The steam that pours off the fresh made coffee is especially noticeable. It gave Walter the desire of sitting down and listening to a podcast with it, not driving to the library to study. But he was down to the wire on the paper again. The plans for the day were set.
Maybe I could just stay here and get my work done, he thought for a quick second. No, no. Don't go there. The whole reason you’re going is because you can't get anything done here. Mary suggested the library for a more productive environment. And of course I pick the Botham Public Library. 35 minute drive instead of 5 and it's “nice looking”. Because that's why you pick a study environment, stuff to look at, He thought sarcastically. Whatever, stick to it. Get the paper done.
On his ride in he couldn't help but think that he made the wrong decision. The highway, the lack of trees, the cold ugliness of a city. The best part of the ride is the brief views out the passenger window. It was the only pleasant sight. The pockets of traffic added to the feeling, just get there and get it done Walter, he thought.
After another small skirmish against frustration, parking was finally taken care of and he was entering the building. Here was another hold up. A grand distraction. A complete stoppage of momentum. The view of the Library. “Building” is a funny word, he thought. He’s seen plenty of buildings. If the rest he’d seen were built this surely had to be something else. It looked like the Parthenon, even more intricate. It would have stood out even amongst the government buildings in the nation's capital. But it was the building with the books inside. Do all city libraries look like this, he thought. Abutted to the library are rectangular prisms of glass and metal. Large undertakings for sure, professionally done. But just one of the marble columns he was looking at was more visually impressive than any other modern structure in the area. He clearly made the wrong decision for concentration purposes. The awe that struck him before entering took as much of his time as it would have been to just go to the library around the corner from home. And this only continued inside.
Spiral staircases, ceilings four stories high with windows half that height, balconies overlooking much of this openness, and the sunlight. Even the sunlight looked like it was manipulated by whatever creator allowed it to come in the way it did.
He found an open table and tried to pretend he cared about all this as much as everyone in there. Obviously this wasn't a big deal to anyone but him. It's a city library. Time to get to work. Time to be a scholar. Time to check this task off of the to do list.
Nothing worked. Even as he leaned back to run his fingers across his scalp out of exhaustion, he noticed the ceiling. The ceiling was just another wall in a globally recognized museum of fine arts. Even the molding surrounding the mesmerizing paintings looks like it would have taken a team of skilled men a week. Not only was it highly detailed, it all looked identical, the knots and curves and points, all the way through. How do you make something by hand like that identical all the way through on all sides?
I'm not just going to sit here, he thought to himself. He got up and started wandering around in a daze. Like he’d been drugged. The wandering was not pacing, he was looking way out, way over, way up, trying to see every single angle, wall and decorative feature. But he couldn't see it all. It was everywhere. It was massive and when he got up close to something, it was miniscule. If stone and rock could grow like a thicket in a forest this would have outdone it. Never in his life had he been so captivated by the structure he was inside of. This is how the whole evening went until he had to leave.
*****
Mary
Can you pull into starbucks, I want a coffee.
Walter rolled his eyes and turned the wheel. He wasn't really annoyed. He just thought a coffee at this time was only due to the Starbucks being visible.
Mary
You happy with what you got done?
Walter
Yup, already received the grade online. 78, I’ll take it.
Mary
78? How long were you working for?
Walter
Was up all night. Few hours. Just had to get it done.
Mary
Wait, you said you went to the library though.
Walter
I did, but didnt get anything done.
Mary
Nothing? You drove all the way in and nothing? What did you do?
Walter
Honestly, I was just taking the building in. Like appreciating it. It was beautiful. Never seen anything like it. Place was awesome. Actually awesome. I was actually in awe, you know?
Mary
I guess. I've never been there but I've seen a picture or two. Very old building right? Old buildings are like that.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Walter
Yeah. Just felt weird because it was a library. Like all of that for books. Churches I get. Government buildings I get. I dont know, I guess this isn't much different. It was amazing though.
Mary smiled with endearing ridicule. So funny, such a dork. Cute though.
Walter
Ugh yeah I guess.
She had a way of completely shutting down a topic he was interested in while simultaneously reminding him of why he adored her. A few years of living together allowed those things to happen smoothly. She was right though. I’m making a big deal about it, he thought. It was that certain raw appreciation for things and maybe it was just exciting because it was his first time there, that's all. It's just an old building, he thought.
*****
He lay awake that night thinking of it. Another one of those nights when you're ready to fall asleep on the couch, then you get in bed and suddenly have hundreds of things to think about. Except this time it was just one. How old is it? He thought. How long does it take to build something like that? He couldn't shake it. He got up and started searching up everything he could.
The pictures brought back some of the feelings he had during his trip. There were other parts shown too, courtyards, outdoor balconies, the roof, towers and weathervane needles on top. Then something caught his eye. “Original Botham Library”. So there was one before? Ok... He clicked it. He was looking forward to seeing the photos from the days of old. Maybe even a small blurb about a new architect coming in and deciding the city deserved better. Or newspaper articles rejoicing in the fact that the city could be the regional hub of education and learning with this new magnificent library. A feel good story of turning an old-world brick building with a wooden roof into a masterpiece reminiscent of ancient Greece, But it isn't what he saw.
What he saw made him think he was in the original library the other day. The old library dwarfed the current library. In almost every way. Even higher ceilings with murals in addition to exquisite molding and arches. Like Davinci. The glass seemed to rise another story, fountains with immaculate stone carvings of lions and men battling, and on the roof, bell towers which at that point in the city would surely be the most skyward. He flipped back and forth just to be sure was in fact looking at the older library.
What?… he was nearly speechless. What happened? Why was the previous library so magnificent even compared to the work of art he was in the other day. Where'd it go? He kept reading.
Botham Classic Library -Est 1819-1821
* Demolished 1852
Botham Public Library- Built 1860- present
Demolished? Like torn down? For what reason? He thought. The original library is stated to have been demolished for a new more “structurally sound project”. The wording seemed to be somewhat reasonable, in an overly legal sense, but not logically. Why would something that large be built with those visual results to later be considered “not structurally sound?” What a waste of resources and time. At that time in history too, lives were almost surely lost in its construction. Not only this but the data seems to imply it took 3 years to build. The new “less” magnificent library took longer to build?
I have to go back, he thought.
*****
Walter was able to coordinate another trip there. Some studying, some errands. The timing worked. He planned to get as much studying done as last time, and find a way to do the errands another time. This time driving in he didn't care about the look of the city, he didn't look over at the coast. It could have been a beautiful day, it didn’t matter. He had beauty on his mind. And now with a little mystery. Potent stuff.
He walked in and went directly to the historical archive area. He wanted old pictures, drawings, blue prints, articles, everything. He wanted to see more of this original building, the Botham Classic Library. There’s got to be more information why it was taken down. Maybe there’s a story about the people involved, the builders, the financiers, the government officials. Was there a disagreement? Was there a threat?
His search resulted in a mess on the table. With all the books and papers pulled out one would become anxious about the pick-up process just by looking at it. In fact, one of the librarians felt this way. She came over and reminded him of that policy. Without breaking from his reading, he mumbled something that apparently passed as an agreement. So she left.
All of this caught the attention of an older man sitting nearby. He looked over curiously while leaning back comfortably in his chair, one foot on the other knee. Sweater vest and sleeves rolled up, glasses too. He might as well have been smoking a pipe. But the onlooker wasn't drawn to comotion of the mess as the librarian was. After some periodic glancing, he approached walter.
Man
Is there something I can help you locate, son?
Walter didn't even look up
No thanks, I'm all set.
Man
I only ask because there's a few other books I could name that would help with what you have here.
This snapped Walters' focus, he looked up.
Walter
Excuse me?
Man
I’m sorry to intrude. I just over heard you asking for certain records earlier. I did some work in this area a while back, there’s some more useful items over there.
Walter
Oh, well… thank you.
Walter came off as a bit unbalanced still from the unexpected drop in. He looked over to where the man had pointed. Then slowly looked back at the stationary slum he had produced.
Walter
Uh, I don't do this often… I just..
The man smiled and seemed to laugh quickly
Man
I had a feeling. You look very ready to burn the midnight oil. Happens though. Good luck
Walter
Thanks
Hands in pocket, the man turned to walk back to his own studies.
What research did you say you did? Walter, slightly higher volume as though he was concerned the man would get away without hearing.
Man
Just the old library. Botham Classic.
Walter was very guarded at this moment. He knew there's a good chance he was in a silly little obsession about something. And if he could just reach the point where it was obvious, he could stop and go home, happily.
Walter
What about?
The man smiled again as though he knew something Wlater didn't. He moved closer to the table again.
Man
Well, it was a marvelous structure. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures?
Walter
Uh yeah I have, it was. I really haven't seen anything like it. And I don’t really… uh.
He paused. This was probably too much. So he froze. But the man still had a genuine look of listening.
Man
Kind of odd why it was taken down too. Such great architecture.
Walter could have gasped when he said this. Was this a tell? Maybe he wasn't being ridiculous after all.
Walter
Yeah, why was it again? Demolished?
Man
Structural integrity concerns. Among other things. Such a shame.
Damn it. That was the textbook answer and he just parroted it. “Structural blah blah among other things blah.” That’s my que to wrap up, he thought. And just as he was going to cordially agree…
Man
But the other things are what I was researching.
Walters' eyes widened.