The Book Thief Sequel- The Past's Bridge

Chapter Six- The Bookshop

Liesel's Perspective

A dinner with Max. Just the two of us.

I grinned at the thought of what tonight would bring. What he might cook. Hopefully he's a better cook than what Mama is...was.

I crossed the road, dodging cars to get over the the entrance of my work. The bookshop.

It was the best place I think I have ever been to in my life. Being a little bigger than Mrs. Hermann's library, it was my dwelling place. Where I found my serenity.

The wooden doorway with 'Schreiber's Bookshop' in large letters on the top of the frame, was the first thing you would see when you entered. You would then hear the ringing of the bell on the door and the sound of your footsteps on the hard wooden surface.

It was a large and long room, with books filling up all the walls, and large leather armchairs filling up the spaces in between. My station was behind the wooden counter at the front, accounting for lost books and putting borrowed ones back home. It was also my job to order in new books. My favourite job.

Alwin Schreiber was possibly the most cynical and depressed 24 year old I have ever met in my life, but he was also possibly one of the best. He was also my boss. 

 From the moderate and pleasant books I would read in the Hermann's library, he opened my mind to the wonders of other new and exciting authors of this century. His mysteriousness and candor made me like him from the beginning.

Alwin was all you could expect from a typical university student. A mass of unironed clothing, messy and unkempt brown hair, his head constantly in a book and of course, his big squared glasses.

Alwin had inherited the bookshop from his father who had been killed in the war. He never spoke about it much. Alwin and I would only really talk about two things, books, and the philosophy of life. We spoke about the way we could all die tomorrow and not even know it, or the way we have thousands of neighbours in Munich and we barely know 10 of them, or the fact that spontaneous human combustion is possible. We would make our heads twirl by the end of the day. I loved it. 

"Liesel. You're late again you know."

He would never even look up from his book to see if it was me. He just knew.

"Sorry Alwin. I got caught up."

"You and you're boyfriend slept in eh?"

He sniggered without even a glance in my direction.

"He's not my boyfriend! We're just friends, he's more like my brother than anything."

"Ha, that's what they all say." He teased, looking up shortly from the novel in his hand. "Then why are you smiling so much little Cheshire Cat?"

"I'm not! It's just that Max has decided he's going to cook me dinner tonight, that's all."

"Hmm, well we better not get that in the way of your work!" he mumbled.

He became so awkward towards me at times. His never ending mood swings were hard to keep up with.

I started to make my way towards the bookshelf to pick my latest endeavour.

"I'm going now Liesel, I'll be back at about four to take over."

"Alright, have fun."

The bookshop was slow today. Only three customers had come in, one of them only asking for directions to the city centre.

The moment Alwin walked through the door, I sped out pass him, eager to get home. I was filled with wonder for what would happen tonight, and whether Max would kiss me the same way he did last night.

I craved his kiss so much. His warmth. His smile.

I pounded up the stairs, making my way to the door. I quickly smoothed my blonde frizz and tried to get some of my creases out of my pale blue dress before I turned the key.

As I walked in, I smelt home. The smell of freshly made bread, the meat being cooked slowly, the overwhelming smell of garlic.

All of my senses came to a halt when I saw Max lying on the kitchen floor. Unconscious.