It seemed so soon to be back at Logos, when we had just
returned from Boston, but it was Thursday, so there I was. Sandy didn't stick around
long and I moved into the chair behind the cash register to check out a dad and his two
kids, a little boy who bought 2 books on trucks and trains, and a girl who also bought two
books, one about the circus and another one.
As they were leaving a woman came in with a copy of the
"Oracles of Nostradamus" from the bargain table outside.
A young man came in with a bargain book and asked if there
was any chance of employment at Logos. When I explained that we are all volunteers,
he paid the $1 for the bargain book and gave $1 as a donation. He also took
information to talk with Susan about possibly volunteering.
I decided to read Eve Ensler's play "The Good
Body" and was so engrossed in it I didn't pay much attention to the several people
looking at the books until an older man in a floppy hat came up to buy three books by
Ogden Nash.
A guy came in looking for a specific book about oil
rigging, but said he didn't imagine that wasn't the sort of book that would find its way
into a town like Davis. I suggested he check the Avid Reader.
I thought I heard someone outside somewhere playing the
flute and was appreciating the music floating overhead. It was an hour or so before
I realized it was the radio playing in the store.
A sad looking Asian woman bought a Contemporary Fiction
book. When she smiled, her whole face lit up. I was entranced at the
difference a smile made.
A Mom and daughter came in. Mom was the kind of
athletic, blonde, middle aged woman, in well matched shorts and t-shirt, with the perfect
accessories that you see jogging and biking all over town. The kind of woman who
runs most of the most active committees and accomplishes many things for Davis. She
was looking for the "Divergent" series. Her daughter, probably in her 20s,
was a bit chunkier, dressed in short-shorts and a tight, low cut hot pink t-shirt.
She spent her time looking through the Fantasy section.
A man wearing a green "Ithaca is Gorges" t-shirt
was looking for sports books, but ended up buying 3 philosophy books and Bill Bryson's
"The History of Everything." I commented on my love of Bill Bryson and he
said that this was the first book of his that he had read.
A cheerful guy with a big envelope came in, held out his
hand, and introduced himself saying "I work for the Davis Enterprise."
He was surprised when I said "I do too." He was there to sell
advertising, so I took his information to give to Susan and Peter.
A young woman with impossibly thin legs in skin-tight jeans
came in. She stayed roughly the length of time it took me to write that descriptive
sentence and then left.
Then was the most fun experience of the day. I looked
up and was looking at this wall of different shades of green approaching, stretching
across the distance the width of my desk. Two women with five toddlers, all dressed
in various patterns with green, and a baby in a green stroller came in. I don't
think any of the kids was over 5 but they were very well behaved and one of the women
whispered to me that they were using their "library voices." They stayed
in the children's room for about 10 minutes and I heard barely a sound from them and I sat
there making silly faces at the baby to keep him from crying.
The "library voices" ended when the group started
to leave and one of the girls wanted a book that the women were not going to buy, then
there was an impressive tantrum, but on the whole I was very impressed with how well
behaved this group of children was.
A guy in dirty clothes, with dirty fingers, holding a dirty
box and waving a piece of paper I couldn't read asked me if I could buy some of his candy
to help an organization I didn't hear the name of. The candy looked like it had been
under his mattress. I told him I didn't want to buy any of his candy. He asked
if I'd like to buy some of the candy for him. I told him no.
"My friend" came in at 5 and bought 2 bargain books and a
book about Japan that he was excited about. He asked how our trip to Boston had gone
and I told him all about the shows and the ball game.
Susan arrived hauling bags which I guess contained treats
for the night's poetry reading event. While we were talking some guys passed by the
front of the store pushing another guy in a recliner down the street.
My last customer (and only the second charge of the day)
bought a copy of "The Hobbit."
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