The Canvas

2- Charlie

"Hi Paulie. It's your sister calling. I just wanted to thank you for calling yesterday. It's a relief to know you're safe. Catalina and I would really love to see you, maybe you could come into the diner some night like old times. Cat come on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Sign is coming up, I'd really like you home for it. If you only stay for sunrise, that's fine, I'd just like you with us when we discover our fate for the year. Stay safe please and-"

*beep* "If you are finished recording, press 1 to send."

I send the voicemail even though I was cut off. I've been on edge as 2030 peeks from around the corner. I've been praying to the Gods, putting my spare change in the fountain outside of my church as an offering. Ezra says it's a waste, but I find comfort in my beliefs.

Weekdays at the bookstore are usually pretty quiet. That's the best part about working here. It's a moment of peace amid the chaos that my life is. All the shit going on just temporarily disappears. Plus, when it's not busy, I can catch up on paying bills and figuring out how I'm going to pay for Catalina's college.

"You can close early today, seems slow. Plus, I don't want any interruptions during Augur Uma's predictions," Larry says as he comes down from his apartment upstairs. I've been working at the bookshop since freshman year of highschool. Larry pays me under the table, so I never had to get a work permit. I don't think Larry even knows how old I am to be honest. He probably assumes I'm older than I actually am. When I tell people I'm 23, they say I look much older.

In my time knowing Larry, I've learned that the augur's segments on the radio is the only thing he'll close early for. If the day holds an ominous atmosphere, he wants to hear the warning from our reader, Augur Uma always seems to know the answer to our future.

Larry always tells me that he has the powers of an augur- crazy old man. He says that he's connected to something spiritually because he gets a feeling in his spine whenever something bad happens. When he told me something was brewing this morning, it made my body tense. I know something is on the horizon and I don't think it's good.

"The shipment for the new book came in today, so I set up a table for it in the front." He grunts in response. "I was also thinking that we could start doing a book date with a stranger. I've seen other bookstores do it. Basically, a stranger buys a book and wraps it up so it's a secret and someone else gets to pick it randomly after reading a short description. If you buy a book to wrap up, you get a book to open." I'm always thinking of ways to bring back the reading trend. When there were lines out the door for the new best seller, I felt like people were finally starting to get it- that reading is the best form of escapism. People saw that it could transport you into a new world, but the next big thing is always on the horizon. Reading was cool until something more interesting came along. Books will never go out of style for me though. I'll always find peace in them.

"We'd have to buy the wrapping paper."

"But it might bring in sales and you could end up profiting," I try to convince him.

"I'll think about it." He looks down at the pamphlets I have laid out in front of me. I'm helping Cat find places to put on her list of college visits. I told her during summer break we could do a road trip to find the school that's a fit for her. "Are you looking for yourself?"

"No," I shake my head. "Cat's looking and I told her I'd help. Honestly, I don't think she'll have any trouble getting into the places she applies to. But I'm not sure how much scholarship money they'll give her. At the same time, I don't want her to worry about money. I want her to go where she wants regardless of the cost." I stomp my rambling and put my head in my hands.

"Have you thought about going?" He ignores my spill on the financial worries that are crammed into every crevice of my brain.

"Of course I have." In high school I really thought I'd at least be able to take some community college classes. But when I started working full time, it slowly became something to hold off for the future.