Piece, Love, and Happiness

“Thanks for noticing,” she says and sits next to me. From her bag she pulls out all the books we were required to read this summer Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Empire William Barrett, Irrational Man J.M. Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment to name just a fraction) and all the books that were on the suggested reading list (ie if you are such a fast reader or lame enough never to set foot outdoors, you can pile these pages onto your bedside table).

“I see you got to the beach,” I joke and point to the books.