Who: Anna of Arendelle and Sarah Manning When: Recently, end of April Where: Library What: Random Encounter Rating/Warnings: Low/None Status: Complete
Anna was outside the library, trying to use the automatic system for returning books. There was a slot in the wall that you could put the books in, and a conveyer brought them under the scanner… thingy. Then it would beep, and check the books back in. This way people could return books at any hour of the day or night. Which was pretty amazing, considering. Anna loved putting her books in that way--not that she had all that many chances to read books outside of school work, not that she did a whole lot of pleasure reading.
The book was on the little conveyer thingy, but Anna kept getting the bad kind of beep, not the good one. She didn’t realize she was trying to return a UCI library book to the public library, and that’s why the machine wouldn’t read the barcode.
Sarah liked the library and it turned out to be quite a good place to advertise her counselling service to kids who might not know about it, like those who weren’t at school or university. Her drop in sessions at UCI were actually quite busy but she knew there was lots more young people out there who needed help.
Currently the girl in at the conveyor belt looked like she needed help so after posting up her little poster she moved over, “Can I help?” she asked with a smile.
Anna turned at the sound of the voice and broke into a relieved smile. She looked a little frazzled, with dark circles under her eyes. She’d probably been up all night studying. “Well, I hope so!” Anna’s voice was kind and friendly. “I’m trying to get the library to take these books back, but it just keeps spitting them out again!”
“Okay, let’s have a look here” Sarah repeated the steps Anna had taken and when the book was refused she picked it up and looked inside. Wondering if perhaps it was past due or something and noticed the stamp inside. “Oh it appears that this is a university library book” she said with a kind smile.
Anna watched the other woman try out the machine, and then gave a little gasp. “Oh my gosh!” She cried out, leaning forward to take a look at the label on the book. “Jeez! I’m such a doofus! I can’t believe I’m trying to return the book to the wrong library.” She accepted the book back from the other, and then sighed. “Now… that makes me wonder what book I checked out of the city library, and why I thought it was this one.”
“Oh I wouldn’t worry, people do it all the time I bet. That’s the thing about borrowing from different places” Sarah said, “Oh well I think you can look up your account and see what you have outstanding, that might help. And if you need to I’m sure you could take it out again to avoid a penalty”
“Oh! That’s a good idea!” Anna said, brightening considerably at that. “I think there’s an app for that on the smart phone, too. I might be able to renew from my phone so I won’t get too high of a fee, right? Oh! I’m Anna,” she said, and held out her hand to offer it up for a shake. “Thank you for helping me.”
Sarah smiled, this girl was obviously not one who was kept down for long and she respected that kind of attitude. “I’m Sarah and you’re welcome, I’m glad I could help you Anna”
“You’re a lifesaver, Sarah.” Anna said, smiling. She struggled to put the book into her bag, but unfortunately, the spine split the seam, and her backpack’s contents went spilling down the ground. “Oh!” Anna exclaimed and then bent down to start collecting her calculator and pencil pouch, and the rest of her things.
“Oh dear, you aren’t having a good day today” Sarah said bending to help the young girl. “I think I have a spare cloth bag here somewhere” she said rummaging through her own bag until she found it, “Here we go”
“My God! The fates are just against me today!” Anna laughed, shaking her head. “I can’t believe it. On my one day off, too…” She was about to tell the other girl that she didn’t need to--but then the bag was produced. Anna gratefully put the excess books into the bag, then her own, ripped backpack. “Thank you. I’ll make sure to get this bag back to you. Maybe you can text me your number? Then I can bring you the bag back sometime. And buy you a cup of coffee to thank you!”
“Some days do seem that way don’t they” Sarah sympathised, “Oh you don’t have to do that but I can’t ever really say no to coffee” she winked, taking a business card from her pocket and handing it over. “The mobile number is my personal one and I answer it all the time”
“Oh! Thanks! This is perfect!” Anna said, giving the other woman a bright smile. “Can I text you, or do you prefer phone calls?” She added, then pocketed her phone and the card, so she could pull out her keys. She had to take her ripped backpack and the books and the borrowed bag over to her car with her arms full.
“Whichever is easier for you” Sarah said, she had clients who did both and some who sent her long wordy emails to discuss when they had a session so she was very flexible in that sense. “I hope the rest of your day goes better”
“Thank you so much! I hope yours is wonderful, too.” Anna said, giving the other a smile. As she moved toward her car and hit the unlock button on her keychain. “I’ll be in touch soon!” And then she reached her car and pulled the door open.
Sarah gave a wave as she watched Anna head off a look of slight amusement on her face. She was a sweet girl with a cheery disposition, something more people needed in Sarah’s opinion.