Book-aholics Anonymous

Text message from me to Ralexwin: "I'm going to go to Barnes & Noble, speak now or forever hold your peace."

* * *
When I walked in my heart nearly skipped a beat. A smile crept across my face and I felt slightly giddy. It had been nearly two years since I'd been inside a BIG book-store. Two years!

There were books everywhere on wall to wall shelves. The crisp smell of new paper invaded my nose, and the slow hum of whispered voices and muted music rang through my ears.

I wanted to spend the rest of my life wandering down aisle's and through worlds, but there were people waiting on me. I sighed, I had come here for a specific purpose.

It's really the only way I can go into a bookstore of that size. With a purpose. It's dangerous not to. It's expensive not to.

I walked with determination, making a bee-line for the section I wanted.

Something caught my eye.

'Ooh, what's that?' I veered off course... just for a second...and found myself in the young adult section staring at row upon row of hard bound adventure. My fingers itched. My wallet grew warm in my hands.

'No. You are here for a reason.' A voice, surprisingly like my husband's, whispered in my mind.

I took a deep breath and walked quickly forward. Glancing sideways now and again at the long row I was passing. Bursting back into the open I looked around, dazed, I was beginning to lose my self.

I spotted a book display. In a place of prominence the title 'Monster Manuel 2' glowed.

'Ooh, what's that?' I thought of my son in the car. 'He'd LOVE that.'

I walked towards the display.

'You don't need it.' That annoying voice in my head was back.

I shook myself. 'Focus, focus,' I thought, 'I'd better find some help.'

My wallet hardily agreed.

The nice lady led me exactly to where I needed to be. She even handed me the book. I could have strangled her. Doesn't she want me here!?

'Leave! Now!' that voice rang in my ear again.

I nearly ran to the check-out. Stopping only once to grab a book I'd seen earlier.

I tried to ignore the displays around the cash register. I mumbled noncommittally when asked about joining their 'club.' I handed over my debit card with shaking fingers.

Finally I burst through the doors and into the fresh air. The world buzzed noisily around me. Cars sped past, the asphalt boiled beneath my feet. I could see my friends waiting on the other side of the parking lot. My kids playing in the back seat.

I clutched my bag to my chest and glanced at the nearly holy structure behind me. How long would it be before I could return? A year at least.

My chest heaved a sorrowful sigh before I turned and walked towards the car.
* * *

"Book lovers are thought by unbookish people to be gentle and unworldly, and perhaps a few of them are so. But there are those who need books as wildly as the dope-taker in pursuit of his drug. They may not want the book to read immediately, or at all; they want them to possess, to arrange on their shelves, to place by their bedside." —Robertson Davies (source)

Comments

Jennifer said…
Oh, come on! You can't post about buying books and then NOT TELL US what books you got!!
TravelinOma said…
I'm so glad you had a book store day! And I stole the quote from someone, too. Isn't that the idea of quotes?
Cannwin said…
Oh! Sorry the books were

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Fire by Kristin Cashore

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