sonder

metanoia

Chapter Twenty Four

Metanoia

(n.) the journey of changing one's mind, heart, self, or way of life.

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    My daily routine flipped upside down as soon as Jeremiah and I begun to hold soccer practice every morning, well before the sun came out. Considering the fact that he was eleven, I was surprised at just how much dedication he had about the sport and I admired him for it, I was practically following in his footsteps. My parents seemed very happy about everything that was going on too, which in turn, made me feel upbeat about life. It felt as though I was on the climbing to highest point of a rollercoaster, the excitement about what was ahead fulfilled me. I hadn't felt like this is such a long time either.

    I looked up from novel, surveying the area around me at the somewhat crowded bookstore. Kali happened to have the day off, at least that's what I'd assumed when Mr. Harvey announced that she wasn't in today; however, I didn't allow myself to dwell on why Kali hadn't told me. We weren't in a relationship nor do we need to spend every moment together; therefore, I let the thought go, something I would've never been able to do a short few months ago.

    A few people shuffled through the store, their feet creating an untimely rhythm the only could be produced from being lost in another land. Mr. Harvey caught my attention as he spoke lowly to an older gentleman, around my parents' age, near the counter, his expressions unreadable as I'd never seen him without a smile on his face. The man seemed angered by Mr. Harvey's words, the two obviously talking about more than just a character that they disagreed upon. The door closed with a slam, the bell chirping as if it were screaming in pain as the man stalked out of the store with an angry expression on his face. There was something oddly familiar about him, I just couldn't place exactly where I would've known him from.

    Mr. Harvey walked back to behind the counter, his features registering to me as rattled. I couldn't help but want to ask Mr. Harvey if he was okay as he seemed shaken up; however, the other people in the store stopped me in my tracks. This seemed like a conversation that was best to wait until it was just the two of us.

    Surprisingly the time passed quickly before it was just Mr. Harvey, rearranging a shelf of novels, and myself, waiting for the right words to come to me. My chair clanked on the floor as I pushed it in, my book resting downwards on the table to the page I hadn't yet finished. I felt mechanical as I tried to brush off the uneasiness in my stomach, I really wanted to make sure that he was okay as he hadn't been himself since the man's visit but I also felt that it wasn't my place either. The former weighed out the latter, however.

    His eyes didn't even leave his task as I stood next to him, my curious gaze pretending that his work was the most interesting thing in the entire world. I pulled at the ends of my sleeves to distract myself a little bit.

    "Is, is everything okay, Mr. Harvey?" My voice stumbles out, cutting the atmosphere with more tension.

    The older man before me sighs in frustration, his hand placing the book on the shelf before rubbing his hands together with nerves. Another sigh echoed as I watched Mr. Harvey, his left hand gently pulling at his neck. "Yeah, it's all okay Damian." Is all that he said.

    I wait for him to give me more information as he goes to sit down on the stool at the back of the counter, exhaustion clear on his face. The expression upon Mr. Harvey's frown made me worried about the truth of who the guy had been; I didn't think anyone could affect Mr. Harvey's optimism, I'd never seen him not look so put together.

    "He wanted to see her, can you believe that?" Mr. Harvey discloses, his voice seething with sarcasm. "He thought that it was a good idea to corner her at work after all this time?" My mind immediately flashed to Kali and her huddled figure as she read all the books that she was too scared to read.