The night I went to dinner with my friend Cheryl after work, I get off around five and she had some stuff to finish up and was staying at her job until six so that left me with an hour to kill downtown.
I figured I’d run quick to the library since I already had two books checked out. I’d just finished one, and hadn’t started the other one yet, but it was a hard find. Since the one was due soon, I thought I’d go renew it, and turn the finished one in, and perhaps update my journal on the web in their computer lab. Since I haven’t been to this branch in about three years, I was unaware of their new hours.
Turned out the were about to close and I all but got roughed up when I waltzed in the door to case the joint and see if I could find the way to the computer lab. The LIBRARY! of all places!
The security guard was right inside the door and informed me that they were closing in five minutes.
me: “Five minutes? Gee…I haven’t been here in awhile. Darn. I wanted to hang out a little. You guys used to be open until six. I had no idea.
Mister Security Guard: “Yes, we close at five-thirty now.”
me: “Oh, okay, well can I at least go in and renew these books?”
Mister Security Guard: “Sure. Hey, you could have done that over the phone, you know.”
me: “Yeah, I know, I’ve done it before but like I said I didn’t know about the hours being different and I planned on staying for a while.”
Mister Security Guard: “Yeah, you can do that nowadays. Just call the main number and ask.”
me: “I know. Like I said, I came to hang out awhile.”
The woman at the book return counter, just a few feet away looks over, and I’m sure she’s heard our conversation. She looks just like Marian the Librarian from Music Man, only with an attitude and somewhat more of a 90’s hairdo and attire. I have to supress a giggle. I ask her from where the guard and I are standing if she can renew the books for me.
Marian Librarian: “Alright, just step right over here and I can help you.”
me: “Here’s my card, I know they’re not due until the 22nd but I figured since I was coming by already…”
Marian: “Yes, well do you use the renewal over the phone option? You could have just done that, you know.”
me: “Yes, but I was just over there telling you guys that I was unaware of the closing time tonight.”
Marian: “Oh. You were? Well. Fine. (all snotty like)”
Good Lord. I wanted badly to pound her face in, but I kept myself in check.
She knew, AND she heard me. She just wanted to take her shitty day out on ME. Well I ain’t havin’ it.
Bitch.
Same day, different year..
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