Reading Alone
"Leave me alone, Tommy," the little girl said.
He had a bunch of blocks in his hands, some connected and some loose in his little arms. Tommy said, "Let's play."
Chloe said, "I'm reading."
"You can read at home, let's play," Tommy said. A block fell from his arm.
"No," she said.
"Okay. What about the puzzle?"
"I wanna read."
"Okay." He left and a few minutes later came back holding a book. "Can I read with you?"
She wanted to read the book in his hand, the new Stevie Miller magical mystery, Stevie Miller and the Dadgum Ending. Chloe had wanted to read it next, so she nodded. Tommy sat beside her and began to read.
"Stevie picked up the magical twenty-two rifle and aimed at the evil wizard. 'I'm gonna end you if you don't put down my grandpa's skull,' Stevie said and chambered a round in the thin weapon. Klackton held out the skull and-"
"What are you doing?" Chloe said.
Tommy said, "I'm reading."
"Not aloud. I wanna read that and you're in the middle."
"I just wanted to read with you."
"Well now you've ruined it. Go away, Tommy." The scorn in her voice made him flinch. She watched him walk away and went back to her book.
The sun set, and Chloe finished her book. The empty feeling came back, and she went looking for Tommy, but he had gone. She went to the shelves and began browsing.
"Chloe, you need help?" the librarian said.
"Just looking for something to read," the girl said.
"How about this one?" The librarian held up Stevie Miller and the Dadgum Ending from the cart of books he was shelving.
She took the book and went back to her corner smiling. As she began, she heard Tommy's voice in her head. The voice made her smile. Then the voice fell away. Then the smile fell away, followed by the world.
The librarians talked.
"She alone again?"
"Yeah, you wanna make the closing announcement?"
"You gonna call her mom?"
"I'll try."
And they left the girl reading as they closed the library and later waited until the girl went home to read some more.
ST Harker
January 24, 2023