I Learn a Lesson. Hopefully.

I bought a book last week. Truth be told, I was required to purchase a book last week.

Here’s how that happened.

Monday, a week ago, I had a doctor’s appointment. There’s usually some sit-around time at a doctor’s office. Could be short; could be long. Often, there are magazines lying around for folks to read. At the kidney place, there are quite a few exactly identical magazines that are professional kidney-related periodicals. They all look like they’ve never been touched, much less read.

And, if there are interesting magazines at a doctor’s office, and I pick up one to read, then I’m often in the middle of an interesting article when I have to go in to a see the doctor, and I never am able to finish the article. I guess I could go to the library, and see if they had a copy in their periodical room, but, given that what’s in the doctor’s office is often six months old, the out-dated copy of what I want isn’t there. It might be in a box that’s going to the annual library book sale, and I could find it there and buy it, but, really, what are the chances.

Taking a book (that I want to read) with me seems like the better choice, and that’s what I did. It was a “Maisie Dobbs” novel.

Several months ago, I popped into the library to look for an audio book to listen to when I was making a trip to Fort Worth to get Peter. I found several of them by an author named Jacqueline Winspear. It caught my eye because we have a niece whose last name is Winspear. (I should ask her if there’s a relation to anyone in her husband’s family.) I chose one and took it with me. The character is a private investigator in post WWI England. The book I chose was, of course, in the middle of the series, but I liked it. I looked up the series and started back at the beginning to catch up. Most of the books are on CD, but a couple of them aren’t, which means I have to stop in the middle of audio-enjoying a book while driving around, and actually get a hard-copy book and read it.

That’s the situation for the book in the physician’s office. I read in the waiting room, and then on to the “let’s check your vision” room, then to the “let’s scan your retina” room, and on to the “let’s shine the light of the sun into your eyes” room, then “wait here in this shadowy room,” and, finally, to the “wait here for the doctor” room. (We are very busy at the retina place.)

Then, and I am absolutely positive about this, when I went to check out and get a card for my next appointment, I had put the book on the counter. I remember seeing it there. Later, at home, when I wanted to read it, I couldn’t find it. It’s wasn’t in my purse, which is pretty big and where I usually put books when I’m toting them around.

It must be in the car I thought. It was not in the car. I guess it’s somewhere in the house. No, it was not anywhere in the house. Maybe I left it at the doctor’s after all.

Tuesday morning, I went straightway to the doctor’s office. I waited for my turn in line (where others where checking in), and then explained to the receptionist.

“I had a book with me yesterday morning when I was here. I thought I had it with me when I left, but I cannot find it anywhere in my car or house. Did someone find a book yesterday?”

She got up and stepped away from her desk and came back in a few seconds, with two books. I was briefly (very briefly) excited. But, although other people had left books (and who knows how long ago), mine was not there. She took my name and phone number and promised to call if it turned up.

I didn’t feel hopeful.

A couple of days later, I went to the library’s online site to check to see if any other books that I had might need to be turned in or renewed, and there was a message that said I couldn’t renew any of the books I did have, because I had an outstanding fine. OF 28 DOLLARS! I didn’t think it could be the book that I was afraid I had lost, because it wasn’t due for several more days. But, oh, yes, indeed. It was  the book I couldn’t find. I couldn’t find it because it had been turned in. Damaged.

I guess I dropped it when I left the doctor’s. On my way out of the building. As I got in the car. As I got out of the car, at my next stop. Wherever it was, it was in a parking lot or roadway. Because it had been run over.

Years ago, if you damaged a library book, you had to pay for it, but they didn’t give it back to you. I complained about that, because they were going to get rid of the damaged book and replace it. I should get the book back I argued (after I had #1-dropped a book in a puddle, and #2-dropped a different book in the bathtub.). They did not agree. However, recently, I learned that they had changed that policy. And, just in time! I went to the library, all contrite, and handed over my library card so they could start the process, and I paid for my very own, run-over-by-a-car copy of the Maisie Dobbs novel, A Lesson in Secrets.

What I find most amazing is that someone found the book, saw that it was a library book, and turned it in!! Otherwise, I’d have had to pay for the book and then waited for them to order another copy and then, hope-against-hope, that they would let me check out the new book to be able to finish the story.

Saturday morning, when the patio was in the shade, and before outdoor temperatures rose to oven-like, I sat on my new bench and finished reading the book. Let me know if you’d like to borrow it sometime.