#57 Reeding

Dear diary,

After the overall success we’d had with the Mobile Library, especially in Rado and Ironwood, it was understandable that we were a bit cocky. Pepper and I had created a large banner that read “Bigger than Alexandria”. We were flying high; we thought we were invincible. But we were wrong.

I remember the look of excitement on Pepper’s face when we drove into the town of Reeding. People were peering out at us from their homes as the library passed down the main streets. Pepper turned on the music, an we drove on to our temporary base in the town square to the theme of Greensleeves. People followed us down the roads, drawn to the allure of the library like rats to the Pied Piper. It seemed so magical.

I remember leaving Pepper in the driver’s seat, her eyes aflame with enthusiasm, and walking down the narrow corridor of the “staffroom” to the library itself. Heb was sitting there shelving the last few books in Non-Fiction. His face betrayed a hint of glee as we sat and listened to the marching footsteps of the masses, steadily closing the gap between us. I stood up and walked over to the door. This was going to be a great day in Mobile Library history. So many interested people!

I remember how the library stopped moving, and with a grin plastered to my face, I opened the door.

The most apt collective I can use to describe the people who flooded into the library s a swarm. A swarm of patrons. I was knocked back and sandwiched between the wall and the door. Amidst the rush of legs I saw Heb duck and roll under the shelves just as shoes came stomping down on where he’d been only seconds ago. Pepper cowered behind the checkout desk, struggling to deal with so many people wanting to borrow all at once. I managed to wedge myself free and crowd-surfed my way to the counter to com to her relief.

The insanity continued for several hours. It was a very warm day, and we sweltered from all the body heat in such close confinements. I briefly saw Heb’s face among the crowd, his expression a mask of pure terror. We could do nothing except fend the horde off one borrower at a time. Several times I saw people in he queue get fed up with the extraordinarily long wait and walk out with their books, but there was nothing I could do to stop them.

At 5 to 5 Pepper announced that the library would be closing. By announced I mean she screamed into a megaphone and was barely audible over the din. It worked like magic though. Everyone departed, and at 5pm on the dot the library was bereft of life, save for staff, and that was stretching the definition. We were all exhausted. The library was a mess. Heb was breathing heavily underneath the wreckage of the Junior shelving, and I was lying on the counter, head throbbing.

Pepper was the only one who had any life left in her. She was using two poster rolls as crutches to walk around and inspect the damage, beginning by putting out a small fire that had arisen in what was left of Fiction. The shelves had been annihilated, with tiers and books strewn across the floor. A spinneret was poking through a smashed window. The floor was caked with muddy footprints, most of which were human. It was horrendous.

On that first night we sat around the campfire, deep in thought. Pepper was fingering her wedding ring. She’d told us that she’d been keen on going on this trip, despite having only gotten married a few months prior, but she was clearly missing him now. She’d gone to all these lengths to plan and prepare for this trip to be fantastic, but she looked so disheartened by what had happened that day. I wanted to talk to her and cheer her up but had so little energy to spare. Instead I began to head to bed, then had a flash of inspiration. I drew a quick picture to a Post-It note, stuck it to Pepper’s head and trotted off, humming merrily to myself.

She’s resourceful, I’ll give her that. By the time I woke up the next morning Pepper had removed all the “Free!!” banners and other promo stuff for the exterior. She’d also installed the gate system I’d hastily drawn for her, made out of pieces of wrecked shelving and decorated with coloured paper. Only five patrons were allowed in the library at any one time, and in addition, anyone wanting to borrow a book first had to return everything they’d borrowed and help Heb and I with the shelving for a few minutes. Pepper also had a few stern words with some of the previous day’s thieves whom I pointed out to her. We reclaimed nearly 40 books from them; a definite bonus.

The Mobile Library is now up and ready to go again. Next stop: Agartha!

-Jay