Just like Harry had said there was a little shop just around the corner. I went inside in what probably was the smallest shop I had ever been in. I looked around trying to spot the toothbrushes. And just like Harry had said, there they were. I picked a fancy purple-colored one and a Twix and went up to the desk. A man was sitting on chair behind it reading his newspaper. I cleared my throat and the man put his newspaper down and looked at me.
“I haven’t seen you here before,” he said and got up from his chair. He was old, maybe 60 years and he was hiding his grey hair under a hat.
“I just arrived,” I said and smiled. I noticed a box with earplugs was standing at the desk and Harry’s words popped up in my mind.
“Anything else?” the man asked. I grabbed a pair of earplugs and laid them next to the toothbrush and the chocolate bare. “Good choice,” he said, “the music from the bar is horrifying.” A laugh escaped my mouth, and I paid the man.
“Do you know if there is any cheap bookstores in the area?” I asked him and grabbed my stuff from the desk.
“The small ones are the best and the cheapest,” he said and smiled. “A few blocks from here, you’ll find one.”
“Thank you sir,” I said and was about to leave the shop.
“Are you from England?” he asked just as I was about to step outside.
“Yeah I am.” The man didn’t say anything. He just smiled and looked at me as I left the shop. I couldn’t stop thinking about the man. There was something weird about him. I shook my head. He was probably just a friendly old man, missing someone to talk to.
I had always loved stepping into bookstores, especially the ones which sells used books. I loved the smell and there is just something amazing about a book which has been read by others. A woman, who I assumed worked at the shop, looked up from the book she was reading. Our eyes met and I smiled at her, before she went back to her book. I started looking at all the books standing on the bookshelves. I pulled down ‘Les Misérables’ from a shelf. I had no idea about how many times I had read that book, but I just loved it and I could read it over and over again. I looked at the price. $2 I guess I could afford that. I found a couple of other books and went up to the sales woman.
“Good choices,” she said and looked at the books I had found.
“Thanks,” I said. “Do you sell notebooks?” I asked.
“There is a box in the back with a few old journals in if that’s something you can use?” she said and smiled.
“Thanks, I’ll go have a look,” I said and walked back to the box. I took a look down. Most of them looked really worn, but one caught my eye. Yeah, it seems weird, because it’s just a notebook. But to me a notebook wasn’t just a notebook. It was where I wrote all my thoughts down, that later would turn into a piece of art. Something written by me. I loved writing I was just shit at endings. But I hoped New York would help me, inspire me. I took the journal and looked at it. It was perfect. I opened it and noticed something was written on the first page. I didn’t bother to read it so I just went back to the woman and paid for the books.
“Oh, pencils… do you sell pencils?” I asked, just before leaving the shop.
“No sorry… but wait, there is a pen here. You can just take it,” she said and handed me a pen, she had just taken from a table behind her.
“Thank you very much,” I said and left the shop.
I stepped out on the street and it wasn’t until now I noticed how tired and exhausted I was. But I still needed to find a charger. Travelling alone wasn’t as exciting as I had thought, but I hadn’t had the best start. When, if, my suitcase showed up everything was going to get easier. After walking around for what seemed like forever I finally found a little electronic shop which luckily sold a charger that would fit with my phone. Now all I had to do was find back to the hotel, a task that seemed really difficult. I was tired and hungry. After walking down a couple of wrong streets, I finally spot the little store. I wasn’t in the mood for going out for dinner so I decided to go in there and see, if they had anything edible. I stepped inside the man was still sitting with his newspaper. He didn’t look away from it. I couldn’t decide whether to buy a microwave-burger or hotdog so I took both, I was starving anyway. I found a few other things, something to drink, candy, chocolate, a very cheap deodorant and a lip balm. This shop wasn’t that bad after all. I started thinking about Harry. At least that boy had been of some use. I went up to the old man and laid my stuff on the desk.
“It’s you again,” he said and laid his newspaper on the table, “did you find that bookstore?” I nodded.
“Yeah, thanks! It was pretty amazing,” I said and smiled.
“You are one of the first persons I have ever met, who think a bookstore is amazing,” the man said and laughed.
“Well, I’m really passionated about books and writing,” I said and found some money in my pocket.
“Am I standing in front of the next bestselling writer?” he asked and took the money.
“I don’t think so,” I said and smiled.
“Let me read some of your stuff?” he said and looked at me. What? A complete stranger just asked to read something I had written. I looked at him. He definitely didn’t look like he was joking.
“Sorry Sir, but do you wanna read some of my stuff?” I asked sounding just as surprised as I was.
“Yeah! I used to write a lot in my young days, but now I just spend all my time here in this shop reading the newspaper! I need something new, something young,” he said and laughed.
“Uhm, sure! I guess I can bring something to you,” I said. The hotel must had a printer I could use. I mean, it was pretty weird this random old guy wanted to read my stuff, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt having someone to look at my work. There was only one problem. I didn’t really have anything yet.
I went inside the hotel, and smiled at the receptionist. It wasn’t the same one, who had been sitting there earlier, but I didn’t bother to go and complain about my room. This one looked too nice. I was heading for the stairs, when she yelled something.
“Execuse me, but are you Amber?” she asked. I turned around.
“Yeah, that’s me,” I said and walked towards her, “This guy came in about an hour ago. He was hot, tall, tattooed, had dark curls, anyway he asked me to give you this note.” She handed me a piece of paper, and I looked at it. Well, Harry really had a bad handwriting.
“Thanks,” I said and walked up to my room. Actually all I wanted to do was to throw the note out in the bin, but my curiosity took over, and I looked at it. ‘Why did you slam the door that hard, haha! Anyway it was nice meeting you! If you need any more tips about earplugs, you can find me here’… well, I couldn’t even pronounce the name of what I assumed was a hotel. But it sounded expensive as hell. I laid the note on the little desk and went over to the microwave oven. I opened the burger suddenly it didn’t look that delicious, but I needed something to eat and I didn’t really care what it was. I found the notebook and the pen. I had to empty my head for every possible idea that could turn into a story. I opened the notebook and looked at the first page. The writing was straight as an arrow. I sat down on the bed and started reading:
Yeah, I was going to write every single shitty detail about my life down in this really expensive journal I just bought… I was going to write about how amazing my new life in New York was going to be… I would meet a tall dark stranger, who I would fall in love with, but again we can’t always decide how our life turns out! So instead I’m letting another person get this! Maybe you can write about your fascinating life, because I couldn’t… good luck with everything! I’m gonna throw this think into a big brown ugly box now!
The beep from the microwave oven brought me back to the hotel room! I took out the nasty looking burger and sat it on the desk. Food didn’t matter now. The only thing mattering was the idea in my head! I was gonna build my story up about me, myself. My meeting with Harry, me travelling out and expiring the world! But if I wanted to know, how the story would continue I had to do something I wasn’t that fond of… I had to see Harry again…
