Let's Start Again

"You're a freshman?" the library assistant asked as he placed on the counter the book he took from the shelf.

Lisa wondered what gave her year-level away. She became self-conscious "Are my green horns showing?" she managed to crack a joke.

"No, not really," the library assistant smiled wide. He was gathering the other books on the counter. "It's just that ... only freshmen ask for Algebra books."

"Guilty as charged," Lisa, also smiling, responded as she took the book from the counter and headed to a study table.

'Emily,

I caused you pain. You've been hurt many times before, ... I never once acknowledged it was my fault. Allow me now to take the blame. Things won't be the same. Never again will I treat you so bad . The thought of losing you has opened my eyes.

Let's start again. Give me another chance.'

"Aaaaahh, so sweet ...," Lisa voiced almost audibly as she held the unfinished letter in front of her, "so touching!" She found the letter while she was leafing through the first chapter of the book she just borrowed.

The letter completely altered her mood. She has lost her desire to study. A junkie for anything romantic, the letter kept on creeping into her mind.

She looked around the room. Other than the library assistant, only a couple of ladies were inside. She looked outside through the window, an impression of the one who wrote the letter formed in her mind: a bad bad boy who has learned how to really love a girl.

She thought she had to meet the man, she decided to investigate.

Lisa went back to the counter to talk to the library assistant. "Do you remember the person who used this book right before me?"

The library assistant gave her a curious look.

"I found this touching letter from the Algebra book that I just borrowed," Lisa, feeling a bit embarrassed, explained, "I'm hoping I could meet the guy who wrote this letter and return it to him"

"May I see?" the library assistant asked. Lisa handed to him the letter.

The similar wide smile appeared on the library assistant's face as he read the letter, "Touching!"

"Could there be a way to find the guy?" Lisa asked.

"I'll ask around," the library assistant offered. "Leave your contact number, um, just in case ...." Lisa gladly did.

---

Lisa was almost running, slowed down only by the bag on her left shoulder and by a couple of books on her right arm. She was on her way to the library. Earlier, while attending one of her classes, she received a text message from the library assistant, asking her to meet him after her classes to talk about the unfinished letter.

Lisa could no longer wait until after all her classes. She has waited for almost the whole of the semester. The months that passed did not diminish her enchantment with the letter. Her instinct kept prompting her to continue searching for the man who wrote the letter.

She relied on her instinct a lot. It started when she read from a magazine a quoted statement of the late Princess of Wales, saying: 'I have a woman's instinct and it is always a good one.'

Her instinct always leads her to do the right thing. That was what she believed, even though, at times, the good result was not so apparent to her.

The library assistant was not remiss in bringing Lisa back to reality. Not a few times did he remind Lisa that the man she was dying to meet might not exist at all. That the possibility of finding out who really wrote the unfinished letter is nil.

Also, the library assistant was not shy in expressing his feelings for Lisa. That he would always be there for her, ready to join her in her moments joys or sorrows. Lisa found him thoughtful and kind, but her heart was hopelessly bound by mystery that surrounded the man who wrote the letter.

As she was entering the library, she accidentally bumped into a man who was on his way out. Her books fell down the floor and were scattered apart.

"Watch where you're going, lady!" the man sounded with a pissed-off tone. Lisa was stunned and was speechless as she watched the man walk away.

"You know him?" the library assistant asked Lisa as he picked the books from the floor.

Lisa shook her head. "He's so rude!" she sounded her displeasure.

"I was not expecting to see you, uh ... not until after your classes," the library assistant spoke, wanting to take Liza's attention away from the man.

"What did you find out about the letter?" Lisa's mood changed from being upset to being excited. "Give me a good one this time. Please, please, the semester is about to end."

"Mmmm," the library assistant said reluctantly, "I have an idea who the writer-guy is. I'm not exactly sure though."

"Who? Can I meet him?" Lisa wanted to know everything at once.

"It's the man you bumped into, coming in," the library assistant said.

Lisa looked intently at the library assistant. Her excitement fell. She found the information not easy to believe. "Are you sure?"

"Earlier, I overheard him say, 'Let's start again.'" the library assistant added. "He was talking on his mobile phone."

"Really?" Lisa voiced out her doubt. She felt like things are contrived: the bumping into the guy and all.

"Well ...," the library assistant rehearsed the point that he has been telling her for so long, "It could be him or someone just as rude as him. Lisa, you might be heading for a big disappointment. Perhaps it's best to put the unfinished letter behind."

"And ... start again?" Lisa, borrowing the phrase from the letter, tried to put humor into her dispiriting afternoon.

"Yeah!" the library assistant chuckled.

"I think you're right," Lisa said as prepared to leave. "Enough with this madness."

"Are we still going to meet after your classes?" the library assistant asked.

Lisa turned her head and looked back at him, "Sure!"

---

Lisa saw the man she bumped into at the front yard of library. He was sitting on a concrete bench, smoking a cigarette. Lisa stopped walking and, from a distance, took a probing look at the man. She was torn between asking the man about the letter and resuming her walk to her next class.

Her instinct got the best of her. She decided to ask the man about the unfinished letter. 'So that I won't be forever bothered by the thought: What if ...?' she explained to her self as she walked towards the man, though the prompting of her instinct was enough reason for her.

"If you are expecting me to apologize," the man sounded out as he watched Lisa walk towards him, "it's not gonna happen."

"No, mister, I won't ask for an apology," Lisa replied as she stopped and stood in front of the man. "There's just ... I just want to ask you about something."

"What is it?" He asked.

"Did you happen to leave an unfinished letter in an Algebra book?" Her heart was beating fast.

The man shook his head. "Nope, not me."

Lisa took a deep breath to process the emotions that was brought about by the man's disappointing response. "Sorry for bothering you," she said as turned around to leave. "The library assistant thought it might be you."

"Library assistant?" the man uttered.

Lisa looked back at the man. "Yes," she replied. Feeling revived by the man's sudden interest.

"Can I see the letter?" the man asked.

"Sure," Lisa readily said and then took the letter from her bag. She handed the man the letter.

"So, you fell for this too," he concluded after reading the letter. A taunting smile was formed on his face.

Lisa stared at the man, puzzled. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"This is how that jerk in the library score with girls," he explained. "He slips letters like this in books and wait for a hopeless romantic to bite on his bait."

"He offers to help the poor girl in finding out who wrote the letter, and ...," he took a glance at Lisa and then looked at the letter again, "you probably know the rest."

Lisa's stomach began to churn. A warm feeling rose from her shoulders to her neck, and up to her face. Her eyes were ready to drown her with tears, but she did not let them. She wanted to hold on to the little pride she got left.

She took the letter from the man's hand, and then she walked away.