Books and libraries (Kalagang one word prompt. Or two, in this case)
@iwillneverletgoipromise replied: Books
By this point, Kala really shouldn’t be surprised byWolfgang. After all they’ve been through, after being able to step through thedoorway between their minds for all this time, Kala thinks she should have afairly firm grasp on who Wolfgang is.
And yet, when they walk past the Staatsbibliothek zuBerlin one cold morning and Wolfgang’s eyes light up with something likeloneliness and something like wonder and asks if she wants to go inside, Kalacan’t help but think, Really? You?
She says nothing as they walk inside, hand in hand asWolfgang navigates the building effortlessly, confidently, like he’s been doingit his whole life.
The scene around them shifts in and out of the presentevery few steps, the people milling about the library changing into others cladin lighter clothes, the sun illuminating the halls turning warmer and brighterthan the current winter light streaming in through the windows. It’s no longerWolfgang pulling Kala along, but a slim young woman guiding a blond little boy,and they feel a soft hand in theirs and the scent of expensive perfume at oddswith the cheap clothes the woman and the boy wear.
They weave in and out of the memory as they make theirway up a grand staircase, down a hall, and past rows and rows of bookshelvesuntil they reach a circular sitting area stocked with plush leather chairs and along forest green sofa. The woman from Wolfgang’s memories sits on a widearmchair with the little boy on her lap, and Kala watches as the woman holds upa book in front of them and a young Wolfgang struggles through the long Germanwords, his mother gently coaxing him through them with a kiss to his cheekwhenever he makes a mistake, eliciting a soft giggle before he continues.
Kala looks up at a grown-up Wolfie, eyes lit up withsomething like loneliness and something like wonder, and her heart aches for ayoung boy who used to know what lovefelt like and a grown man that had forgotten by the time he met her.
She squeezes his hand and he’s pulled back from thememory, turning to meet her gaze with a sad smile that she returns.
Before either of them can say anything, Kala leavesWolfgang’s side and weaves her way past the seating area and into one of theshelved alcoves, fingers fluttering over the titles embossed on the spines ofthe books that surround her until she finds one she likes. She pulls it out andwalks back to where Wolfgang still stands, gesturing for him to sit anddropping on his lap when he does.
His arms immediately wrap around her abdomen and heholds her tight for a few seconds, eyes closed shut and breathing deeply. Kala letshim have a few moments to compose himself, to ease the clench in his chest fromthe unexpected exercise of dusting off old memories he’s spent years pretendinghe doesn’t have. They spend a few seconds in silence, missing his mother.
He lifts his head after a few moments and rests hischcin on Kala’s shoulder, and she takes a second to appreciate the briefvulnerability and the fact that she’s trusted enough to be allowed to witnessit. She presses a quick kiss to Wolfgang’s lips, then settles in with her backagainst his chest, opens the book, and begins to read.
And after a while, Wolfgang’s eyes are lit up withsomething a little less like loneliness, and a lot more like wonder.
