The Light

The vertical line of light ceremoniously slipped through the crack between the shade and the frame, resting on several rows of books that lined the library wall. The room was almost pitch dark as the sun rose slowly in the sky. The drawn shade over the window mostly did its job. As the sun rose, the room became slightly more visible beyond the vertical streak of light. The recliner embracing Marvin began to reveal it’s dark mahogany colors. The family photos on the desk similarly began to slowly awaken. However, he was here in the library for a special purpose, not a walk down Memory Lane. 

Marvin sat in his recliner facing his closest friends, a few hundred of his most admired books. He watched, mesmerized as the vertical shaft of light slowly inched its way across the bookcase giving each of his volumes a final bit of glory. He took a long drag on his cigarette and expelled a few hallos of smoke which floated towards the bookcase in a final salute. The rings slowly drifted apart into the beyond as Marvin pondered his fate.

The halos of smoke evoked a sense of solemnity and awe to the scene. He was transported to a euphoric oneness with his treasures. He reflected- words are the gifts of God. We are transformed and transported by the written word. Words are the blood of God. We must drink them. His mind flitted about into his deep past. He witnessed himself turning the pages of Cat in the Hat, Uncle Scrooge, Call of the Wild, Tom Sawyer, On The Road, Macbeth, Tale of Two Cities, Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy and others too hard to see. 

Marvin was sure that Heaven would be a gigantic library with a huge soft recliner, a pack of cigarettes and a cup of strong coffee- endlessly refilled as needed. He took a deep drag and put the cigarette into the ashtray. He watched his hand do the work. It was thin, gaunt and riddled with blue and gray rivers flowing randomly just below the surface. He watched as the shaft of light struck a hard covered book- “Prescription: Medicide- the Goodness of Planned Death”.

As his eyelids slowly lowered he watched as his friends surrounded him. Shakespeare, Whitman, Keats, Dickens, Hemingway, Austen, Orwell, Faulkner, Salinger and Poe.  Each drifted from the bookcase to his recliner offering a smile and a tender touch. Even Dr. Seuss showed up, wearing that silly hat of course. Finally, Dr. Kavorkian appeared with a beatific smile. With the doctor’s subtle nod of the head Marvin was off to the Great Library.

Marvin looked upward to the massive arch that stretched beyond his sight. He approached the library door, ornately carved with the visages of many authors. It opened, creaking its greeting as he approached. There was a bit of dampness and an odor of wood and paper. Marvin became excited and pleased to be among his friends forever. The sound of his steps seemed to echo in the huge empty entranceway to the Great Library. He was amazed at the magnificent stained glass windows adorned with famous scenes from literature. 

Marvin approached the librarian’s desk with some deference. “I’m very pleased to be here” he stammered. The librarian was a somewhat elderly woman with gray hair tied back in a bun. She put down her papers and stared at him above her tiny glasses, “Name.” He stood up straight and tall and said “I’m Marvin. I’m here to enter the Great Library”. The librarian nodded. She glanced down at her paperwork. She flipped through a dozen or so pages. “I’m afraid you are not on the list”. Marvin stammered, “Wait, if anyone should be here it’s me. I love books. They are my family. They are always reliable and trustworthy- unlike people. I should be here”.

The librarian shook her head from side to side. She looked saddened. “We have made special arrangements in order to modernize our business plan. Apparently you didn’t renew your Amazon Prime membership. I’m afraid you’ll have to go to the Other Place”.

Instantly Marvin found himself sitting in front of a computer screen. There was no keyboard. The words slowly came onto the screen … “Congratulations. You will be given access to every Twitter account in the universe. You will be exposed to the random writings of others for an eternity. I know what you’re thinking. There will be no cigarettes I’m afraid. LOL” … Marvin wondered, “Is it my imagination or is it getting hot in here?”.