I’m alright. I just need to…” Rivers blacked out. The unexpected, the most unexpected, continued. Rivers came out of the flames into the crab/man’s arms, and then the creature turned into a man again. “Naiffur Olleh!” That was Hello Ruffian, backwards. Rivers then went through his whole day, backwards. All the way from him hitting the men with the stick, to being chased by the large dog, to the old man in front of him, to the straw man, to the He-he and Ha-ha incident. He relived it all, and it was a terrible ordeal for him. He when he was hit with the club by the thug, he saw himself saying, “Daniel!” he saw himself leaving his own house and getting into the cab, he ate breakfast again, and then dressed again, woke up again, and slept again. It was the most unexpected part of the day. Rivers woke up again, and he saw that it was still a Tuesday. Had it all been a dream? Had he dreamt it all? Well, he believed that he got it for a reason. It must’ve been a dream from God, meaning, to not take for granted what is normal, to expect anything, and most of all, to use his money generously. He got on his clothes, rushed outside and ran to the horse stables, where Daniel was feeding the mares. “Daniel my good boy! Let me hug you!” Daniel reacted in surprise. “But sir, Mr. Rivers, I’ve not washed yet.” “I don’t care, neither have I!” Rivers hugged his good cabbie. He also put much money in Daniel’s hand, even though Daniel kindly said, “No sir, I did not earn it. I will not take your money. I might if I did something to earn it. No, no… what am I saying.”
“Take it Daniel! Or I will fire you!”
“Sir why are you making me…?”
“Please take it Daniel, you deserve it for being the best cabbie. No one will scorn you for it. I want you to have this money.”
“Whatever you say sir.” Daniel reluctantly took the money.
Rivers ate with his cook, Mrs. Topsy, that day, despite her surprise. He was kind and gay at work, and on the way home he gave money to the poor and sick. For the next years, he even retired Mr. Topsy and paid him every year. Mr. Samuel Rivers was a changed man after that day, from a selfish upstate man to a generous loving Christian. And it all started, on a day Mr. Samuel Rivers, didn’t expect. I have told this story in third person, but I am to say after many years Rivers told me the story, and I asked all about it, making details as best as I could, but Rivers was very old and had details vaguely. I’m sorry if I gave you details not exactly the best, but I didn’t want to change it for the audience. I wanted it to be from his words. And it was. Rivers said I couldn’t publish it until he died, which was three days ago, as I am writing this. The story was not finished until he passed away. I have just now added this. Goodbye. Hope you enjoyed this little 11page story. I do not expect this to be a best seller, but I do not care, as long as this interesting little story is known to the world and will not perish in the mind of the main character. It really was a book I didn’t expect to write ever. But I have. So let us end this now.
Yours truly,
Richard Simmons,
Reporter of The London Tribune,
1849.
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