by: M. R. Vega
The car, loaded with an excessive amount, of an impressive array of hard and soft-covered books, had Lucy and Harold nearing a range of concerns that brought an unspoken regret, especially within Luce. She was so fueled with a fit of anger, a riling and fileting type of pitiful rage when looking at it. It was a vexing thought Luce that brought the need to make him pay, but feeling the car wane and a lack of an efficient speed had her shooting a concerned and almost peevish glance over to Harold. He now found himself clenching his teeth and whispering in tongues at the car, gripping the steering wheel with a mercilessness that he’d hope have them back to the small apartment safely. He’d pay for the damages to the axel and likely find himself needing new rims but that was aside the point. His outrageous behaviour and near laughable disregard for a collection he’d even found pride in seeing day after day growing with sheer tenacity. He regrettably erased that and saw it only right to repay what was taken away and all for the stupid wallet. But then again that wallet meant something more than the both of them, but that wouldn’t be enough to state so nonchalantly when Lucy would inquire to explain himself. How would he simply and with a resolute explanation provide ample details as to what the wallet; or what was within that wallet was so damn important.
He could see himself later that evening nearing midnight sighing heavily with his shit-eating remorse at the corner of a cowering smile as he inched slowly releasing what it all meant that the wallet was never lost. He shook the idea away, then thought over a cone of Jamoca Almond Fudge would perhaps suffice, though he shook that away as well and all this within seconds of each idea, disregarding Luce beside him. Not realizing she had noticed his shaking head and pained look cropping the profile of his face. She wouldn’t ask though, knew better to keep her lips tight and unmoving as he worked through the internal fracas he’d likely overcome. ‘Gosh, what can it be that’s messing him up, can’t be the weight of what we’re carrying, least it shouldn’t be’ she thought and hesitantly looked out the window. She shied away from the shaking head of Harold’s hoping food would be something on his mind but expected they’d likely end up just carrying the books up flights of concrete steps to yet again start her dear collection.
While she gazed over the old city and its river walk in the distance, let out a small sigh and inhaled quietly so as not to distract Harold. Instead tried to order the books in her head. She knew alphabetically would be outrageous as there was nearly an equal amount of both the soft and hard covers and she preferred an ‘Ordo ab Chao’ style knowing the chaotic realm it insured brought a more steady ground to her mind. With a smile settling on her maw, she’d already determined the books would be flush as best as possible but have little regard for what was and wasn’t read. She had a plethora of markers and tabs to mark each one and if she wanted to mitigate a minor order she’d color code them afterward.
Harold cleared his throat, knowing what to say, figuring out where to take her in his anxious relinquishing of the secret meanings behind the wallet, and took a left at Northern Blvd. Lucy came to from her ordering of the books and asked where they were going as her stomach gripped at her spine in hopes for something to ingest and devour. ‘Lota Burger sound good?’ and the smile he felt echo from Lucy gave him the answer he expected and pulled into the parking lot of their favorite stop for grub. She quickly jumped out of the car before he even had the keys out of the ignition and smiled at him through the car’s front window ushering him to be quick and get to her before she opened the door. He listened. Removing keys and himself while being sure to lock the car up he followed suit in jumping over to her with a matching smile and grabbed at the door for her prior to laying a kiss on her forehead. She patted at his butt pocket and pinched him gently and they both walked in together holding hands and immediately went to the cashier. Already knowing the menu by heart they both issued their favorite numbers and size. Harold paid quickly, they filled up their drinks with the cool sweet tea they had both reveled for since childhood and found a booth for two. After settling down, sticking straws into their cups, they smiled at one another and Harold took a large swig debating how exactly to open up the floor to the topic of his wallet. He breathed in, turned his head, let out a swift and heavy sigh, smiled at her with endearing compassion and started to open up.
‘I assume you have questions, if not a myriad of them with sub-references and notions to the meanings of what I’m about to tell you, all I ask is give me time and whenever your curiosity is at the brim of your tongue let me have it and I’ll answer, as quickly and with as much to the whole as I know for myself.’ He sighed, feeling a small amount of weight at the pit of his stomach, and waited for a nod or their ticket number to be mentioned behind their table but his ears only met silence but the hum and incessant sizzling and chatter of the restaurant. He continued ‘Now, please don’t laugh, because I mean what I say, at least I know, because of what I’ve seen for myself and will do, like I said, what I can to show you that truth. It’s not the wallet per se, it’s actually the coin that’s inside of it. You’ve likely seen me twirl it between my fingers when you’ve gone so deep into your readings in the past, but that was always frowned upon and it’s why I buried it into the wallet, even made a small and near secret pouch to hold it safely. But it’s magick. Where the magick stems from, what it is, that I don’t know but it’s what made that possible.’ While finishing that phrase he nodded toward the car and alluded to the books that awaited their new home. Lucy smiled, holding back from the smug feeling she could feel creeping up from below, and waited for Harold to continue but the order was shouted out to them and he quickly bolted to the counter bringing the piping hot seasoned fries and steaming burgers to the table.
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