A Moment With You

CHAPTER 5 | Not So Ordinary

Sometimes, we are led to the most surprising moments of our lives
-- the ones we never thought we needed...
And in those moments we realize
there's more to the life we desired to have.
All it took was for destiny to step in.

*************

"What was Eddie like?"

It seemed like the whole day for Ray but in truth only an hour had passed since Alice called them about the cancelled bus trips. For that whole hour he was helping Irene place books on shelves, carry stacks for her, and helped her arrange each according to author, genre, new books, old and second hand ones, and those for reading and borrowing only.

...and in that one hour, he tried asking Irene about Eddie in between confirming which book stack he should carry or which shelf they were to be placed in.

Irene had been quietly working in that one hour. Ray had tried to focus more on what he was doing but he can't help but be distracted in his thoughts and Irene's silence. Or maybe he too was being too quiet. Finally he heard Irene sigh. She looked satisfied at the last batches of books they just placed on the shelf -- her lips curving with an accomplished smile. It was then Ray took the courage to ask again...

"What was he like?"

"Who?"

"Eddie."

A long silence followed, with both of them staring at each other.

"Oh,"

Ray studied her reaction. "It's fine if you don't answer --."

"But I can answer." she spoke assuring.

"Ah, okay" Ray nodded, then silence.

"Eddie," Irene started breaking the quietness between them. "He was --"

BANG!

"IRENE!!! RAY!!!"

A sharp excited voice suddenly came after the sudden bang of the door. Alice was back. "Oh, hi! Did you guys miss me?" She followed walking excitedly in.

"Oh Alice." Irene turned to her. "How was the town?"

"I'm glad you asked." Alice replied "Then again I would still have told you even if you didn't ask because it's sooooo exciting!"

Irene only nodded and headed to the counter to where the coffee maker was. Meanwhile Alice had already dropped her bag on the floor and had settled on the chair by the counter.

"Oh, Ray, come sit." Alice called, gesturing Ray to sit beside her. "I have exciting news!"

"What?" Ray asked as he sat next to Alice.

"You see --" then stopped as if collecting her thoughts, then Alice turned to Ray "-- oh I'm sorry about you being stuck here" She suddenly said and patted Ray on the shoulder "but that's good too, you see ---" then turned to Irene, "I'm officially on winter break!"

Irene turned to Alice confused and saw her with both arms raised with an excited smile.

"But you are on winter break..."

"Well not exactly yet." Alice replied, settling herself on her seat as Irene poured her coffee. "I thought I was on break. But then while we were on our way to the town proper my professor called and told me I needed to take a remedial exam -- which was a total bummer."