‘Peace. I think he found it peaceful. He could be alone here. But he hasn’t come for years, unless it was for keeping an eye on me now and again. He was so busy.’
‘Okay, I understand. But this place, it was still very important to him, ne? And so many people come here for peace, or for friends. How would he feel about this Save Our Libraries thing?’
Aleisha shrugged.
‘Would he have been happy if the council closed this place down?’
Aleisha shrugged again.
‘I don’t think he would. I don’t think you would.’
Aleisha smiled, ‘No, you’re probably right. But, I don’t see what we can do? Everyone’s seen the leaflets, and there’s like a JustGiving page or something too.’
‘Okay, but I have a better idea.’ He waited for Aleisha to say something like, ‘Go on, I want to hear it’， but she didn’t. He continued anyway.
‘I know that you do lots of other things, like the book club stuff, I have seen the posters on the wall. But you must need to be busier, yes?’ Again, Aleisha remained silent. ‘So, I would like to do a community drop-in morning, or afternoon, or whatever you think is best. You’re the professional.’
Aleisha rolled her eyes, ‘I’m not the professional. What do you mean?’
‘No need for a library card, no need to take out books if you don’t want to. We could use this reception bit for a coffee and cake and food thing; people always come for food, especially if it’s free. Or even just a donation to charity. Every Wednesday perhaps. A chance to speak to people. And that can be the thing, talk to one new person every time you come. To help more people feel a little bit less lonely, and maybe help keep the library going. Because they don’t have to sign up, but as soon as they’re here, they’ll want to, won’t they? It can make it popular again!’
‘You think enough people would come? They’re not exactly a chatty bunch here, are they? Other than this one lady who comes on Tuesdays sometimes and she never stops talking.’
‘… It’s just a chance for us to ask for help, for the library, for each other too. Could we try? Could you ask? I think it would be nice – maybe people just need a little prod to talk to someone new.’
‘I don’t know if my boss would agree. Wouldn’t it just be the same people who come?’
‘He will like it because it will bring even more people to this library. It will be “come for the cakes, stay for the books – and the new friends!” Isn’t it? We could do flyers – but not like these sad ones,’ he held up the Save Our Libraries leaflets again.
She sighed. ‘I’ll ask.’
‘And, I thought, this first one … maybe it would be nice to be held in memory of Aidan. Even if he didn’t have the time to come here to sit and read in recent years, this place meant a lot to him. He wanted you to work here, didn’t he? And it has helped you too. Didn’t it? I think it helped you. Maybe this is how to help his memory live on, beyond those Instagrab posts.’
Aleisha nodded, a smile hiding in there somewhere.
At that moment, Crime Thriller Chris walked in, wearing a hoodie and jeans as usual.
‘Chris!’ Mukesh called over, his body zinging with excitement. ‘What do you think about a drop-in morning on Wednesdays at the library?’
Chris looked slightly taken aback – it was the most Mukesh had said to him in a long time; normally he just got a smile and a wave. ‘Errr, yeah, they’re quite good those kinds of things. My mum likes them. Coffee mornings.’
‘See!’ Mukesh pointed at Chris, looking at Aleisha. ‘So, you ask? Chris will bring his mother. This will be fantastic. I am excited.’ Mukesh was smiling from ear to ear, and Aleisha started to laugh. Chris shrugged, not sure what had just happened, and continued on his way to his usual spot.
‘Naina would love this! She loved this kind of thing – and now I’m the one doing it. And not even at the temple.’
Mukesh hopped up from his chair and gave Aleisha a tap on the shoulder, bending down to her at her desk very slowly because his back was much stiffer than he remembered. Because for a moment, he’d forgotten that now he was an old man with aching joints. For a moment, he had felt completely and utterly brand new.
Chapter 36
ALEISHA
NOW SHE’D SEEN THOSE flowers on the train platform through someone else’s eyes, shared on social media, with forty-five likes. The petals were browning, they were dying. They weren’t for ever. Aidan was in these people’s minds now, but like those flowers, he would one day be gone.