Just another day

It was just another day at the San Maria public library. We were working on this homework, or that. A lone security guard enters to cool himself down.

Hey, did you hear of the dead boy last night?

Yeah, sucks to be him, right?

Don't be silly.

This isn't about being him or not, it could have been any of us.

But it wasn't.

Then screw him just because it's not us?

Three kinds of silence from three different sources: frustration, caution, and indifference.

For how long? We aren't him for how-

Ssssshhh, you are in the library. Y'all be quiet now.

Yes, ma'am.

Yes'm

Mm.

More silence, only to be broken.

Those children have been working on their homework for quite a while now.

A question.

Are they going to be anything?

What do you mean?

Are they going to be anything?

I dunno.

Do you even care? About what they're saying, at least?

Nope, cuz I'll prolly die before they get to be anything of worth.

The old librarian continued filing her nails, while the guard proceeded to wash his hands.

Why did the guy have to die?

"He resisted," they said.

Bullshit. This is why the death penalty sucks.

...Isn't that downplaying it a little...?

Well, we have so many criminals that we can't feed them, house them, and discipline them. Heck, I think shooting them is a mercy.

I take back what I said.

See?

Apparently there is deeper bullshit here.

Well? What do you think they should do? 'Rehabilitate them'?

The dull hum of the air-con and a thoughtful silence.

Exactly.

The unfolding of a newspaper and departure of security.

Death, death, and more death.

Silence.

It was just another day in the San Maria public library.