The train horn blared through out the station as a means for a last call before it departs. Hera and I took our spots on empty seats right before the doors of the train began to close.
Breathless and panting heavily, I slid right on to my seat. Relief washed all over me as I was glad we had just made it right on time. After nearly missing the train, Hera and I practically ran just to make it before the doors began to close. Finally getting the chance to rest, I was just glad to have a place sit.
Beside me, on the aisle seat, Hera laughed. A mixture of relief and exhaustion sounding out through his voice as he placed his backpack on his lips. "Thank god we made it,"
I glared at him, my ruby red eyes squinting as if to ask who's fault it had been in the first place why we'd run late. Seeing the look I was giving him, Hera's laugh of relief began to turn into one filled with nervousness. He swallowed a thick lump in his throat.
"Forgive me, Jayus. Please?" Hera croak out an apology. The smile on his face wavering slightly at the look on my face.
I sigh in defeat, "I told you we didn't have time to stop by for coffee on our already tight schedule," Repeatedly, I had warned Hera we'd be late if we made any more further stops on the way here but did he listen?
"But a rainbow cream, pink glitter drink is limited in mornings!" He had defended himself in the cafe earlier, "Plus so many people order it before me that I never get the chance."
With his pleading eyes aimed wide eyed at me, how could I have the guts to say no? It was a losing game.
By now, the exhaustion had finally caught up to me as I felt my eyes grow heavy. I was about to close my eyes and take a short nap when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I fished it out, expecting some app notification when I see Adelai's name on top of the screen.
On the message he wrote, he asked about my current whereabouts.
''I'm on the train with Hera omw to Belladelle Church. Txt u wen we get der." I type out before pressing send. Without waiting for a reply, my body began to fall limp as exhaustion finally took over the moment I was able to relax. And I fell asleep through the whole ride.
Adelai picked up his phone the moment it buzzed in his pocket. The weekend had finally come for what should have been the day he and Jayus would have set up the party plans for Hera's birthday. Seeing as how that was cancelled, Adelai chose this to be the perfect time to start on his papers too.
Lucky Jayus. Adelai thought as he picked up a few books on the shelf. Since Jayus was out there finding inspirations of structures he'd write about, Adelai thought he too would go to the campus library for his research. It's not a trip to the seaside but this counts for something. Adelai clutched on the books he had carefully chosen before finding an empty spot with plenty of space for him to start his work. Which wasn't that hard to find.
Many others have decided to be anywhere else but within campus, much less the library. And most would not have decided to start their papers so early in the semester break. That left Adelai to own the entire campus library for himself for the day.
Setting up his station, Adelai began flipping through pages of the book. He skimmed through statues, historical monuments, temples and the likes before he finally settled on just flipping on a random page and writing about the first structure his fingers lies on. And he was about to do so when the elderly librarian walked up to him. Her round face hidden behind rectangular glasses as her short frame pushed a cart full of books.
"My, my," The librarian said as she turned to Adelai, "You're here so early in the day. No plans up for the weekend?" Her raspy voice spoke quietly. Adelai merely turned to her with an awkward smile. This lady had always welcomed Adelai in the library whenever he came to study.
Adelai tries not to brag about it but often he thinks he might just be her favourite student. When the sign on the wall says no eating inside the library, this kind librarian would often sneak him snacks during his study sessions.
"It got cancelled so I thought I'd be productive today." Adelai answered. The librarian nodded slowly. One might think it's because she was scrutinizing you but Adelai knew it was only because fast movements put a strain to her aging body. As far as Adelai knew, this lady's children have already grown and have lives of their own, so most often he'd see her here in the library to work and pass time.
Lake green eyes subtly turned to the cart full of books the librarian had been pushing prior, and he abruptly stood up. "Do you need help around the library? I have nothing else to do, I'd be glad to help around." Adelai offered. It's not like he had any motivation to finish his work immediately, a little chore could help set his mind gears running.
The librarian was obviously pleased by this but her eyes fixed on to the pile of books and open laptop on the table in front of Adelai and her face contorted into one of concern, "Are you sure that's okay? You seem quite busy. I can handle these things myself," She said, but Adelai insisted, stating it was no big deal at all.
In the end, the librarian relented as she let Adelai push around the cart, her little feet leading them to the back of the library where books remained scattered and disorganized.
"Just right around this corner here," The librarian said, "You don't know the lengths some students go to just to make a hiding spot to use their vapes within the library. They even piled some books to make some type of fort. I have to spend most of my time putting them back to their rightful place on the shelves." She complained, "It's honestly too much work on my hip. I'm not as agile as I used to be."
Her words sounded through the aisles of the library. As the two figures walked around the corner, Adelai could make out a figure of another person. With her back turned towards them, Adelai couldn't see or recognize who she was.
"Hey lady, where do you want these world Guinness world record books put?" The person asked the moment she noticed that the librarian had come back with the cart. That voice immediately caught Adelai off guard and he froze on the spot. He could easily recognize that voice from a mile away. How could he not? But why did he not recognise that person sooner the moment he had turned around the corner?
The woman holding two thick books on either hands turned her head towards the librarian. Her white hair, pure as lotus had been tied into double french braids that ended right behind her knees. As soon she she spotted Adelai with the librarian, she too froze on the spot. As if seeing a dead man come back to life for the first time, her purple eyes widened with surprise, along with another emotion Adelai could not quite identify.
Yet, like a passing breeze just right before the window was immediately shut, those eyes narrowed and voided themselves with any emotion as she glared at Adelai with disdain.
Adelai felt as though the floors beneath his feet had decided to dance. His entire world collapsing as the nauseating feeling rose within his chest. The quake within his mind forced a memory he had desperately tried to keep away hidden and locked had started to resurface once more, and like a message in a bottle he had thrown at sea, it had finally made it back to shore.