Hymn of Ame (COMPLETED)

[04] The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

CHAPTER FOUR

PENELOPE

"LOG IN first before touching any book," said Miss Aurita with her thick voice. She had blonde hair, was small, pudgy, and had a round face. She was also quite big in the middle. Miss Aurita was the university librarian, very strict like Sir Guvat, but not as professional as him, as she was always seen sleeping at work.

The moon around her neck never failed to catch my attention. I stared at it for a minute or two until I realized I looked like a maniac staring at her jewelry. I averted my gaze.

King called her "Miss Buckish" whenever he's out of her earshot. He said it was a word play for bookish and buck (because Miss Aurita had a bit of a buck tooth). I didn't know their past nor the root of his indifference towards Miss Aurita, but he never set foot inside the library as far as I could remember. Pedre told me Miss Aurita once ordered King to oversee the library while she slept. The experience repelled King from going here forever.

The smell of wood, oh so refreshing, danced through my nostrils. It was addicting. All around me were books in varying volumes and sizes. Most of them lined up the walls on their shelves, while some stacked up on the floor. Miss Aurita didn't even bother to organize them in their respective shelves.

I nodded at her, and proceeded to log in - my name - the date - the time. My hand had slipped while I was doing my signature so the line that should have been straight was a little crooked.

She squinted at me, maybe trying to make my face out without her glasses. Then I saw something beside her lips, and I assumed she just woke up. I must have woken her up. I recalled I was no gentle when I opened the door.

Not wanting to stand before Miss Aurita any longer, I went deeper inside the library, away from the lobby, away from her. I made sure to check every table. No Ame in sight. I turned to the right, then left, now I was completely hidden from Miss Aurita's vision because of the tall shelves.
He definitely said he would be here.

Ame stood at the far end, inspecting a row of books. The height of the shelves didn't even become a problem for him, because he was too tall. When he retrieved a book from the topmost part of the shelves, he didn't even extend his hand that much. He flipped the book from front to back, pouting at the words on it. I wanted to call him out for holding the book with just one hand, without no care, but I came here for another reason.

"You shouldn't have done that," I told him, my voice sharp to which he winced at. But how else was I to sound? "Thanks to you, Sir Guvat threatened to fail me in his subject."

"What?" His eyes widened in shock. He opened his mouth, only to close them again. He did it so many times that my head already cooled down. "I'm sorry," he said finally.

"Nevermind," I said. He fell back against the shelves, all energy drained out.

An uncomfortable silence stretched between us, a kind that threatened to suffocate us. He flipped on the pages of the book he was holding. One after another with only a minute interval that I doubted he was really reading it.

"Have you read this book?" he asked, handing it to me. I accepted it and held it like a china in my hands. "I was surprised to see a copy here."

It was the story of "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse." What appeared to be a children's book at first glance was actually a book of wisdom.

"When the dark clouds come . . . keep going," I quoted what the Boy said in the book. That was enough of an answer that I had already read it.

He chuckled at that. "That's very you to remember that particular line."

He fell silent again. If I wanted to leave, now was the chance, I thought. But then he spoke, and without even trying, he had me glued to my spot, hanging on his every word.