Still sick today and not at work, nevertheless I had to eat something, so I dragged my bacteria-swarming self along to my favourite Turkish pizza place.
That is not very interesting, but what happened on the bus trip home WAS interesting.
When I got on the bus I saw a girl reading a book and there was an empty seat next to her. Did I sit next to this girl? Yes, I did. I chose the seat next to the reading girl.
I sat down next to her and looked at her sideways, covertly. Her book was a paperback, a pretty thick one. 'Ah! Another fantasy reader!' I thought. All these women seem to be reading fantasy novels these days. Well, there's nothing wrong with that. They could be reading Danielle Steele. Or That's Life magazine.
I managed to read a sentence at the top of the left hand page of her book: 'Unbelievably, the citadel was even more magnificent than the piazza below.' Yes, it sure sounded like it could be a fantasy novel.
Then I pulled my book out of my bag. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin. Hardback. 973 pages. It's ENORMOUS, weighs a goddam tonne, and the cover is this awesome metallic blue that dazzles the eye when the sun hits it.
The girl's head suddenly started jerking. Looking, looking! She craned her neck, her head going at mad angles, not in the slightest concerned about a covert attempt. A bold one, her! She was determined to find out what book I was reading. Ha! At last the power was MINE! Yes, I had the power to quickly open the book, thus not letting her get a look at the cover! Could I be so cruel? Of course not. It is not in me. Plus I, of all people, know how it feels. I held the book closed for a second so she could see the cover. She instantly returned to normal, collecting herself and calmly looking back down at her own book.
Later, when I got off the bus and was walking home, I thought about what had occurred. I was too sick to be obsessed with what she was reading, but strangely, and for the first time, *she* was obsessed with what I was reading. The way she jerked her head was a clear sign. She had to know. Like I, all those times, had to know.
At last! I know I am not alone!
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2 comments:
i do that as well on the bus if there is someone reading a book i always casually look at it and if im really curious i will even be so bold as to ask them if the book is any good. always curious what people are reading.
thank u for reading my blog.. i'm just a beginner.. anyway, this is the link for the demon diary if u want to read the comic:
http://scullbox82.multiply.com/photos/photo/15/105.jpg
anyway, i love reading your entries.. i do the same thing if i was her.. i mean trying to look at the title of other people's book esp in train or bus.. because i love reading.. and you are not alone..that's for sure.. we are about the same..
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