story in a photo #5

one book had to be chosen to finish the mission at hand, but how to accomplish such a difficult feat? one book? one entire world?

a ding of door chimes, the bookstore welcomed its visitor. it wasn’t too long before the visitor was enchanted by the damp, warm scents. books on shelves stacked in the most disorderly yet perfectly ordered manner. charming, witty, sarcastic (with subtle hints of sadistic humor) signs in every corner. dim lighting, mismatched but comfortable pieces of furniture. 

the bookstore was a treasure trove, and the visitor was on a quest to find a single gold coin. a daunting task. what to choose? the visitor runs their fingertips along the book edges as their mind carefully thinks about all the possible choices.

shall we learn a lesson or two from Hugo or Dickens?

inspirational quotes to fill your social media from Albom or Coehlo, or eye-openers like Coates?

psychological thrillers or horror to keep you up at night? maybe it’s the section on fantasy, the imagination and adventure of Tolkien and made-up languages?

stepping back in time, to the fictional worlds of Austen and Bronte(s) (a contemporary world for them)? or stepping into the future, going beyond our current scientific capabilities?

a cookbook maybe, with the occasional smudge of some mysterious substance on the tip of a page once used for good purpose?

shall it be the section on poetry? Maya Angelou or Rumi? T.S. Eliot?

perhaps learning about the cost of war from a world war II or Vietnam war history lesson? tales describing examples of colonialism or imperialism (of which there are plenty )?

perhaps the section on stories of groundbreaking historical testimonials of how humans interact with the world?

delving deep into the minds of the greatest fictional crime solvers, code breakers, puzzle solvers? a Christie or a Doyle?

at last, the visitor’s eyes lay upon one book and slowly, the decision becomes clear. 

one book.

the visitor places their hand over the slightly worn but not damaged hard cover. fainted gold lettering on a dark brown exterior. they open the book, running their fingers through the familiar pages. 

oh what a joy it is to rediscover once loved words in a book, like catching up with an old friend when no length of time could prevent a warm reunion. 

quickly flipping through the pages one last time, the visitor purposely lands in the middle of the book.

one quick glance around, the visitor tucks in a neatly folded hand written note. the visitor then closes the book, and carefully places it back on the shelf.

the book, now holding additional baggage, awaits another visitor to pick it up, and discover the secrets within its pages. 

“A.R.F.”