Jesse Ojuka

I got off the subway to get lost in East Village. As I was walking through a colourful street, I saw an old quiet hidden bookshop. It had old books to the ceiling. So many, they had to pile them up from the floor. From the entrance, the pile began. I picked up the first book I gravitated to without hesitation. It was dark green, worn and the paper was beginning to crease. Then I opened it and saw it was underlined all over. Frantic writing in between the spaces. I walked to the white-bearded man at the counter and got it.

The book is called, ‘Nature – A Collection of Writings’ by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
As I read, I could feel Heaven smile. My heart was a globe. The writing resonated with me with a bullseye.

Two days passed and I decided to go guided meditation in the Upper East Side. I’ve never been, but no better time and place to go than New York. On the train there I continued to read the book. Elation continued. “I am glad to the brink of fear’, ‘Build therefore your own world’, ‘With emotions and angels might share’…. The book gave me wings.

I met a girl named Glory and we ended up getting the same train heading home. “What book is that she asked me”. I burst into confetti. As we spoke about the book, the pages turned. She says “What is that?” I don’t know what she means. Until I look and see a blue crisp cheque. Both of us were equally confused.

The cheque was for $50 dollars and dated ‘1947’. With some of the names we found in the book he was either a philosophy lecturer or a state representative. A man with a mission it seems. And from what he wrote in the book, as well as the book itself, as well as giving it away. This makes it easy to assume this person had a good heart and a sharp mind.

And it fell into my lap. With a cheque inside.

Apart from the insane positive boost this story holds, I wracked my brain for days, wondering, “What is the lesson?”.

A great story like this must equally hold a great lesson, like an oyster’s pearl…

The lesson is so simple it was hiding in place sight.

Pick up a book and read. In this case, reading literally paid me back.