Tearing Paper

Nate's Help

Today is a winding road
that’s taking me to place that I didn’t want to go

“Hey, Nate! I’ve never seen you this early—or enthusiastic,” Xavier greeted one of his favorite employees. Nate shrugged as he took a seat, putting a blue folder on Xavier’s table. “I don’t know, I just want to drop this on your table—if you don’t mind, actually.”

“What is this?” Xavier opened the folder and did not seem pleased when he saw what Nate brought him—pieces of grayish paper, with writings that began to fade away with dirt and erasures. He stared at Nate long enough as Nate grinned.

“I know it’s not pretty. I could type it all up again and give you a soft copy, but I just thought it would be better if you saw it—raw—and—firsthand. If you could please, give those a try. They’re beautiful,” Nate said.

Xavier decided to listen to his junior and started reading. Although his mid-forties eyes struggled with the unclear, cursive writings, he read through some pages without stopping and smiled. “Y-you’re right. I regretted underestimating these. They’re not yours, right, Nate?”

Nate laughed. “No! No.”

“I think it’s pure talent—something unpolished, but with a little experience, this person can go places. When I read this, I just feel so… engrossed. I see a writer that has passion, and heart. Not a lot of writers today have that, you know.”

“I know,” Nate replied with a smile. He even wondered if he was one of them. He loved journalism, but he treated it as a rebound from his stressful relationship with Ella.

He realized Dianne was the one who had made him realize why he started writing in the first place.

It was his drive.

Like he was born to do so.

 “I’m glad you love them. I have this friend—and she really needs a job. She’s not that educated, I mean, she literally got nothing to put on her CV because I don’t think they have real schools where she lives… But if this poetry book is published, I know she’ll be really thankful.”

“Have you, maybe, helped her get another job?” Xavier looked concerned.

“Her life is kinda… difficult. She doesn’t want to go out of her house so much—I mean, at all. She can’t. She’s got a complicated past and she’s trying to start over, but people are looking for her. I know you don’t really get it—me either—but…”

“But you like her, and as buddies, I need to help you,” Xavier finished Nate’s sentence easily. Nate hated how Xavier read through his mind so easily. “Man—“

“I’ll try, Nate. You know it’s rare to see poetry books like this in the bookstore. People might be interested. Busy mothers who seek for a little serenity, teenagers who feel lost…” Xavier nodded. “I’ll work things out. Maybe you could help me retype all of this so that I could show a more decent proposal to them.”

“I definitely will! Thank you! Thanks a lot,” Nate stood up and they shook hands. Before Nate left the room, Xavier called him out.

“Ah—I almost forgot. Some lunatic came here the other day, asking about you. He was particularly interested in the article you wrote about Namiri Island—and about… the girl who was there with you throughout your stay. That’s weird, right?”