Chapter 1 (Teal Blue Book)

A Chapter by Karthik Krish Arthur

Arthur's narration

March 31, 2074 (Arthur's narration)

Isn't it a beautiful morning?

Fully bloomed flowers in the garden, beautiful scents filling the house, making it home.

The sound of shoes hitting against the hard pavement as youthful joggers jogged past the porch.

Adorable little angels playing and laughing at the playground across the road.

A morning breeze brushes past my face as I sat on the old wooden rocking chair that creaks with every move. Newspaper, tea and a pack cigarettes on the mini table beside, if only she was still here. Marianne, the lovely blonde who would brew the most delicious tea every morning without fail plastering a smile on this old man's face. She was the only love of my life, and to have married her was a blessing from the universe. Love at first sight, promised to never leave me. I am still unaware if the promise was broken or if the universe just played a dirty game.

How could I let her go without me. I should have ended my life when she had hers taken. Every morning, it's the same routine. I start the day missing her presence, oh my, an old man sitting on his porch with tears rolling down his cheeks? I have to wipe them off before someone notices. I do not want to be pitied. I am 87 years old, not going to deny that, however I am still a strong man, I do not need anyone's pity or help. What makes them think I need them now. No one cared for us when we got married and moved in many years ago. We were always the runaway couple that will never be forgiven by god. What god? Pfft! This people will use almost anything to break you down. Many say that we live in a cruel world, I beg to differ. We live in a beautiful world that is filled with vicious idiots. Among them she shined like diamond reflecting light so bright I couldn't resist turning my attention towards her. Every millisecond of my life spent with her is still the most amazing moments of my life. There is nothing else that I want in my life now, I'm old and is no use to this world anymore. Everyday before I go to sleep, I wish that I will not wake up the next morning. The universe is like your annoying best friend who does the most amazing wonders for you and yet never does the thing that you ask them to. The universe isn't planning to take me away from this realm any time soon.

Just as every other day that has passed by since her death, this day was not going to be any different. There is possibly nothing an old man living on his own can do in this neighbourhood. I never had an interest in books or movies but marianne did. I was only her second love, books were her first. She was a freak who would read a 500 page novel in a day. To me they were just dead trees with ink on them. However she saw something entirely different from my point of view. Books were a portal to another realm, to another life. I always thought reading is weird. Our eyes are able to scan these different symbols and construct the scenarios and concepts they describe, in our mind and these concepts have the power to test our emotions and make us cry and laugh and feel. It isn't yours but when you read, you live that life. A little eldritch to think about how you could live a life without actually having to experience it. She could finish a novel in a day and she reads almost everyday, now think about this, if with each book you read, you have lived a different life, Marianne has probably lived a million lives. It is pretty amazing what books can do. She tried her to best to get me into reading. No! I didn't like the way books smelled. Dead trees. She would chuckle whenever I said that and would shout to me that someday I would pick a random book from the shelf and drown myself in it.

Her shelf, It covers the entire wall, about 8 feet high and 16 feet wide. Nothing reminds me of her like this shelf, after all these years, today I am standing here looking at it wondering what she saw in these books. I could hear her faint voice, " Someday you will pick a random book from the shelf and drown in it. "

Honestly I do not want to read now but I wanted to feel marianne with me again. She lived all these books. Since I will not be dying any time soon, this is the closest I can get to her. How does one choose a book to read? What am I suppose to do? I am old, I do not have the energy to reach for a book at the top, maybe I should aim for something at the bottom.

Blue! Teal blue cover! Teal Blue is my favourite colour and that is a book with a cover in that colour now that is a book that I wouldn't mind reading. Marianne loved reading by the window in our room, a small edge to sit on and a beautiful view for a quick rest for the eyes. I held the book firmly in one hand and my cup of tea, still hot, on the other and took a seat at her favourite spot in the house. I now know why this was her favourite spot in the house. You can see the playground, where the little kids, full of life and joy, run around playing and laughing. Marianne loved children, she would spend hours at night as we got comfortable on bed to go to sleep, talking about how adorable kids are and the names that she has picked for our kids and all the things she want them to do. Once again, tears, an old man crying, how manly. I couldn't cry when she left and now I cry. I do not know what the universe thought but we never had kids. We tried all we could but little did we know that marianne's body wash not capable of bearing a child. That was the first time I saw her break down so badly, all she wanted was a child that we can call ours and the universe…took that and threw it in a bin. A month went by, she didn't want to talk about anything, it was the most painful moment of my life. I could not bear to see her in such a state. She wasn't very keen in adopting a child either. She lost it all. And when she finally returned to her normal state, she would sit here and just adore the little kids. Thankfully no complains came in about a creepy lady staring at little kids from afar. I am comedic genius, ha ha…I am unbelievable.

Something seemed a little off about this book I held in my hand. Every other book has a tittle on it's cover, this book does not. A plain leather cover painted in teal blue, interesting. What surprised me most was the note on the front page of the book. "This is my favourite book, Arthur. I knew that one day you will read a book and I wanted this book to be your first. You will love it. With love, your beautiful wife; Marianne." and I thought I was a comedic genius. I am a little creeped out by the fact how this is the first book I'm going to read and I never knew Marianne could see the future. Maybe it was pure coincidence, if marianne really was able to see the future, she would have warned me about the racoon that almost ripped off my ear during the fall. The universe is a creepy b*****d trying to play games with me. I am old, I can't play any games now, good luck trying to make me. The first chapter; Who could that be? Does every book start with such mystery or am I just new to this. Whatever the answer is to that question does not matter what matters is that, this is marianne's favourite book, every page smelled like her, with every flip I felt her fingers doing the same, I knew that this book will bring me to her. I just want to feel her presence, at least once, please.

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