Love Is All There Is-Tailor-Made

           “Do you have a book called ‘Love Is All There Is-Tailor Made’ by Sheila Davis?” A twenty-three-year-old Marsha Hunter anxiously asked the 41-year-old librarian, Julia Russell. Julia looked over her black-rim glasses and then froze for a minute as she sat behind her desk at The New York City Public Library. Something about the young mixed-raced-looking woman seemed so familiar to her. It wasn’t just her appearance but her mannerisms and the way she spoke. It was eerie. After a minute Julia shook off the feeling and proceeded to engage with the young woman.

           “Do you know you are the 5^th person to request that book today? I hear they are selling in book stores like crazy,” said Julia.

           “I am not surprised,” said Marsha. “My best friend Delores recommended that I read the book because it’s so great. She said that book has transformed her life.”

           “Transformed her life, in what way?” asked the librarian.”

           “My friend used to weigh 250 pounds and after reading the book, she lost 100 pounds in less than a year without much effort. A few months later she found a husband and is expecting her first child in the spring.”

           “Marriage and kids, that’s the American dream,” a flustered Julia said.

           “Did you read the book?” asked Marsha.

           “No. I don’t believe in hype. I am a librarian and have seen thousands of books come and go over the years. Every year somebody writes a revolutionary self-help book. These books are supposed to transform everybody into the person they were meant to be,” she said. “I don’t buy it.”

           “So?” Marsha anticipated. “Do you still have more copies available?”

           “Well, let’s see,” said Julia as she types the name of the book and author on her computer. “You’re in luck. There are still two copies available. Go to the popular bookshelf and grab one before it’s too late.”

           “Thanks,” said Marsha as she bolted over to the shelf and picked up the book. She paused once she had the book in her hand and studied the cover. It had a lavender cover with white doves in the background and large printed letters written in black with the word, Love Is All There Is, written across it. In smaller prints directly under it read, Tailor-Made. The author’s name appeared at the bottom of the book. I can’t wait to get home and read this book, she said to herself. I can’t wait to see if this book will help me with my problem.

           Marsha took the book up to the librarian, pulled out her library card, and checked the book out.

           “Goodbye,” said Marsha grasping the book in her hand. The librarian waived at the young woman. This startled her because she never waved to anyone even after working as a librarian for more than fifteen years. Something about the young woman was special. She made Julia interested in the book. Julia walked over to the shelf picked up the last copy and checked it out for herself.

                                                  Marsha Hunter

           “I got the book,” said Marsha as she spoke into the phone to her best friend Delores after she arrived home an hour later with her book in hand. She was so excited to share the news with her friend she hadn’t even taken off her coat.

           “Did you start reading any of it yet?” Delores asked excitedly.

           “Are you kidding me,” she bellowed. “I started reading it on the way home from the library.”

           “So, what do you think?” Delores asked in a rushed tone.

           “So far, so good. Even the cover is awesome and the words are exquisite. I am on page 15 and I am already hooked.”

           “Trust me. You think those first few pages are something. Just wait until you get further in your reading. The best part is you are going to start thinking differently about yourself and your life. Then things are going to start happening. Things you always dreamed about will come true.”

           “You know, Delores,” Marsha spoke sadly. “There’s only one thing I ever wanted since I was a young girl.”

           “I know,” Delores said reassuringly. “And you are going to get in one day soon. You wait and see.”

           “I hope you’re right. I tried so hard in the past. I prayed, I researched, only to get rejected repeatedly.”

           “I know you had a lot of rejection but this time with the help of this book, I am sure you will get what you want. Just keep reading.”

           “I will,” said Marsha. “Thanks, Delores.”

                                                    ***

                                         Julia Russell-The librarian

           I can’t believe that young lady made me curious about this stupid book,” Julia mumbled to herself at 5:00 p.m. that evening. “I would never have much interest in such garbage if wasn’t for her. I still can’t put my finger on it but something about that young lady is bugging me something awful.” Julia turned off her computer, then cut off the lights in the library. She closed and locked the door behind her.

           Once she arrived home, she took off her coat and put her purse and book down. She walked to the kitchen to put on some water to make tea. She went back into the living room and picked up the book again. She examined the book and had to admit the cover was beautiful. It was almost like light radiated from the book. She wasn’t a religious person but it felt like she was holding a biblical scribe. She opened the book and then started turning the pages. She got to the first chapter and started to read.

                      ‘Life Is Short

                      ‘Make sure you tie up all loose ends because tomorrow is promised to no one.’

                      ‘Forgiveness is more about the person forgiving than the forgiven.’

She dropped the book on the floor because those words hit her like a ton of bricks. Strangely, all week long she had been thinking about forgiving her ill mother and her father even though he was deceased. She wanted to forgive them because she was tired of blaming them for her loneliness, her inability to find a good man, make friends and live a fulfilled life. Certainly, she reasoned they were initially responsible for her unhappiness. She was only seventeen years old when they made a life-changing decision for her.

           She was young but she loved her first boyfriend Reggie and wanted to keep the baby they conceived. But her parents convinced her that having a baby would only ruin her life because she was so young. Julia believed that they didn’t care about her age. They didn’t want her to love a man like Reggie because he was of a different race than she was. She was young and frightened so did what they asked. She regretted it ever since.

           After she fixed herself a cup of tea with lemon, she opened the book and started reading again. The book was so engrossing she didn’t realize that time was ticking by. By the time she looked at the clock on her cable box; it flashed 11:00 p.m. It was way past her bedtime, and she had to get up at 5:00 a.m. the next morning, but she couldn’t stop reading. Before she knew it, she was on the final chapter called, Tailor Made.

           She turned the page to open the chapter but there was nothing written in the chapter. She was staring at a blank page. She figured the book was misprinted or something, so she turned to the next page, another blank. Then she turned to the prior page, thinking she missed something. The last page of the prior chapter stated that the Tailor-Made chapter could only be reviewed by the person reading the book. The person reading would have to swear that no one else read it.

           So, she followed the instructions and raised her right hand, and swore that this chapter was for her eyes only. After she swore, she went back to the Tailor-Made chapter and the words that appeared on that page astonished her. The words only pertained to her issue. It gave her specific instructions on how to obtain the one thing in the world she truly wanted. Julia ran into her bedroom and pulled out some old photographs she had stashed away. She gasped as she looked at the little girl in the photos. Julia started to cry, and she knew what she had to do.

                                       Marsha Hunter

           “Hey, Marsha, it’s Delores,” her friend spoke to her on the phone about a week later.

           “Hello,” said Marsha. “I am glad you got back to me.”

           “What’s going on?”

           “I loved the book you recommended, but I am a bit confused by the last chapter, ‘Tailor-Made.’

           “Oh, that!” Delores laughed. “Everybody I know is confused by that chapter.”

           “Can you explain it?” said Marsha.

           “It’s tailor-made just for you. What did yours say?”

           “I know that, but it’s just instructed me to take this book back to the library that I borrowed it from on February 3, 2022m@ 4:00 p.m. Then I will find what I’ve been searching for all my life.”

           “So, what’s the problem?” said Delores. “You must do as instructed to get the results you want.”

           “But that doesn’t make any sense.”

           “It doesn’t have to make sense, just do what it’s asking you to do.”

           “How am I going to find what I’ve been searching for all my life in a library?”

           “Well, there’s only one way to find out.”

                                                           ***

           On February 3, 2022, at 4:00 p.m., Marsha nervously walked into The New York Public Library. She looked around as she wiped the sweat pulsing from her palms. She scanned the library looking at the older women. She was trying to figure out which one was going to approach her. She imagined this day 1000 times in her mind. She wondered what this person would look like, talk like, or even smell like. She waited patiently, and then suddenly a tiny 40-something-year-old woman walked up to her.

           Marsha’s heart pounded and her throat went dry.

            “Hello, the young lady, can you help me get that book down from the shelf? I am a little short. I would ask the librarian but she seems too busy.”

           “Sure,” Marsha said with disappointment. She was hoping this lady was the one she’s been searching for.

           Marsha retrieved the book for the lady. The lady thanked her and went on her way. Marsha waited a while longer, watching different women walk by and not say a word. She opened the book again to make sure she read the instructions correctly.

The instruction stated that she must wait for her mother to approach her. It was almost 5:00 p.m. and that hadn't happened yet. She sighed as tears came to her eyes. She had given up all hope of ever finding her real mother. As an adopted child that’s what she yearned for. She wanted to know her real mother. She wanted to know why she had given her up for adoption. She was so distraught at this moment. All she wanted to do was return the book and forget ever reading it. Marsha walked over to the librarian who was no longer busy.

           “Oh, It’s you!” Julia said as she recognized the young woman standing in front of her with tears in her eyes.

           “What’s wrong?” Julia asked.

            “This book was a big disappointment. It promised that my greatest dream would come true. I followed all of the instructions in the book to a tee, but I came up empty-handed.”

           Julia took the book from the young woman’s hands, and then she handed her a tissue to dry her tears.

           “Thanks,” said Marsha. “I must admit you were right by saying this book was hype.”

           “No, young lady. I was wrong. All of your dreams have come true.”

           “What?” Marsha asked in astonishment.

           “I was wrong about the book. After you borrowed the book that day, I decided to read it myself.”

           “Why, you didn’t seem that interested?”

           “After reading the book, I realized that I was missing something very important in my life. I realized that I needed to forgive the people that wronged me.”

           “I think that’s great lady, but what about me? You said my dream has come true. How do you even know what my dream is?”

           Julia stood silent and stared into Marsha’s eyes. Marsha went silent and stared back at her. Then Marsha put her hand over her mouth. She couldn’t believe it but realized it was true. She stretched her hands out to embrace Julia. Julia did the same. The two women hugged each other tightly after realizing that both their dreams had come true.