Myne

twenty five

Gamble wasn’t going straight home tonight. The library opened doors at 8 am every morning, Wednesday to Monday. Tuesdays the library was closed. And closed the doors at 6 pm ever evening. Unless a guest requested a little more time. Then, it was to the discretion of the librarian. And Gamble never said no to a request. 

Tonight, he closed the doors at 6, on the dot. And then, he went the opposite direction from home. Tonight, he was visiting Mr Argon Giles. 

Five years ago, Gamble took on the position of the librarian of Greenfield Town library from Argon Giles. Mr Giles was almost sixty. He had long since been ready to retire. The only reason he stayed on for as long as he did, in his words, was that he hadn’t found anyone to take over after him. 

Mr Giles had been the one to interview Gamble. 

*

“Why do you want to apply here?” Giles asked. 

Giles had a head full of hair whiter than virgin snow. He was old. Everyone knew that. But his face wasn’t mottled with wrinkles. He didn’t look very old. Of course, he wasn’t the handsomest man in the world. Even in the town, he was at best average in terms of looks. But a man as old as he was, looking like he did, he certainly was handsome now. All the old women in town gushed at the sight of him, and the old men scowled in envy. 

Gamble sighed. As far as he was concerned, the old man was freaky. Why was he so good looking? At so old an age? What else could it be but weird? 

“If I’m being honest, Mr Giles, it wasn’t my idea.” 

“Honesty is good Mr Gimball. Please, continue.” 

Gamble winced at being called Mr Gimball. That was what he had always heard his father being addressed as. He just couldn’t get used to that. One reason why he was here. 

“Gamble, please. Mr Gimball is pops. I just can’t seem to get used to being called that. Mum says that’s why I can’t get a job. If I can’t see myself as Mr Gimball, how can anyone else? And the they can’t see me as Mr Gimball, how can they be serious about me? The name in itself is bad enough. Mr Gimball. Difficult to take seriously anyone named Gamble Gimball. That’s like a tongue twister all by itself. Right, I’m sorry, about digressing. What I meant to say, was, please call me Gamble.” 

“Sure. Please call me Giles,” Giles said with a smile. 

“Giles?” Gamble asked, looking confused. 

“Yes. Giles. I know. That’s my surname. But it’s what I’ve always been called. I guess I’m just more accustomed to Giles.” 

“Okay. Giles.” 

“Okay. Gamble. Please, continue.” 

“Why do I want to apply here? Honestly, it’s because I don’t really have anywhere else. I don’t mean I’ve applied everywhere. Just a few places. And, didn’t exactly work out. They just weren’t for me. Mom suggested I try the library. Said, for someone as unambitious as me, someone as unmotivated and laid-back, this would be the perfect job. And for some strange reason, she’s convinced you’ll like me. Don’t know why. Didn’t ask. Please, don’t ask.” 

Giles nodded. “I understand. I do like you. Your mother is right. This could be perfect for you. If you want it. So, do you?” 

“I guess I do,” Gamble answered, at the end of the longest minute. 

*

Giles did say he could come over at any time. Still, Gamble was a little hesitant. He was here. Right across the street from Giles’ old family house that he had inherited. Giles was the eldest son. They were four of them. Two boys, two girls. And the four of them were surprisingly close. The other three were more than happy to let Giles have the house. Their lives weren’t in the town anyway. And their big brother would welcome them on any day that they dropped in. 

The house itself was a two stories villa, as old as the town. Like most houses in the neighbourhood. They were all homes to the old families that favoured quiet. And all of them were still occupied, at least one heir living in. 

Gamble was still on the wrong side of the road, hesitant, when the door Giles opened the door and waved at him from the doorway. 

“How much longer do you intend to stand there on the side of the street?” Giles screamed out. “Do you realise how you’re making everyone uncomfortable? You look like those serial killers from those books that you love listening to. Come on already.” 

Gamble blushed. Nodded in greeting. Walked over. Giles welcomed him inside. Showed him to the living room. Had him sit in one of the three humongous chairs. 

“Water? Tea? Coffee? Something cold? Something bubbly?” Giles asked. 

“That’s not really how you offer someone a drink when they visit you at home,” Gamble said. 

“Oh? You’re teaching me?” Giles said, raising an eye. 

“Why not? Isn’t it what you always say? It’s not the person that matters, just the words, if they are right. And what’s wrong about me teaching?”  

“First, do you have a home?” Giles asked, wearing a mocking grin. 

“No,” Gamble answered, already knowing what was to follow. 

“Right. Second, do you really think you are more socially comfortable than me?” 

“No.” 

“Do you want more?” 

“No.” 

“Right. So. Water? Tea? Coffee? Something bubbly? What was the other one?” 

“Something cold.” 

“Yeah. You were listening. I knew you were. That’s your choice?” 

“No. Coffee. Please.” 

“Black?” 

“Two sugars.” 

“Why don’t you just have sugar water? I don’t get you lot. Coffee with two sugars. Ha.” 

Gamble just watched, smiling, as the old man, now well into his sixties and still comfortable on his feet, mumbled complaints and headed to the kitchen anyway, to prepare coffee. Black with two sugars for him, and without for Giles. The old man loved coffee as much as life itself. 

They had coffee. A half hour had passed since Gamble came in. And finally, they began talking. 

“So, what brings you here?” Giles asked. 

“Something weird, at the library,” Gamble said. “I couldn’t figure it out. Thought you might know something. And here I am.” 

“Which one?” 

“The green book. I came across it the other day. Looked into it. Deeper I looked, less it made sense. The whole thing is like one big mystery.” And there, Gamble paused. He remembered what Giles’ question was. The choice of words, was just wrong. “Which one? Why would you ask that?” 

“The green book,” Giles said, ignoring the last question. He closed his eyes, removing distractions, while trying to remember. “Yes. I remember. The green book. What about it do you find such a mystery?” 

Gamble was quiet. He was struggling, whether to press on with his question or answer Giles’. In the end, he chose the latter. 

“For one, I cannot find in the records when the book came to be in the library. Who left it there. And then, who’s Imita Ione, the only person to have borrowed the book. The big mystery.” 

Giles nodded. There wasn’t a trace of surprise on his face. As if everything was within his expectations. Even more, as if this was precisely something he was waiting to happen. 

“I’m sure you have more questions,” Giles said kindly. “Especially now. With my reaction?” 

Gamble nodded. 

“Go on then. Ask away,” Giles said. 

“You said, which one? What did you mean?” 

“Tell me, Gamble,” Giles said. “What do you think about our town library?” 

“What do you mean? Gamble asked, confused. 

“A town the size of ours. A library like ours. Do you see them as a good fit?” 

“No,” Gamble answered honestly. “But, this was built in memory of Esme Moony. The family wanted it to be a grand memory. I figured, that’s why the size and grandeur of the library.” 

“You’re right,” Giles said. “That is one reason. There’s more to it though. Have you been to the back of the library?” 

“Yes. To the storage area. Where the records are stored. I’ve been there.” 

“And what about the restoration room?” 

“No. I’ve never gone inside. It’s not like I understand the restoration of books. A subject I’ve never learned.” 

“Weren’t you even curious?” 

“Like I said, I don’t understand it. Restoration. And, I’m not sure I have the key.” 

“No, you don’t.” 

“So, no, never was curious.” 

“The answer to your questions, begins there.” Giles paused to let the words sink in. “You now have a choice. You can continue to be as you are. What were the words? Unambitious. Unmotivated. Laid-back. Everything you. You can continue to just be you. Live your happy, tranquil life, be the happy person you are. Or, you can look inside. Open the door. Walk in. Stand among the mysteries. And forever be changed. Choose carefully. There is no going back, if you do look. So, what do you choose?” 

The lack of expression, of surprise, on Gamble’s face, surprised Giles. He had never underestimated Gamble. And until now, there hadn’t been vindication of this. 

Gamble wasn’t surprised, because he did think about this a lot the last few days. In all the stories he had read, whenever the protagonist or the antagonist or any character really arrived at this juncture, at such a choice, their lives, the stories were at a critical point. Nothing would remain the same after the choice. And he had made his before coming here. 

“I need to know,” Gamble said. 

“Alright,” Giles said. Got up. Walked inside. Was gone a couple of minutes before returning, with a key. It was an old key. Large. Shiny. Heavy. With numbers etched on it. “This is the key to the restoration room. There’s also a number lock. The password is the number on the key. Keep this safe. Only now, are you truly the librarian of the Greenfield Town library.” 

Gamble accepted the key. Put it safely in his jacket’s pocket. And looked at the older man, not knowing what to say. Would, thank you, be right? 

“Now, listen carefully. The reason they library was built was the restoration room. Yes, like the name suggests, we do restore damaged books inside. But that’s not the true purpose. The restoration room is where we safely keep mysteries. Like the green book. You have to learn about restoration of books. I’ll teach you everything I know. And don’t be too worried. What I know is very little. Just the basics. If a book truly needs restoration, we send it to other, better libraries in the city. We do need to learn restoration because, sometimes, the mysteries need restoration too, and these we cannot send out. We need to do it ourselves. The true purpose of the librarian is to watch over the restoration room, and the mysteries inside. You can go in, with the key. You can seek to answer the mysteries. Solve them. That’s within the rights and the powers of the librarian. Just know this. When you get involved with one of them, they get involved with you and your life as well. How much you affect them, they affect you a hundred times more. Prepare yourself knowing this. And feel free to seek the green book.” 

“I have more questions.” 

“I know. If the green book is inside the restoration room, how could it be borrowed? What if I tell you this. The green book was never borrowed. There was never an Imita Ione. The records, the papers, just appeared, as if entirely by themselves? At least that’s how I see it. It was before my time, unfortunately. And my predecessor didn’t have answers either. I learned from him, to just accept things as they are. But you’re not me. You’re not old Kinsey either. That’s my predecessor. Javier Kinsey. You are your own person. So, you make your own choices. Ask me for anything, and I’ll try to help as much as I can.” 

“I’d like your help now. The green book, I came across it. The book itself. A girl from our town borrowed it. And returned it. That’s how it all began.” 

Giles was now startled. The green book was outside? How was that possible? More importantly, having given away the key, he had truly retired. Did he want to go back? Should he just leave it to the current librarian, whose responsibility all of this was anyway? He voiced his questions. 

And Gamble answered for him. “No, Giles. You’re right. You’ve retired. It is my responsibility. You’ve shown me the direction. The path. That’s all I can ask from you. I’ll take care of it. Just leave the door open, to your house. In case I need a bit more help. I’d like to consult you. Would you allow that?” 

“Sure. My door’s always open for you. Even if you need no help, do come, if you have an answer. I’d like to know.” 

“I understand,” Gamble said, nodding and getting up to his feet. “I will. I’ll leave now.” 

“Be careful,” Giles said, walking his guest out. “Remember, they’re not worth you.” 

Gamble nodded, and walked away. 

He wasn’t heading home now either. He was returning to the library. He needed to see the restoration room. He needed to begin trying to understand what was going on. He needed to see what his true responsibility was, as the librarian of the Greenfield Town library.