Jotted Down

Chapter 1

Thunder erupted outside the quiet living room, where I sat by the fireplace to catch up with my knitting. I stared out towards the raindrops hitting the window. The trees moved with the strong winds as the rain began to fall heavily. Suddenly, the peaceful afternoon was interrupted by knocks on the door. I put down my knitting needles and approached the door. A young man stood by the door, with a huge smile on his face. His coat was completely drenched with his fringe sticking to his forehead like glue. 

"Can I help you? "I asked. His face seemed familiar but I had never seen him before, or at least I think so. "Are you Charlotte Field?" He asked. It was as if the smog in my brain had been cleared. "Who are you? How do you know my name?" I asked in a hurry. It had been years since anyone had called my actual name. 

"My name is Benjamin. I know everyone here calls you Grandma Lottie, I have something very important to show you." He said in nearly a whisper. His face was turning pale and lips were turning a shade of blue. Even though he seemed suspicious, I could not let him continue standing outside in the rain and cold. "Quickly come in!" I said and pulled the pitiful man inside. 

-

After finding him some towels and a blanket, Benjamin sat across me on the sofa. His hands were wrapped around a warm cup of tea as he stared into the fireplace. "Are you feeling better Benjamin?" I asked. "Yes, much better Madam." He answered. "Just call me Grandma Lottie, no need to be too formal with me," I said with a small smile, not wanting to scare away the poor child. 

"So what is it that important that you had to come here on a rainy day?" I asked. 

"Well actually, I found something that might belong to you," Benjamin said and took out the briefcase, which I did not even see due to my poor eyesight. Must be old age, I wondered to myself. He brushed the wet briefcase lightly with the towel before unlocking it. Then, he pulled out something familiar. 

"I just bought a house on Brooke Street and I found this while I was looking around." He says and hands me the familiar, tattered book . I put on my reading glasses and my fingers grazed the binding of the book. "

"Thank you for finding my old diary Benjamin." I said as I looked at the young man in front of me, who slightly reminded me of someone written in that old diary. 

I looked outside towards the window, where lightning and thunder commenced and the rain seemed to become even thicker. "I was wondering, if you could tell me about your diary? I actually read a little of the pages, I hope you don't mind," Benjamin said with a sheepish look on his face. 

"Oh it's alright, it was about the earlier stages of my life, I'm just an old hag now. Since the weather is so bad, why not we read it together until the rain stops?" I said. 

"Yes please! Tell me everything Grandma Lottie!" He beamed with a great smile. 

As I turned the yellow pages of my old diary, the words seemed to form images in my brain. That place. That time. That person. It was all flooding back to me now.