The Old Man...

Segment Two

The rest of the day passed slowly, with only a few folks coming in to check out books or use the computer station. Marcy fussed around with the camera on her phone, taking quite a few pictures of the library from various angles and positions, moving them to the computer, making choices, then discarding some of her choices and picking others. The bell jangled, and she looked up with a start as an old man rocked through the door, his upper body rocking back and forth like a sailor at sea she had seen on one of her college field trips. She jumped up and walked over to the registration desk, noting the old man was shorter than her and wore a beat-up old cowboy hat. “Can I help you, sir?”

The old man looked up at her, and it was all she could do not to recoil in horror. One side of his face was badly scarred. “Yes, ma’am. I saw your want ad for somebody to work here. I’d like to apply.”