"How is this possible?" she asked, putting a stack of books onto the counter. "How can you be the last one?"
"It's all about control," he said. "Independent bookstores offer books you can't get anywhere else and the government can't control us, so they made it cheaper to shop on line and little by little, one by one, we disappeared. With our closing, went your freedom of choice and your chance to pet cats, have a cup of coffee, and spend time with other actual people."
"How did we not know that?" she asked, horrified.
"I think people know a lot of things. They just don't care, or don't understand the consequences of their actions. And, on that table over there," he said, pointing, you'll find some one of a kind things you might be interested in, judging by the books you just shoved toward me."
"Thank you," she sighed, moving away. "Is there anything we can do about this situation?"
"Kind of late, don't you think?"
She bent over and kissed a calico. The sign by her bed said that her name was Mazie.
"I love this," she said, holding up a book of poems written on brown paper bags."
"He's a local poet. More interested in saying something than promoting himself, I guess. Nice guy. Writes constantly."
She walked back to the desk with three more books. "I still want to look at Urban fantasy, Street art, Cats, and..."
"We're open all night," he said. "And I can help you load these into your car, or even deliver them."
"Great."
"What's your name?"
"Danny," she said, smiling at him.
"I'm Josh."
"Nice to meet you."
He nodded. "You too, take your time and look around. It should get crowed in twenty minutes, but it will die down again around nine."
"Thanks. And your plants look so healthy and happy."
"I think it's from the cats rubbing against their leaves," he snickered. "None of them are poisonous, so don't worry."
She grinned and went to look at the books in the corner.
People started coming into the store, getting coffee and tea, cookies and slices of homemade banana bread. They browsed, or bought the book they came in for, and left. People ebbed and flowed, chatted, laughed, patted each other on the back and some were deep in philosophical discussion. Around nine o'clock, the crowd began to thin. Several homeless people came in and Josh gave them something to eat and drink. They nodded their thanks and took a book out of the FREE bin, and went back to wherever they were staying for the night.
A black void rubbed against her arm and she kissed her ears. One of her kittens meeped behind her and she felt a rush of happiness. This was how life was supposed to be, she thought. Community, talking to each other, helping each other.
"Can I work here?" she asked. "I can do part-time for free, if you can't pay me. Or, you can pay me with a book now and then. I know about books, plants, and cats. I'll do whatever you need me to do, but I want to be part of this. Please."
"Don't you have a job?"
"Yes, but don't worry about that."
"Okay," he said. "Come in whenever you like. I'll pay you what I can and we can see how it works out."
"When?"
"When?"
"When can I start? Can I start now?"
"Um, sure. I guess."
She took off her coat and said, "What do you want me to do?"
"Maybe you can straighten the books, now that the crowd is gone."
And that's how it began. Just a girl walking into a bookstore, meeting a boy and his cats. No, they didn't get married, but they were best friends for the rest of their lives and they kept the Last Bookstore open for a lot longer than anyone thought possible. It stayed open because of the feeling that people got when they walked in. They felt welcome, as if they were visiting friends. Well, that and the fact that the cats were adorable and the books were fabulous. Community support matters. Always.
Photo: Riley McCullough
Unsplash
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