Wamalwa pressed on the accelerator of his car as he rushed towards Kwa-Korner Library, the largest and first privately owned library with over three million books in Africa, conveniently situated in Nairobi. When Wamalwa heard of Kwa-Korner Library four years ago immediately he was among the first members and investors, the most worthwhile investment he had ever made.
A proud one.
He lived for knowledge, lived for books, for the deep-dive.
His most precious memories are of him holding a book, its pages and its piercing hot-off-the print smell or his ISome, another worthwhile investment of Kenyan-made bestseller EBook reader tablets. Portable, light, waterproof and with solar charging was the epitome of true living for him. In the minutest of his being he loved to read, desired to always be holding a book or an e-book tablet and spending countless hours caressing its pages and spine, lightly brushing its screen and deep-diving into its wonderful secrets. Reading is the soul purpose of his life better than cuddling as later discovered.
But he always fantasized, sometimes, if he ever found a woman with a similar burning and destructive love for reading as him then cuddling while reading will be purely and soulfully orgasmic. Sometimes, most times, he fantasized of a passionate bookworm soulmate.
Since his home library is already full; the living room, library room, office, and bedroom all boasted floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with books upon books. Most, definitely read and the rest are still awaiting his touch and attention. Unable to part with his books he inclined himself towards borrowing library books from Kwa-Korner Library, always being his library of choice and first recommendation to people who ask.
The only problem Wamalwa had with Kwa-Korner Library was their strict overdue policy: If a checked-out book is five days overdue one is automatically blacklisted barring them from checking out library books for four consecutive weeks. Wamalwa could just buy more books or go to another library but Kwa-Korner Library catered for his indigenous literature addiction quite well. They had a varied collection on indigenous studies which most, if not all, libraries in Kenya severely lacked. Hence, he cannot be blacklisted now. Not when he desperately needed the follow-up book to the current series he was reading. Furthermore, his compulsive behavior would not allow him to break the routine he had set for himself for the next 4 months, he also had an overly strict rule on adherence to routine for optimal functioning.
Everything had to flow as he had designed. Plus, nobody stopped Willy Wamalwa from whatever he wanted.
He had to get the one almost-to-be overdue book checked back in the next ten. No, in the next eight minutes actually.
The Kwa-Korner to his place was 20 minutes by car, he was sure he could make it in five. Hence why he was driving at eighty to ninety kilometers in forty-five kilometers road restriction but it was a gloomy, cold August on a Sunday with not much traffic of vehicles or people in the streets of the neighborhood and it was not his first or fifth reckless driving. Regardless, as long as the library was open, he would make the shortest time possible and get there.
He had to.
This was another impeccable beauty of Kwa-Korner Library, they were open twenty-four hours and seven days a week even during holidays, simply the library does not close unless in an emergency or crisis. He was already late returning an already four-day overdue book and in the next six and a half minutes it will become five days overdue.
Arriving at the library, Wamalwa parked right at the front entrance of the library quickly turning off the car engine and pulling the keys out he leaped out of the car kicking his door loudly back into the car body as he sped up the stairs. Pressing the lock button of his key as he ran for his life, the overdue book was still tightly held in his right hand since leaving his house.
He looked manic. Possessed.
Quickly pushing through the swinging doors, he did not let himself be distracted by the open minimalist décor in the reception area. In front of him was the security team already checking a line of five men, eight women and tens of kids. Looking at his watch, Wamalwa had only one minute left so he made a decision and skipped security check. He quickly ran past security who began to raise alarm immediately but Wamalwa did not care.
“Sir! Stop!”
“Boss! Simamaa!”
Wamalwa ran in big strides, stepping inside the main floor of the library which handled checking in and out of books he quickly jogged to the electronic book check-in machine threw his book into it and waited for the familiar red scanner to go over the book and the flaps to open and swallow the book but nothing happened. Not letting the panic drown him, he quickly grabbed the book and threw it into the second book check-In machine. His breath held as he watched almost as if time slowed down, as the red scanner went over the book and in the next second the book was swallowed into the machine and beeped green.
He was safe.
Wamalwa, in excited ecstasy, jumped into the air with a hard fist punching the air. He had made it. He was victorious as always.
“Yes!”
“Excuse me sir,” A soft, enchanting voice brought him out of his celebration. He turned around to find a beautiful feminine dark chocolate, box-braided, white sneakers, and a beautiful Slytherin green slip-on dress enclosing her voluptuous body. Looking at the tag on her left breast it read:
Head Librarian: Neeva Aliiwa
“What is wrong with you?”, Neeva asked curiously eyes sparkling, enthralled, as if she was glad to have met someone like him.
“Ahh Pole! Pole! I cannot be banned and I truly apologize for the disruption I have made,” Wamalwa raised his hands in surrender to all that witnessed and were alarmed by his spectacle, “I mean no harm! I just really need the next book. I cannot be banned!”
“You love reading that much?” she asked, softly and enchantingly. Wamalwa just stared at her, her eyes, her skin, her physique and then to her hand, where he stared a bit more. His interest peeked even more.
A large book that looked to be about seven hundred pages was being held comfortably, with her right hand pointer finger lost in the mid-section of the page. Her temporary bookmark.
He smiled.
His fantasies seemed to be materializing in the real world. In all this chaos she still managed, consciously or unconsciously, to carry the book she was clearly just reading. Wamalwa for the first time in his 33 years of living had a deep soulful interest in the opposite sex, in her specifically. He wanted to know her, her world and most importantly, what she reads.
“I love reading just as much or maybe more than you do,” he smiled at her, confident and sure of them. This is what they call fate.
“I leave work in 20 minutes, dinner?”
“For you anything,” Wamalwa smiled happily, the jackpot hit. As expected.
Then he remembered why he was rushing anyway.
“Also, can I check out some books?”
“Of course, please follow me,” her smile bigger and hungrier now. She was pleased with him too. Again, this is fate. They were it for each other.
She turned, leading graciously to a sexy book-filled future Wamalwa was already enthralled by and ready to do what he must to have all of it and more. His life was about to get way more interesting. Wamalwa’s way has always been the way. He's never disappointed himself, always reaping the best out of life.
Neeva. Neeva. Neeva.
This is going to be very interesting.
He smiled, proudly, devilishly as he followed the siren librarian to his future.
