The Thin Book

              I had just received a gift from her and was still stunned to see her shining eyes full of happiness for being kind to someone. Why would she care to buy a gift for me? I didn’t know about that, what I knew was that she was hiding her golden heart from the rest of the world.   

             I looked at the wrapped box when she left and guessed that it was a book even though I had a really weak habit of reading. “At least it isn’t a thick one.” I thought while shaming myself for thinking like that. I was right; that was a very popular book that she had told me to be one of her favourites. Even though I wasn’t a quick reader, I knew I could finish this book at once just to meet her in her inner world. Why did she love this book so much? What joy or sorrow did the book bring her and would I feel the same? Would I change after reading the book?

           I was very excited while passing a lovely hat store to head to the green park. While searching for a hidden place to start reading, I spotted a group of elementary school students settling for camping with their telescopes to watch the stars at night. “Curious kids” I thought, remembering my lazy school days back then. I wondered if anything at all had interested me at school and couldn’t think of a single thing while proceeding to the deeper woods. 

           The big trees were blocking the sunlight now although the gardeners were working hard to trim some of the branches to let some sunshine in. “It is no use.” I thought. “The trees are stronger than you and a little later, they will grow back and win this battle.” It must have been such a vain effort to work for making a living even though your efforts meant nothing for this world. 

           I liked the shadowed area more to find a silent place to sit. Finally settling my body on a relatively comfortable bank, I was able to open up the very first chapter of the book. As a person who was the least similar to a bookworm in the world, I was easily and often distracted by the people walking to the end of the woods, which was a popular place to see the beautiful sunset view. Those people had always seemed to be so sad to me that they were somehow addicted to experiencing a sunset. I had never found a meaning in watching a sunset; at the end of the day, it was a very usual thing happening at the end of every day. Yet, the number of people who were visiting that place to see the sunset was rising dramatically in recent years. 

          While trying to read in silence, I was repeatedly distracted by the official who was yelling at the gardeners as if they didn’t know how to do their job. Unintentionally, I heard their conversations and realized how unnecessary orders the official was giving. He must have been feeling useless for a long time to come and supervise those gardeners since it was obvious that he had no idea of the matter. It is such a shame to see people with even a little power over others to become tyrants at once.

        I wasn’t the only one observing the conversation. A drunk man hiding his half-empty bottle behind him was trying to focus on to understand what was going on. I wasn’t sure whether he could comprehend anything at all but it was obvious that he was trying to hide his bottle so effortfully. “Instead of hiding the bottle as the consequence of his pain, he should be facing his emotions.” I thought. But what would I know if I wasn’t in his shoes? I guess I should take back my words.

       Towards the middle of the book, I was disturbed by the loud argument of a middle-aged man and a beggar a few meters away from me. The beggar asked for money for his children and the man sharply refused to do him a favor. The beggar must have been surprised to see such a harsh attitude that he was stunned to move for a while. The chubby and rich-looking man looked the beggar in the eye and said, “I know how much money I have in my pocket. I know it to the bits. Do you know how much you have? Of course you don’t! ‘Cause you can’t count it like me.” The beggar thanked him with a head movement not to keep the argument going and decided to leave by walking towards the electricians repairing a broken streetlight. While looking at him getting out of his sight, the man repeated, “I know how much I have.” The beggar was gone but he was still mumbling. “I never lose count.” I guess I want to forget about this man for the sake of my sanity.

        While proceeding to read the book, this time a loud tourist group broke the silence. The tourist guide was telling the group about the big and distinctive trees and different species of plants in the park. “You came from different countries to see the big trees in this park? Not my thing at all.” I thought. Obviously the tourist guide was going along with me as he answered a question from the tourists as “I don’t know the answer. I have never left this city before.” Is it possible to be a tourist guide and not to be a tourist even for once? I guess I will never know.

      ……….

      The afterglow was warming up the whole sky; with fading light beams touching everyone’s faces gently to say goodbye. Among the gigglings of little children supervised by their parents who positioned their chairs towards the sunset, everyone was communicating with their shy smiles. They were all here to accept the end of a day by saying goodbye to the time that has just passed. That was the tranquility of acceptance. And there was the beggar. I owed him some money or a favor. By shaking hands strongly, he thanked me so gracefully. 

      Then there was the drunk man who almost fell asleep under a tree. He got a little scared when I approached him to whisper “I hope tomorrow will be better for you. I really hope that.” He looked confused just like me who hadn’t done such a thing in his life before. Before passing by the tired gardeners who had managed to trim the gloomy, big branches of those trees, I stopped and thanked them. “Thank you for your efforts!” They looked confused as well while I was enjoying the very last bits of sunshine finally managing to reach this part of the park. 

     Suddenly a snake jumped in front of me, or that was what I thought before I heard the giggling of a little girl throwing her snake toy towards me. “Not today!” I laughed while petting their beautiful, brown golden retriever. The smell of the red roses was so strong now. How couldn’t I feel it like this before?! 

     Keeping up my walking pace, I found a brochure of a touristic place by stepping onto it accidentally. I picked it up and read it. Maybe it would have been good to leave my comfort zone once in a while. The tourist guide who has never left his comfort zone before like me was standing near the big gate. I handed the brochure to him gently and while he was trying to understand what that was about, I left the park.   

    The smell of the bouquet of the red roses I bought for her is becoming addicting for me I guess. With my incompetence of romance, I couldn’t think of any other way to thank her for this book. I also want to thank you little guy, maybe you are up there watching us now. Thank you so much!