Silently Falling in Love: Again (Edited)

Chapter 17 - Library Duty

Anjali – October 2006

I walked into the library with six other parents for the library volunteer orientation. Last year, I'd volunteered on the PTA. This year I decided to complete my school volunteer hours at the library. I was hoping the library would be solitary work and I wouldn't have to interact with many other parents. Luckily, there weren't many volunteers at orientation. The library scene looked like it would be a great place to hide out.

Mrs. Smith, the librarian for the past thirty years, gathered and walked us to the back of the library to begin orientation.

She began with her personal history, which I had heard several times. Five minutes in, I sensed someone new had joined the orientation, and they were standing behind me. They were standing close behind me. If I took a half step backwards, my back would touch their chest.

I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. It was Alex. I felt his presence even though I'd only known him a short while. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, so I didn't take the half step back.

After our orientation, I walked towards the fiction section to do my first volunteer shift and I saw Alex there.

"Hi, Anjali! Looks like we have the same volunteer shift," he said in a friendly tone.

"Hi Alex, how are you?"

"I'm good. How are you?" he asked following me to the back of the library to find the books that needed filling.

"I'm good, except," I said as I waved my heavily jeweled and manicured hands across the books like I was Vanna White from Wheel of Fortune, "today's assignment." We both laughed as I acted out my game show actress skills.

"You know, as nice as the maroon silk blouse and black slacks are, you need to be wearing a gown to do your job," Alex teased me.

"All of my gowns are at the cleaners, next time I will wear a gown," I teased back.

Alex laughed loudly.

"What's so funny? I'm not that funny," I asked wondering if I'd missed something.

"I imagined you wearing a Vanna White gown in the library pushing a cart of books through the aisles of bookshelves. It's quite a vision in my head."

I laughed with him. "Yes, that would be a ridiculous site. But you know Mrs. Smith will fire you if you don't behave."

"If I get fired does it mean my kids get fired too," Alex whispered so only I could hear.

"Oh, don't I wish, or I would have gotten fired years ago," I whispered back.

"In that case, we should try to keep our jobs. Should we alphabetize them first and then put them away?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan."

We pulled the books off the shelf and onto a table to organize them.

"How are the kids enjoying school so far? Are Jasper and Leah adjusting okay?" I asked concerned how his kids were doing.

"Leah's doing fine since it's kindergarten. There have been several class play-dates and events for the parents to meet one another so she's adjusting well. Jasper is having a difficult time. Most of the kids have been together since kindergarten, so it's hard for them to include the new kid. It's going to take time."

I stopped organizing the books and looked over at Alex. "Hey, if it's okay, I'd love to have both the kids over for a play date. Jasper and Leah are the same age as Karan and Vidya, so they'll all have a good time."