Every day, Jennifer played chess with a homeless man who shared his stories with her. One day, he borrowed money and then disappeared! In despair, Jennifer sat down at the chess-playing table in the city park. Suddenly, she noticed a piece of paper under the chessboard. It was a note unmistakably addressed to Jennifer!
Jennifer walked along the park’s winding paths, her heart heavy with grief from her father’s recent passing. The quiet solitude of the park served as both a refuge and a poignant reminder of their shared moments.
ost in her thoughts, Jennifer’s attention was captured by an older man playing chess alone at a concrete table. His clothing was nondescript and faded. His hair was gray and unkempt, adding years to his appearance, yet his eyes still had an indomitable spark.
Sitting on an old, peeling bench that was as weathered and seasoned as he was, he seemed to be a part of the park. Every day for the past week, she had noticed him, always alone and lost in thought. Jennifer approached him.
Mind if I join you?” she asked, gesturing to the empty seat across from him.
The man looked up with a slow, welcoming smile. “Of course not. I’m Tom,” he replied in a gruff, friendly voice.
“I’m Jennifer,” she responded, taking her seat and arranging the black chess pieces.
Jennifer moved her knight, intrigued but skeptical. “It must have been wonderful to create something like that,” she replied.
Tom chuckled, his deep voice echoing softly in the park. “Oh, it was! Maybe one day I’ll show them to you if you’re interested.”
Their conversation turned deeper, touching on painful themes.
“Did you find it difficult to let go of your art?” she inquired, drawn into the rhythm of their exchange.
His words struck a chord with Jennifer, who was struggling with her own losses.
“I wish I could see it that way. Since my dad passed, it feels like I’m just… stuck, unable to move forward.”
“Loss is a tough opponent,” Tom’s voice was comforting.
As they continued their game, the setting sun cast long shadows across the park, and Jennifer decided to come here every day.
One day, when they started their game, Jennifer noticed Tom seemed more distracted than usual. He hesitated longer over his moves, and his brow was furrowed in thought.
“How much do you need?” Jennifer asked.
“50 dollars,” Tom replied, the words coming out quickly, as if he wanted to get them over with as soon as possible.
Without hesitation, she reached into her purse and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill. She handed it to him across the chessboard.
“Here, take this. And don’t worry about returning it soon. Pay me back whenever you can,” she said warmly, trying to comfort him.
Tom took the money, his hands shaking slightly as he accepted the bill. “Thank you, Jennifer. I truly appreciate this. I promise I’ll return it as soon as I’m able.”
Tom smiled across the chessboard, a genuine smile that reached his eyes. “You’re very kind, Jennifer. It’s rare to find such generosity these days.”
The game ended with Jennifer as the winner, but the score seemed unimportant now. They packed up the chess pieces together, chatting lightly about the park, the weather, and their plans for the coming days.
Tom took the money, his hands shaking slightly as he accepted the bill. “Thank you, Jennifer. I truly appreciate this. I promise I’ll return it as soon as I’m able.”
Tom smiled across the chessboard, a genuine smile that reached his eyes. “You’re very kind, Jennifer. It’s rare to find such generosity these days.”
The game ended with Jennifer as the winner, but the score seemed unimportant now. They packed up the chess pieces together, chatting lightly about the park, the weather, and their plans for the coming days.
Jennifer sighed and sat at the table, resting her elbows on the cold concrete, her eyes caught a glimpse of something unusual. A corner of a sheet of paper peeked out from under the chessboard.
Jennifer pulled it out and unfolded it, her breath catching as she took the contents.
“Wow, this can’t be…” she gasped, staring in awe at the portrait.
Unmistakably her face staring back at her from the paper. The details were meticulous—every curve, every shadow artfully rendered with a realism that spoke of a skilled hand.
This… he really did this?” Jennifer whispered to herself. Turning the sheet over, Jennifer’s eyes fell on an address scrawled in hasty pencil strokes.
“What’s this? A clue from Tom?” she murmured, her curiosity piqued.
She pulled out her phone to look up the address, tapping rapidly on the screen. Her search returned no results for her city. Expanding her search to neighboring areas, she found the address pointed to a location in the next state.
An adventure, then?” She carefully folded the portrait and slipped it into her bag, a smile playing on her lips.
“Looks like I’m going on a little trip,” she mused.
She was lying on the ground, thinking aloud, “Maybe when I find him, we’ll have a lot more than just chess to talk about.”
Jennifer felt a bit nervous the next morning as she approached the rental car. She started the engine.
As she drove, the landscape shifted from the familiar cityscape to more scenic, rolling hills and patches of dense woodland. The journey was long, and Jennifer used the time to reflect on her recent encounters with Tom.
Finally, Jennifer arrived at the small town. The place had a quaint, almost storybook charm, with its cobblestone streets and cheerful flower baskets hanging from lampposts.
She parked the car near the town center and walked the last block to the local café mentioned in the note.
Stepping inside, Jennifer was immediately struck by the cozy, welcoming atmosphere. The walls were adorned with various artworks, but one painting in particular caught her eye.
It was a stunning landscape, painted in a style undeniably reminiscent of Tom’s. The brushstrokes were bold yet intricate, and yellow and green were preferred in there
Jennifer approached the counter, where a young barista was arranging pastries in a display case.
“Excuse me,” Jennifer started, “could you tell me about that painting?” She pointed to the landscape that had captured her attention.
The barista looked up, following Jennifer’s gaze.
“Oh, that one? It’s been getting a lot of attention lately,” she replied, her eyes lighting up.
It’s by a local artist. He was here just yesterday, a fascinating man. He left with a woman named Cynthia. Seemed in a bit of a hurry.”
Jennifer’s heart skipped a beat, “Cynthia? Do you happen to know where they went?”
The barista nodded, pulling a notepad from beneath the counter and scribbling something down, “Here’s the address.”
Jennifer thanked her and stepped outside, her mind racing. Who was Cynthia? What was her relationship with Tom? She got back into the car and drove towards what she hoped would be answers.
***
Jennifer’s heart raced as her car stopped in front of a beautiful, sprawling property. The house before her was impressive, with ivy crawling up its stone facade.
It was surrounded by a lush garden filled with vibrant flowers and manicured hedges, strikingly similar to the backdrop of the painting she had admired in the café
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Jennifer approached the ornate iron gate. She pressed the intercom button. After a moment, a woman’s voice crackled through the speaker.
“Hello, can I help you?” the voice asked, its tone polite but guarded.
“Hi, I’m Jennifer. I’m looking for Tom. I’m an old friend of his,” Jennifer replied, trying to sound confident.
There was a pause on the other end, and then the gate buzzed open. “Please, come in,” the voice said.
Jennifer walked up the stone pathway and reached the front door. It revealed a woman in her mid-fifties, dressed elegantly in a classic clothes. Her hair was grey.
“You must be Jennifer. I’m Cynthia, Tom’s niece and caretaker,” the woman introduced herself, extending a hand.
“I’m afraid Tom isn’t well today. He’s been having some tough days, health-wise.”
Jennifer shook her hand, noting the coolness of Cynthia’s touch.
Jennifer nodded, but something in Cynthia’s demeanor didn’t sit right with her. There was a rehearsed quality to her words as if she had anticipated this conversation.
Jennifer already had a new plan.
***
Gates shut behind her neck, but Jennifer couldn’t just walk away, so she sat in her car and waited.
She saw the mailman approach the house, delivering a stack of envelopes. Seizing the opportunity, she approached him with a friendly smile and a small bribe.
“I think my uncle might be receiving some important health documents by mistake at this address. Could I check the mail for his name? It’s urgent,” she explained. The mailman agreed.
Flipping through the letters, Jennifer’s eyes widened as she came across several official-looking documents. One was a deed transfer detailing plans to move ownership of Tom’s property to Cynthia.
Another envelope contained medical reports that diagnosed Tom with Alzheimer’s disease, stating his incapacity to manage his affairs.
