Baby Blue

The old red door creeks as Kate opens it. The smell of books and Mrs. Jenkins candle of the day fills the library. Kate inhales and smiles; her first month working at Golden Creek Library has been the best. Customers of all ages, locals and travelers visit the library year after year. Kate is still working to prove she belongs; some welcomed her with others arms, others couldn't see past her baby blue hair , her jet black Chevy Silverado that she drives to work every morning, and the few tattoos that she has. Golden Creek is in a beautiful, ritzy part of town. Anyone with a great sum of money and wealth lives close by. Nice shops, restaurants, and the movie theater sit in the heart of town. With spring finally arriving, the trees outside the library have beautiful white and pink blooms on them.

Kate walks to the desk and clocks in on the library's new computer. She shakes her head at the memory of showing her coworker Janice how to use it. Janice is not the most up-to-date with new technology. She likes the traditional old school way of doing things. "I still don't like using that thing" Janice groans."You'll get used to it, don't worry" Kate assures her. Rolling her eyes, Janice grabs her glasses and clocks in, "ridiculous, so much simpler the old fashioned way." Janice takes a cart full of books to the fiction and nonfiction sections and begins placing the returned books on the shelves. 

"How about we work on that display tomorrow for the Easter" Kate mentioned, knowing she would probably end up doing it herself. "We'll see, I might get stuck logging everything in agin on that blasted computer. Janice complains, adding another book to the shelf. Kate grinned " Ah yes, the dreadful computer. You do know it's not that bad." Kate assured her , glancing up at the entrance to the library. She sighs and she notices who decided to walk in. If she was going to get through this day, a large iced coffee was in her future. 

When Mrs. Kensington walks in, you could practically see the steam out of her ears. She always had something to say to Kate; no matter what she does, it is never enough in Mrs. Kensington's eyes. "I hope your recommendations this week are better than last weeks" she huffed, rolling her eyes yet again. " I'm sorry, what was it that you didn't like ?" Kate asked, regretting that she did the second the words left her mouth. Mrs. Kensington only asked for Kate's suggestions so that she could complain and tell Janice it was a mistake hiring me. Winning over this woman was proving to be utterly impossible. "Well , Kate" she paused, shaking her head again. "It is Kate right?" , the tone she used was always degrading and rude. Her husband owned many of the businesses in town; needless to say they weren't hurting for money. Mrs. Kensington spent her time selling her award-winning jams and jellies, bossing anyone she came in contact with around and furiously trying to beat Kate's grandmother at most books read by Christmas. 

"Yes, it's Kate. And I would be happy to show you some more books that could be more your style. Although you have to have an open minded, not every book you come across will be what you hope or expect." Walking over to the new arrivals display, Kate picks up a book that everyone who has checked it out, has raved about. She hands it to Mrs. Kensington, then walks to the shelves to select another one. "Young lady, I do have an open mind. I just know what I like." Clearing her throat, she follows Kate and waits for her to hand her the next book. "You my dear, might want to reconsider that hair color. Your taste in books may be as off as your mind when you decided that color was the right choice." She commented, crossing her arms. Kate reached up to grab a biography, also grabbing a fiction novel based on a true story on another shelf. Then, walking back to Mrs. Kensington, forcing a smile as she handed her the next two books. Always checking out five books every time she came, in order to reach her goal. Kate looks for the remaining two books she wanted and sighs, " My hair is perfectly fine thank you. As far as the books, they are all worth reading. Even if our opinions of them are not great." Kate stated, grabbing another book and handing it to her. 

Once Kate got the last book, they returned to the main the counter, and Kate scanned the books and placed them in Mrs. Kensington's bag that she always preferred to carry her books in. "I expect to be wowed this time, you know." She smirked, before turning quickly and murmuring a snarky comment in the ears of Janice and her husband waiting at the door. The air felt lighter when they finally exited the library and drove away. Kate felt as if she could never catch a break with her and even a few more of the locals. An hour passed before Kate's Grandmother Evelyn came and greeted her with a big hug and her warm smile. "How's my girl." Evelyn asked, tucking a strand of Kate's blue hair behind her ear. "Fine, I guess" Kate sighed, "Mrs.Kensington was here, you really need to beat her at that read-a-thon Grandma. I would just love to see the look on her face if you did." Chucking, Evelyn began looking at the new arrivals display. 

"Alice, you can call her that you know." Evelyn paused, grinning at her granddaughter. Kate rolled her eyes and sat back down on the stool behind the counter. "She has been that way. Her nose always pointed in the air. She never understood why I chose to marry your Grandfather, a simple carpenter who loved his small wood shop and all its loyal customers." Evelyn smiled at the memory. Kate's Grandfather Jack passed away years ago; they missed him dearly.

"She also doesn't get me, my hair or in her opinion a making poor choice in getting these tattoos." Kate said mockingly. "I know she has talked to Janice many times about me. She doesn't think I'm at all what a librarian should be." Evelyn placed a book on the desk, before going to another shelf to pick out another. Glancing back at her granddaughter, she could see frustration written all over Kate's face. "Honey, Alice and her group of friends have no idea what it takes to be a librarian. They don't know you, because if they did they would see your intelligence and love for books,knowledge and learning." Evelyn said, giving Kate a reassuring smile. "A librarian gives people the tools and know how to do and be anything they want. They are unsung heroes, they help and provide answers to questions asked by those of all ages and do do with a smile on their face." Evelyn lays another book on the desk, then reaches into her pocket book and pulls out a necklace. A book charm dangling from a beautiful silver chain. "You are meant to be a librarian. No matter what color you decide to dye your hair , or what you drive, or even you tattoos that I know; all have a special meaning to you. This is what you love Kate." Smiling, Kate takes the necklace from her grandmother and puts it around her neck.

"Thank you Grandma" Kate beams. "For your words and the necklace. It's beautiful." Kate scans the rest of her Grandmothers books and hands them to her. Kate always could count on her family, especially Grandma Evelyn, to be there for her in more ways than one. "Absolutely dear. You are most welcome." Evelyn places the books she chooses in her bag, nodding to the couple walking in to the library. "Now I must hurry and read these so I can come back for more beat that Alice at her own game." Laughing, Kate says goodbye to Evelyn and begins helping the couple look for books on engineering for their son.

Smiling to herself, Kate knows there is no other place she would rather be. Working at Golden Creek Library had been her dream since she was a little girl. Kate would not only prove to the people coming in and out of the library, but to herself, that this is what she was meant to do.