The Book

“Goddamit! Must it rain day in and day out?” Josh spoke angrily after unknowingly stepping on a pool of water. It is raining cats and dogs. He is pressed with time. He has a report to submit before midnight. He is tired of sourcing for materials online.

“Taxi!” He called out. The taxi pulls over.

“Please, Hamilton street, The Universal Library.”

“Ok Mr.,” the driver replied.

He adjusts his shirt and mops up his face with a cloth.

“Am tired of this everyday rain. It’s been raining for a week now. Won’t it cease for just a day?”

“Sir, why are you bothered? It’s the season,” the driver replied.

“Yeah, I do know. But at least let it hold on for a day or two.”

“Hmmm. You are not any where there to decide when it should rain or not.”

“Yeah. I know. It's just that I hate it raining when I have an important place to go.”

“Now I understand,” the driver nodded.

He rushes into the library. He greets the librarian and makes his request. She directs him to where he would get what he is in need of. He stretches to pick the book, another falls down. He picks it angrily.

“Come on you time waster. Get back on the shelf!”

As he was about putting it back. The title of the book flashed at him. He turns the book to himself and reads out the title.

“Deep Search: Answers for The Troubled Minds.”

“Wow! I would love to have this too.”

“Ma'am or should I say lady?"

“As you choose,” the librarian answered.

“Please can l take this too?” he asks.

“No. You definitely can't,” she replied. “Where did you see it if I may ask?” she requested.

“Over there. The same shelf you directed me to,” he pointed.

“It's not meant to be there. There’s a mix up somewhere during the cataloguing. Please sorry for that.”

“No problem,” he replied. “Can I still go with it?” he inquired.

“I’m sorry you can't. It’s not meant to be taken out of its home. You can only read right here and return.”

“Why? Why can’t I?” He requested to know.

“It’s scarce. They are not so many in print now. So the few around are kept well and safe.”

“You mean hoarded.”

“Any way you wish to call it. Pointing to the book she said, “That’s a treasure you are holding right there for those who truly understand.”

“Yeah. I know indeed. Let me have a read before it gets late.”

“No problem.”

Josh reads through. The contents excited him. He had seen what he was in search of for years. His mind had been flooded with so many questions. He has been going through so many issues he couldn’t get answers to. He has spoken with a few about it. None seems to have a cogent answer. Though some tried, they couldn’t go river bottom. They just couldn’t see through him. He has welled up so much on the inside. A times he feels like he’s going to explode. A times he feels the dam is going to break open. Will I be able to survive a deluge? Will I be able to withstand a blown out pressure? These questions he sometimes asks himself.

Lewis looks at Josh. He could see worry written over his face.

 Lewis has been his friend right from high school. He has been so supportive. A prop and support to him within and outside the walls of school. They are so fond of each other. They also attended the same college. Most times Josh resumes late. He gets the lecture notes and materials from Lewis. They sometimes study together.

“Why are you worried? Come on. Cheer up. Be happy,” Lewis requested.

“How can I? With all these chaos and craziness am going through. How do you expect me to keep up appearance? Pretend to be happy?” Josh asked.

“So what do you want to do? Remain moody. Sulk all day? You’ve been a fighter and always will be one. Don’t throw in the towel.”

“I know I’ve been one. But a times it’s just unbearable. I just feel like running to the ends of the earth and hide there.”

“Please don’t run away. Don't hide from me,” Lewis pleaded.

“No. Am still here. Just need some peace. A perpetual one. Oh! When will all these nonsense craziness end?”

“It sure will.”

“Hope so. I'll be hopeful.”

“Don’t also forget. You’re a special person.” He gives him a pat on his shoulder.

“Ok. No problem.”

Josh is oblivious of the time. He has spent hours on the book, jotting and taking pictures of some pages. It was closing time. He gave the book back to the librarian. He promised to come back the following day. For a month, every day after work he went to the library, reading and taking notes of some salient points. He came across some things he couldn’t understand. He searched online for meaning of them. It was of no use. It led him to some other books or places. Those books seem to be hid in a cave because he searched most of the bookstores around but couldn’t find them not even an abridged version. He was beginning to feel that sorcery and magic are also involved to some extent as one goes bottom deep. Some thing marvelled him at the end of the book. A foot note on the last page. It reads, ‘We can’t get answers to all the questions in life. Some answers can’t just be found. No man has been able to unlock the door that leads there. We hope someone will some time and some day. Then that book will be a series of this. Please just make a good use of what you have now. Thank you.’

He wasn't happy he couldn’t find all the answers he needed.

“Hello!” he calls his friend.

“Hey! Hi Josh. What’s up?”

“Am fine. Only that am done reading the book.”

“Wow! That’s so nice to hear. So what’s the good news?”

“Good news; it has given me some things to do like meditation, stillness and some others. Bad news; it hasn’t answer all my intimate questions. It also attested to not having all the answers.”

“Good. Haven’t I always told you likewise. This my grandfather always made me understand. Am glad you have read it yourself. So?”

“So I just stick to what I have and practice them.”

“That’s good. You’ll sure see a difference.”

“Ok.”

“Catch you later. Bye.”

“Yeah. Bye.”

Josh practised everything he had available. And there was a remarkable difference. He still wished all could end.