White Alabasters

Roller Coaster Reading

"An apprehensive night recepted exhilarating Spring;

as breeze blows

in a restive rhythm. "

The college scholarship clearance came to me as a grand blessing when I was at the verge of accepting my crooked fate. Though I was third from the bottom but it still opened a new chapter in my life.

8AM: I was riding a bicycle towards the gate of the campus building with daffodils wavering their heads out of the front basket. The mind fog was hitting my face and I could feel my hair getting moist with mist .Now I could cut down the first wish from my bucket list.

11AM: I want to visit the library building which was said to be the oldest structure in the city.My first step marked the entrance into a new realm . The floor changed to finely finished walnut wood under my foot. The wide ash windows looked French style to some extent. The frame work was rough and full of splinters. They were covered with Roman blinds up to the upper half. The library had five rectangular pillars coloured in lilac .The two corners of the spacious hall had high standing mahogany shelves and windows alternately . The shelves had broad frames with purple glass shields.

My eyes could not help but glare with awe at thousands upon thousands of books stacked in neat rows, all orderly arranged and alined back-to-back where their insides could not be judged by their covers. Their titles all curled and looped in one direction and turned to the side so that one had to tilt their head in order to read them . Each book held it's own world of wonders in an old library, with stacks of books towering towards the tall ceiling, and even more covering every inch of the shabby, old shelves. By the looks of it, they’d all been sitting there for quite a while, more and more thrown haphazardly on top of each other like a game of Jenga. The leather spines lined up perfectly, a whole room filled with valuable first editions. However, I hadn't expected all the dust. It looked like the whole library hadn't been touched for a decade, maybe more. Walking between them is like coming home, I've memorized their scent: dust and wisdom, paper and creativity, ink and emotion

"Smells carry information about the chemical composition and the condition of an object."

The hall had an peculiar sitting arrangement, the table was designed as a continuous roller coaster track extending like a snake with chairs of different heights following the trend of the table. I was bewildered to see such a furniture in library. Nonetheless I swallowed my curiosity and sat on one of the chairs available . Although it took me a great effort to settle my self as the chair was too high. I took out my FORECAST BOOK, a notebook in which I write my experiences worth remembering in the form of personified poetry using elements of nature and non living objects. This ensures me of two things , first my emotions remain a secret and second one on who shares same experiences as me would be able to decode it. Although its nothing special but it's near to my heart.

11:35 AM - My alarm reminded me of my class schedule, and I finished my revision. Hurriedly I wrapped up my study material and decided to take a take my forecast book in my hand as there was no space in my bag at the moment. I could hear people sipping coffee , chatting in whispers and turning pages . In silence even the slightest of sounds could be heard . There is a difference between heard and listen, you hear sounds unknowingly whereas you listen with will and attention. In continuation I heard a library attendant saying ," Sir, you have arranged for a strange but unique furniture, may I know the moto behind it ?" This raised my curiosity and I began to listen, still looking at my book. Suddenly my senses flushed as calm but sharp voice pierced the short lull in the conversation. The owner of the voice was confident as if he was accustomed to give commands . Every word was perfectly pronounced with no repetition or stammering it seemed as it he is actor who practised his lines for twenty times, so well written and composed. The most impressive part was that the speech was expressionless, one could not detect the mental state of the speaker by just listening. The words of the impressive speaker were, " Roller Coaster of Academics , if you cannot occupy a spot if you do then destiny is plummeted. "