The following Monday, I had an afternoon and evening shift at work, and Hallit had fed the night before. We decided to take a bus to the local library and try to ascertain how far I was from everything I was used to. Perhaps, there was a collection of maps we could borrow.
We waited in line to speak to the reference librarians. Hallit was back in control, which was more than fine by me, and I hoped that my card from my other library would work here, and that they'd still help me (well, us) if it wasn't any good.
Between the two librarians, and people not asking very complicated questions, the line moved quickly. By the time it was our turn, I was again grateful that Hallit was the one operating my body. Funny how I could work in retail and still get perplexed when talking to strangers, but that was how it was.
"Hello," Hallit greeted, and I could feel her making my mouth smile. "I moved recently, and am trying to figure out where everything is. I lived" she said the name of my old town, and the librarian nodded, "but now I'm" and she gave the name of my current one. "I also had a card to the library in that town." She handed over my old card.
The librarian-whose name card read "Ella"-nodded and grinned at us. "Well, I'm happy to be able to tell you that your card works here. If you'd moved from" she listed a town a half an hour in the opposite direction. "I'd have to ask you to sign up at the front desk for a new one. But you're still in our service area, so you're good. You can also return our books to that library, if you ever feel like going back. As far as getting oriented, I know what you mean. You were probably thinking you'd look at some maps?" At Hallit's nod, Ella's smile deepened. "A few years ago, you would have needed to. But there's this cool website that's been out for a few years called Mapquest, and all you need to go is put in the address you want, and the address you're coming from. Want me to show you how to use it?"
"Sure!" Hallit replied, with enthusiasm, and I could tell she wasn't acting.
Ella gestured for us to come around to the side of her desk. She moved the monitor of her computer, slightly, and typed in the website. "See here? We'll use the library address as your starting point. Is there another address you want to use? As your destination?"
Hallit provided her with the address of The Sharing.
"Oh yeah, some other patrons have told me about that," Ella said, as she typed it in. "Sounds like a great organization!"
"Have you ever been to a meeting? It's lots of fun," Hallit suggested.
Ella chewed on her lip. "Not yet. Maybe someday, though. Okay, so as you can see, Mapquest plotted out the directions, and it should only take about ten minutes from here by car."
Which, of course, we didn't have. We'd done the math, and even a used car was well outside my budget. Not to mention gas, insurance, potential repairs, and everything else that came with owning one. Better to stick with walking and public transit.
Although, come to think of it, getting a bicycle wasn't out of the question. I'd ridden one all the time as a kid, and wasn't there a saying about something was like riding a bicycle, meaning it was ingrained in your head as a skill?
(I'd be happy to help you pick one out,) Hallit offered, kindly. (It would certainly be a faster method of travel than walking.)
(Thank you,) I answered.
Seeing as Mapquest was easy enough to use, Hallit thanked Ella and left to use one of the public computers. From there, she put in several searches and printed out each one. Ten cents a page was well within our budget. Then, she did some searching for nearby grocery stores, since my old one was now a half an hour away. Fortunately, there was another nearby, and it was probably in a safer area, being so close to Leah's house.
(Might be the one she uses,) Hallit murmured to me.
(Yeah, I guess,) I agreed.
We came away from the library with lots of knowledge about my new neighborhood, which left me feeling optimistic and prepared. Aside from making my escape at eighteen, I had never really had to plan things out. I had gotten my job because of an ad in the paper, and it being retail and entry level, my lack of experience hadn't mattered. After Leah got engaged, she'd helped me find my former apartment. She'd also helped me with making a budget. Even now, she was helping me however she could.
Even The Sharing had sort of fallen into my lap. I still felt uneasy about certain parts of it, but I did my best to ignore the uneasiness when Hallit had to feed. The fact that there were other voluntary hosts meant that most Yeerks were decent, after all. They were helpless in their own state, and it was hardly their fault that Andalites had chosen to attack their planet.
Now, odd as it may seem, I felt like I finally had some sense of control over my life. Yes, people were helping me, and Hallit was guiding me, but I finally felt like I wasn't living day to day. I had a purpose, as a body to share, as a new aunt to be, as a sister whose rent was helping Leah and Mark afford the house they would raise their child in.
As we prepared to leave the library, printouts and movies and a few books in hand, I murmured my thanks to Hallit.
(You've really helped me, and I don't know if I ever said thank you. The way I should, anyway,) I told her, awkwardly.
She just laughed. (I am in your head, Rachel. I know how you feel.) After a pause, she added, (You're welcome. You know, it's not terrible to care for a host who actually wants you there.)
Remembering her involuntary hosts, I gave a mental nod. (It must have been awful for you.)
She gave me a mental nod. (That's in the past.)
We boarded the bus, then, and made our way to my job. Out of the corner of my mind, I watched the people, wondering how many were like us, and just happy to observe.
Author's note: A reviewer suggested having Rachel become acquainted with her new living arrangements and its proximity to the places she went. I thought this was a good idea, and wondered how I could make it happen using 20th century technology. I was a teenager when the books came out, and grew up using dial up internet, but it's easy to forget that we didn't always have things like YouTube or Facebook at our disposal. Fortunately, according to a Google search, Mapquest WAS invented in 1996, meaning that it would have been available to Rachel and the librarian at the time of the series (1997? 1998?). Also, as a librarian myself, I wanted to include at least one library scene!
Full disclosure: I don't know how cards worked in California in the late 1990's. In Pennsylvania, we participate in an "Access PA" program where, sometimes for a fee, public libraries offer services to residents throughout the state. You may have to sign up for different cards in different counties, but you're not denied service. Whether or not other states operate in the same way isn't something I have researched extensively. I do remember learning over a decade ago that I could buy/rent a New Jersey card for something like 50 dollars for one year. But as I am only there for a couple of weeks a year for vacation, it didn't seem like a good enough deal--for me, personally. Anyway... I am assuming that Rachel's new library is in the same county as her old one, and that they honor all cards in the county as well as participate in a lending program that allows all (or most) materials to be checked out and returned at any library.
Well, this note has gone on long enough, so I will conclude with thanking those who have left comments, and asking people to continue to do so! I expect that we will see an addition to Rachel's family before long.