The Notebook

Allison sat in the library, the book she was about to check out in hand. She was feverishly scribbling in a thick notebook, lines of text filling up the pages. 2:45 p.m., she wrote, checked out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from the library. Fantasy, 607 pages, written by J.K. Rowling. 

Allison was the kind of person who documented everything and anything about her life. When she was nine, her grandmother gave her a thick notebook and told Allison to document something from her day. Allison had taken this to heart and began to document what she did every day, even to the minor details. Flash forward seven years, and Allison still wrote everything in her beloved notebook. 

After she finished writing the note, Allison put her notebook back in her bag and got up to check out her book. She scanned the barcode, then her library card. Once she received the receipt, she headed out the door. 

It was a cool autumn day, the sky a brilliant blue, not a cloud in sight. A brisk breeze blew, blowing the fallen leaves around Allison’s ankles as she walked. On her walk home, she passed through the park. Families were having picnics, and kids were playing games. It was a beautiful scene. 

Crash. A dog ran into Allison, tipping her over. Her bag skidded away as she tumbled to the ground. The dog ran away, frisbee in his mouth.

Allison scrambled back to her feet and picked up her bag. She watched the dog run back to its owner. “Sorry ‘bout that!” the man shouted.

Allison huffed and continued down her path. She kept walking until she reached her house. Allison lived in a small neighborhood. Her house was two stories, with white wooden panels lining the sides. The front door was a charcoal gray, matching the roof. On the sides of the porch were two flower beds, the red poppies standing out against the stark white of the house.

Allison entered through the door. “Mom, I’m home!” she called. Her mother would be working, as that was what she normally did. Like normal, no response came. Allison marched up the stairs to her room, where she emptied out her bag. She was eager to read her new book, but first, she had to write down the encounter with the dog in her notebook. 

Allison looked through the many books in her bag. She had at least ten books total in there, now spread across the floor. But among the mess now sprawled onto the floor, the notebook wasn’t there.

Allison began to panic. Her heart began to race. How can it be gone? She looked through the books again, then a third time. She turned her bag inside out, searching for the familiar blue cover of the notebook, covered in scribbles. Allison ran downstairs, looking throughout the house. But the notebook was gone.

Allison ran out of the house and through the park. It must have fallen out when she fell. She searched the ground near the path, but the notebook wasn’t anywhere. She walked back home dejectedly. Her precious notebook was gone.

The next day, Allison walked to school like normal. But there was a definite change in her. She didn’t show any emotion. She didn’t participate in class. And other than the notes from class lectures, she didn’t write anything. When the lunch bell rang, Allison sat alone, slowly eating her sandwich. 

“Hey Allison!” someone called. Allison looked up to see her friend Emily skipping over to join her. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

“My notebook is gone,” Allison replied with no emotion.

“Ooh, I was wondering why you weren’t writing anything down. That explains it.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Allison cried.

Emily looked at her with a confused expression. “What do you mean?”

Allison drew in a deep breath. “If I don't write down my day in the notebook, will I remember what happened today? And if I can’t remember what happens every day, how will I ever remember my childhood? What if I’m old and get dementia and I can't remember anything about myself, or my family, or anything? Or what if one day I need to write an autobiography? How will I ever be able to remember what happened in my life?”

“Wow, calm down!” Emily said. “Is that why you always write everything down in that notebook?

Allison nodded. “I want to be able to remember everything. After my grandma gave me that notebook, she was diagnosed with dementia. She couldn’t remember who she was, or anything about her life. She barely remembered who I was. I don’t want to forget anything that happened in my life!”

“Do you really want to remember everything in your life?” Emily questioned. “Some things are better left forgotten. What if you fail a math test? Do you really want to remember that?”

“Well, no, but-”

“If you mess up, do you want to remember that forever? Or if you slack off in school?”

“No, I guess not.”

Emily grabbed hold of Allison’s hand. “Listen, Allison. Sometimes, things are better off being forgotten. That’s why we only remember so little. If we remembered every little thing in our lives, we wouldn’t have room to remember the important things.”

“But what about everything else?”

“If you can’t remember it, then it wasn’t important to begin with. If something big ever happens to you then you’ll remember it. In the long run, you only remember the big moments, the ones that truly matter.”

Allison smiled. “Thanks, Emily. I guess I don’t need that notebook, after all.”

“Hey, speaking of big moments,” Emily began, “Would you, maybe… Like to go to dinner?”

Allison’s cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. “You mean… you mean like a date?”

Emily blushed. “Um, yeah. But only if you want to…”

Allison’s heart was racing. To be asked out by one of the cutest girls in her grade made her one of the luckiest people ever. All the guys liked Emily, and so did Allison. She thought she never stood a chance, but now… 

“Of course I want to!” Allison exclaimed.

“Great!”

“Should I come by your place, then? We can walk to that new restaurant by the library,” Allison offered.

“Sure. see you then!” Emily skipped off, and Allison smiled.

Later that day, Allison stood outside Emily’s front door, just like she said she would. Reluctantly, she reached out to knock on the door. 

Emily opened the door, a bright smile spread across her face. “Ready?” she asked.

“Of course!”

As the two girls walked down the porch steps, someone called them back. “Hey, wait a sec!” A man stepped out from behind the door. Allison gasped. It was the same guy from the park the day before, the one with the dog. “Hey, Allison, I think this is yours.” He held out the blue notebook in his hands. 

Allison took it, eyes glazed in awe. “Where did you find it?” she asked.

“It was on the side of the path, where you fell. I held onto it to return it to you.”

“Thanks!” Allison replied. “Let’s get going, Emily!”

The girls walked through the park, the sun setting behind the trees. The sky was stained a peachy pink, the last of the afternoon light illuminating the path.

“What are you gonna do with the notebook?” Emily asked.

“How about I just show you?” Allison turned and walked over to the nearest tree, Emily following close behind. Allison knelt down and dug a small hole in the damp earth. She placed the notebook into it and covered it back up. “Now, it will decompose and become soil for the tree.”

Emily looked at her in shock. “You’re just gonna bury it?”

“Yep. That way, I won’t be tempted to write in it anymore.”

“I’m proud of you!” Emily told her.

“Yeah, well, like you said, I’ll only remember the important moments; moments like this.”

“And what makes this moment so important?” Emily asked.

“Why don’t I just show you?” Allison stood up, eye level with Emily. She leaned forward until their lips brushed against each other lightly. Allison began to pull back, but Emily threw her arms around Allison, returning the kiss. They stayed like that for only a few moments, but it felt like the world had gone still. 

“That’s why this moment is important. The biggest moment in my life so far,” Allison whispered. 

“I knew you understood,” Emily replied.

“I will always remember when I shared a kiss with my girlfriend for the first time.”

“That’s a good memory. I’ll definitely remember that one, too.”

The two girls dropped their embrace and continued down the path. They walked towards the restaurant, hand in hand. I don’t need a notebook, Allison thought, I will remember this moment as long as I live.