I laughed. “I’m sorry. You said I could pick out anything I wanted.” I hope I didn't overstep his generosity. I chewed my lower lip as I looked at the sticker price on the books. Oh, I didn't realize how much book prices had changed. Doing the math in my head, I gasped and covered my mouth. This was going to cost John a small fortune. I should put some of them back.
John waved a hand. “Oh, I didn't mean it that way. You can get more if you want. It's just nowadays people tend to buy more books online and price match to get the best deal. You could get twice the number of books, if not three times, for what they cost in a bookstore. You should think about it for next time.”
“I shop on the Internet. I do most—actually, all—of my shopping that way. Right now I’m just enjoying this experience. It’s a new one for me.”
“I can’t imagine that. You’ve led a very sheltered life. I’m sorry about that.” John smiled. “I’m happy to treat you to this extravagance.”
Should I be embarrassed? “I don't miss what I've never had.” I didn’t know what else I should say. Looking through John's point of view, my life was dull and always had been. Probably always would be.
John paused and stared off in to the distance, not looking at anything particular, then said, “On second thought, if I were free, truly free without responsibilities, I could imagine how nice it would be to live without technology.”
Now he was just being nice to me.
In no time, the clerk arrived behind the counter, but it wasn't just any clerk. My hands started to tremble. Holding my breath, I suddenly felt faint. One of my fears stood directly in front of me. It was a very old man.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
On the other side of the counter, directly in front of me, stood an old man, in his early to mid-sixties. Although his hair was as white as snow, he appeared to be in good health—fit and spry. He didn't slump or shuffle when he walked. Plus, to work in a bookstore like this he’d have to have his memories well intact. This I feared the most.
I quickly calculated how long it had been since I visited this store. He couldn't possibly be the owner I had met those many years ago. It wasn’t possible. But he did look familiar, sort of. This had to be a new owner or someone who simply worked here. I slowly released the air in my lungs, trying to calm down. It wasn't working.
John's eyebrows creased and he cocked his head. “What’s up?” he whispered.
I tugged on John's elbow. He leaned closer to me. “He's old,” I whispered, hoping the old man didn't have superhero hearing.
John giggled. He actually giggled! This was serious, but he thought it was funny. When we left this store, I was going to tell him exactly what I thought of his sense of humor.
The clerk was busy sorting my selection of books, stacking them in separate piles by genre and then size.
John leaned closer, “Nothing to be afraid of. Just remember, the older they get, the less they remember. It's a natural part of life.”
John's words brought back a memory of something my father once told me. We are born then we grow up. We get married then have a family. We grow old then we die. It's a part of life.
The clerk handled each book with care, being extra careful not to bend the paperbacks or crease the dust jackets on the hardbacks. He read each title before scanning the barcode to ring up the price. It couldn't possibly be this easy.
The clerk had yet to even glance our way. Maybe he was in his own little world, not caring about what the customers looked like, only caring about what they bought. My heartbeat slowed to an almost life-sustainable pace.
As the clerk added the last book in the pile, he smiled longingly at it then lightly brushed his finger across the title. Without looking up he said, “This has always been a favorite book of mine. No matter how much the story has changed over the years. It's the girl, you see.” He pointed to the young lady on the cover. “She has always remained the same, ageless, if you will, forever frozen in time and forever beautiful.”
I released my breath and took another one, as silently as I could. He could talk as much as he wanted to, as long as he didn't look at me. It would be a great time to step back and browse the rows of books and let John finish with the clerk, but he kept his hand on my elbow. He didn't want me to run. He probably assumed everything was going to be all right. Easy for him to think so. Was he not listening to the clerk? This was going to end badly. I just knew it.
“A person could get lost in her silky long hair.” The salesclerk smiled softly as his eyes grew wistful. “And those eyes…those big blue eyes, Cinderella had nothing on her.” He chuckled again then wiped his moist eyes. “Just looking at her eyes alone could make a man's legs turn to jelly. She's always searching for someone, wanting to escape her prison. So, she waits for someone, anyone.”