Thought I'd just share it with my readers (if any) here:
Left on the shelf
By Lee Min Er
She sat amongst a few other books that seemed to have been left on the shelf for a while and smiled awkwardly to the new company she might have to keep for a longer time than she had hoped. But who is she to judge the other books? She might have been kept separately from them on a higher floor in the reference section before this, unavailable for loan but it didn’t mean anything. It didn’t mean she was superior in terms of her status and it didn’t mean she was worth more attention from anyone. She was just kept away from everyone else by this one person. And of course she didn’t know anything about that until quite recently, just before she transferred to main section.
Nonetheless, she was curious and excited about exploring the world beyond the library and she was so ready to be loaned. Peering at the vast collection of books all around her, she wondered about her chances. It just seemed impossible for her to capture anyone’s attention with her unassuming and safe title, not to mention the sheer size and the hefty hardcover that she was burdened with. She had always been proud of being more than just a trashy paperback and tried to console herself that it would take someone really special to be able to appreciate the full volume of her being. Perhaps someone really special is just a myth. Perhaps anyone would do. Honestly, beggars can’t be choosers. And desperate times call for desperate measures. But what measures?
Lost in thought, she did not even notice herself being cradled in the sweaty palms of a short, bespectacled man who seemed intrigued by her leathery skin and the beautiful letterings emblazoned in gold on the spine. She waited patiently while his eyes coasted across her back for the synopsis and as he let out a distinct chuckle, she found herself being equally fascinated by this ordinary-looking man.
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She hadn’t expected Timothy to keep extending and renewing his loan. It seemed like he couldn’t get enough of her and enjoyed her company very much. He brought her everywhere but she was beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable being seen around with him. While she genuinely appreciated everything he has done so far, she thought she would get to see the world with a few others before saying goodbye to the library. Strangely, she suddenly missed the library very much. She wished other interested readers might get a chance with her. For example, she knew there was this boy who kept looking her up in the electronic catalogue. She wanted to avail herself for his browsing because he looks like he was genuinely interested in her and he did look very interesting. Honestly, anyone other than Timothy would seem more interesting and refreshing for now. She certainly felt uneasy for wanting to ditch Timothy for someone she wasn’t even sure of and she was at her wits’ end as to what to do.
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His name is Alex. Why does it have to be Alex again? Obviously she doesn’t have all the answers. Especially the answer as to why she does not even think about other readers, like how it was with Timothy and why she doesn’t miss the library, which used to be home. He obviously enjoyed every minute spent with his new favorite book and he couldn't resist telling all his friends about it. At first, his friends were taken aback by his unusual choice and tried hard to understand his new fascination. In any case she was extremely glad to be found in Alex’s hands. So much so that his name didn't matter anymore. This Alex was different. This was the Alex for her, she thought gleefully.
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She couldn't understand what went wrong. With Alex, she was an open book. And she really tried to make him happy. While she allowed him to read her as much as possible, it wasn't the same with him. He seemed to prefer keeping things to himself. Soon she no longer captured his fullest attention. He wanted to do other fun stuff and reading's not as fun. The warmth she felt when he first held her slowly diminished and gradually disappeared. It was incredibly painful. She felt all torn up, as if the pages have been ripped out, disregarded and thrown away. She didn't know this would happen. She hasn't expected this and she was truly helpless.
"I don't know your face no more. Or the touch I adore.."
The song that was playing on the radio summed it all up adequately - we might as well be strangers.
"It's easier to be apart."
