The Library

chapter 5

The winter wind howled through the desolate marsh and bit at my frozen skin. The bleak grey cloud overhead reflected perfectly my grey mood inside. These short days, these long nights, the dampness that crept into my weary bones and made them ache for summer again.

Each footfall broke the frosted puddles that lay embedded in the hardened earth, each one was made in the autumn, when the hooves of the horses that were ridden over the path had each sunk several inches into the then soft soil. The world seemed to lie barren and lifeless before him as if God himself had put it to sleep.

i sat by the window mesmerized by the harsh winter with the tip of my pencil between my teeth trying to continue writing my book about an unprecedented love story.

"He would describe my heartache as like a the music of a great orchestra. At times it was quiet and allowed him to function, at other times the violins would play and he would be sad, then at other times it would rise to a crescendo and the anger would burst from my chest in a vicious shout of anguish. Right now there was a flute playing and he was able to remember her with fondness, that was rare though, and he enjoyed the moment....."

i can very well connect to the words i'm writing.

3 months later

andrew and lana are married now. they continue their regular visits to the library. they have a genial glow on their faces. perhaps its the new found matrimonial shine. they set an example before every married couple. it is said that love starts to fade away after marriage but in their case it seems to have been the exact opposite. they are so in love.

Their children would have been walking proof of their flawlessness. The day they held their certificate, ink still drying under the midday sun, their hands had shaken like leaves, tremulous in an unseen wind. So in the street he wrapped his hand around hers and walked with his head held high. ,she was everything he ever wanted. They would blaze a trail for others to follow.

They were partners in laughter, frivolity and serious debate. It would have been easy to become reclusive and shun the world, but they never did. Their home was of music, love, and the warmth of family and friends.

its funny how andrew and i still have eye-contacts while issuing books but we haven't spoken a word yet, perhaps we like it like that. silence speaks a 1000 words.

winter has started to fade away. the beautiful nature is awkening from its deep harsh wintery slumber. here i am sitting all by myself at the mahogany issue desk in the library scribbling tornadoes on a discarded paper while humming a tune.

today andrew has come alone to the library. he is wearing a baby blue jumper. there is a slight stubble on his face and his lips are a deep shade of pink. his eyes remain catastrophic. his jaws make slight movement as he reads out the title of a book almost inaudibly. he smiles at the book maybe because the summary impressed him.

he walks towards my desk to issue the book then placing the book on the table and giving me a warm smile. i smile back at him and look at the book.... " p.s: i love you". i let out a little chuckle remembering instances from this book.

he walked away after issuing the book leaving me all alone to scribble tornadoes into the paper again.

"sometimes the only thing left to say is p.s: i love you"

i commemorate this quote from the book and smile at its truthfulness. these words could mend every broken heart. these words could mend my broken heart.

if only that day i had made an attempt to speak up.

8 months later

andrew and lana walked into the library after quite a long time today. i couldn't help but notice the small bump on lana's stomach. oh dear god.. they are gonna be parents! they have an unnatural shine on their faces. the excitement of becoming parents is clear on their faces.

andew helps lana walk carefully by holding her hand. she is at that delicate stage in life where you experience the true pleasures of becoming a woman. this is when your designation changes to a mother. currently the happiness of carrying a life inside her is everything to lana. she would often caress her baby bump and smile at it.

there maybe numerous memories that andrew and lana make during this stage of becoming parents which maybe as small as the fight they have while deciding the name of the baby.

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2 years past by and andrew's visit remained constant to the library maybe once in every month. i would often overhear andrew and zac's conversations about how lana and the baby are doing. i hadn't seen lana for over a year now. she must have been extremely busy with motherhood which she is absolutely new to.

one fine day in march, when the world was festooned with greenery and the melody of serenading birds echoed, and i was having a regularday at the library issuing books, walked in andrew. but he wasn't alone... with him walked in the most precious little girl whose laughter was comparable to the birth of a thousand fairies.

zac walked upto them and smiled at the little girl and held her hands admiring how beautiful and cute she was.

"say hi to uncle zac, jessica..." says andrew smiling at the little girl.

jessica.... he... he named her after me. but why?

author's note

hello my lovelies. i apologize for not updating for so many days.

school stuff kept me busy.

but here is chapter 5!! i know there are too many typos and grammatical mistakes because i did not proof-read. i know i'm so bad!

t