25. Books
He didn't carry many things in that duffel bag of his, even though he lived out of it most of the time. He had just enough clothes, the essentials, a toothbrush, toothpaste, razor… a few personal things and one book. He had been traveling with this specific book for the past eighteen years of his life. In fact, he was pretty sure he'd never gone anywhere without that book since his favorite high school teacher gave it to him. His favorite part of the book, in fact, was the message his teacher had left.
Dale, you might go many places in life, travel all over the world, see things you have imagined, meet people who will change the way you see the world, understand the world even, but when you find that one person, you will find home. Never let that person go, wherever they go, whatever they do, hang on to them.
Eighteen years later, having read the book over a thousand times, he still was looking for that someone. He loved the book, he truly did, and he could recite entire chapters without hesitation. And travelling the world had indeed opened his eyes more, made him understand the book on such a deeper lever, but every time he opened it, and read that message, a part of him felt that he was yet to truly read the book. So he travelled with it, hoping that one day, if that day comes, he can finally say he'd finished reading it.
He stands in the rainfall, a manic downpour that erases everything from existence and rebuild a new world, a world of hope. And he thinks of their lives now, under this dome, the fragility, the chaos, the uncertainty. He feels her lips against his, for the first time and he remembers that message on the first page and he remembers his favorite quote from the book.
"It is a world of impulse. It is a world of sincerity. It is a world in which every word spoken speaks just to that moment, every glance given has only one meaning, each touch has no past or no future, each kiss is a kiss of immediacy."*
*Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman.
Hello! Thanks for everyone who is reading and reviewing these little drabbles and one shots! I hope you liked this latest one! I have an announcement to make. Since with the last chapter I reached a 100 reviews, I have a surprise to those who got me there. So, Romantic in Denial, Luvs2Ship and munyo, first off thank you, and second, as a thank you, I will write each of you a one shot based on a prompt of your choosing. So please, send me your promts, either through a PM or in a review and I'll get to it asap! Thanks again!