The Light That Rid My Darkness

one

BOOKS BREATHE TOO

"Is this all for you ma'am?" I said as I worked the counter at the bookstore.

This middle aged lady was a regular, but I'd always treat her as though she was a customer I'd never seen before, and she'd repeat the same type of actions back towards me.

"Yes, this is all."

"Ok, that will be 5.97." The woman handed me her card.

I was then about to swipe it as a normal salesclerk would, but something held me back from taking such actions. I looked up to see what was stopping me.

The woman still held the card in her hand with a grip and with a look of hesitation, or more like a look of questioning on her face.

"Is everything okay ma'am?" I said without trying to look her directly in her eyes.

"Oh! I'm so sorry dear. I've started a new quest where you try to figure others out with a long glance at their faces. But as for you, I can't seem to quite figure you out." She then let out a laugh that she and I both knew was forged.

This unfortunately was not surprising to me. Based off of the books she would always buy- J.K Rowling of such sorts- her personality of which did not bring any surprise to my acknowledgment. Long story short, she was a fucking weirdo.

Books were people. People were books. They were both meant to be read and have an opinion on. Whether others liked that idea or not, it was true. Books and people, to me, are like a cycle that bounces back and forth. For this is because when a person reads a book, that book will always have some sort of affect on that person.

It could be a quote, a lesson, a character, or anything in that small book that would leave a certain mark on the person reading it. With that book then affecting that person, they would go on to read another book, but instead this time they would have an acknowledgment of the book before, and this would lead to them having a different perspective on the book they are about to read next. The same cycle would then happen with all of the other books that are yet to come and meet their eyes. This is the reason why I chose my job at a bookstore

Well, maybe because I'm a hell of a weirdo too. But still.

Books were life. They had as much meaning as any human could have.

"It's fine. So would you still like this book?"

She nodded her head in a way that revealed she was embarrassed. She released her card into my hand and I swiped it.

As I handed her her Harry Potter volume 1 book, I for once took a look at her features. She was a beautiful woman for her age. Her hair had the brown color of an acorn in autumn, with a touch of silver that seemed to brighten up the rest of her head in that one piece. Her fair-skin was so pure.

As she stood at the counter after her purchase was made and received, she looked across the counter at some bookmarks that had not long ago arrived. Smiling a smile that made her look so joyful and happy for what was to come to her in life. I caught a glimpse of her eyes as she stared at the bookmarks in admiration. They were a blue, as dark as the sea, as deep as the ocean. A smile came across my face. I did not know why.

I thought to myself, people like her can make a person like me smile for no reason at all. Interesting this thought was to me.

"I'll come back tomorrow and get one of those precious bookmarks of yours. Got it?" A expression of, believe it or not, more happiness came across her face as I nodded yes. She walked out of the bookstore with a walk of pride.

Her walk made her look so free. Something I desired to be. Which felt impossible, for whatever reason I didn't know.

"Zilah," a familiar voice said to me, interrupting my deepening of thoughts, " is it not time for you to get off? Listen, I don't mind you working overtime but you need a break every once in a while."

It was Zach. He was my manager. Sort of like a brother, but one I didn't have a too close relationship to. He'd been my manager for as long as I had worked here, which was three years.

"Go on and take off. Go enjoy yourself. Explore the importance of...youth, you know?" I said nothing in response. He laughed that same laugh that he'd had since three years ago. That was one thing about Zach, he knew how to keep his character. Just like a book.

"Right...I wouldn't mind working overtime. I've nothing to do now or later. You don't even have to pay the extra. If you don't mind I'd love being occupied just here." I said moving a curl behind my ear as I read a book of my favorites.

"Nope, not today. I let you off with that excuse every single day. There's got to be something in this city of Crunity that you'd have some interest in, Zilah. I'm sure you could be somewhere better right now than at a crummy ass-smelling bookstore like this."

Zach came over, untied my apron, and gave me a fifty dollar bill that was unnecessary. He smiled his big smile, his teeth as white as snow. His eyes were an unordinary hazel that I'd never, till this day, before seen in anyone else's eyes. His short cut brown hair, and brown skin were both similar in color, the color of a brooch sugar maple leaf. His skin always seemed to glow, which seemed to make him even better as a person. He too, just like the customer from earlier, was so bright, and seemed to be so happy without even trying.

"I can't take this, Zach." I said as I tried to put the money back into his hand. Which didn't work because his bigger hand overpowered my petite one, shoving the money back in mines.

Why had he been so nice to me all the time even though I never said much to him? These were the characteristics that made him feel like a true brother to me.

"You already pay me well enough. Taking this money would feel as if I am being over appreciated, for a person such like me." I tried to force a smile on my face so he wouldn't feel offended but instead discernment.

Zach stared at me as I packed up my things. I tried not to make eye contact with him but instead caught glimpses of him staring at me from the corner of my eye.

I saw a smile form across his face and turned my head fully towards him. I couldn't help but let a fake tight lipped smile come across my lips as I threw my backpack over my shoulder.

"I'm leaving now. I appreciate your kindness and I will return for my shift tomorrow at 9 as usual. Bye bye."

Zach began to open his mouth to give me another lecture as he always had. Instead I interrupted him with my departure out of the bookstore's door. I looked back before making my way down the sidewalk, and as before Zach had that wide smile on his face with a hand in the air waving me goodbye. I formed the smallest of a smile and made my way down the sidewalk.