LIBRARIAN

THE BOOKSTORE AT THE END OF THE TOWN

On Thursday, the latest edition of the local newspaper “Joy” was available on the newsstands in Moralville, as usual. Dean Littlecross, a newcomer to the small town in the heart of America, greeted his favorite vendor, chubby Nensi, and left his money to pick up his copy of magazine “Joy”. He flipped through the newspaper and soon found the section he was looking for on the eighth page, “Fellow Citizens”, which featured a photograph of himself and the headline “Everyday Life of a Cheerful Journalist and a Quiet Bookstore Owner.”

The following text is a detailed story about Dean, a recently retired political analyst and columnist who, after a successful journalistic career in Serbia, decided to spend his retirement days in Moralville. He inherited a bookstore, an antique shop, and a small apartment above the store from his uncle, who had built the American dream after going overseas in his early youth. Despite a series of unfortunate love affairs, his uncle spent his retirement days free and lonely. Dean Littlecross had a similar life journey, but unlike his uncle, he valued freedom more than he feared the loneliness.

In the course of the conversation, Littlecross emphasized that he was always annoyed by the “them and us” comparison, which had been a constant in his home country for decades. Littlecross found that Americans work hard, but they also earn a lot. Talented and eager people love their work and strive for success, and he rarely came across lazy people who constantly complain. He had not heard the famous nonsense, “They cannot pay me as little as I can work.” In the local pub, “Ethics,” he quickly gained many friends. The ordinary people on the streets are kind, smiling, positive, happy for others’ happiness, and try not to cause others trouble. Unfortunately, the situation in Serbia was entirely different or, to be precise, completely the opposite.
On Thursday, the latest edition of the local newspaper “Joy” was available on the newsstands in Moralville, as usual. Dean Littlecross, a newcomer to the small town in the heart of America, greeted his favorite vendor, chubby Nensi, and left his money to pick up his copy of “Joy”. He flipped through the newspaper and soon found the section he was looking for on the eighth page, “Fellow Citizens”, which featured a photograph of himself and the headline “Everyday Life of a Cheerful Journalist and a Quiet Bookstore Owner.”

In the course of the conversation, Littlecross emphasized that he was always annoyed by the “them and us” comparison, which had been a constant in his home country for decades. Littlecross found that Americans work hard, but they also earn a lot. Talented and eager people love their work and strive for success, and he rarely came across lazy people who constantly complain. He had not heard the famous nonsense, “They cannot pay me as little as I can work.” In the local pub, “Ethics,” he quickly gained many friends. The ordinary people on the streets are kind, smiling, positive, happy for others’ happiness, and try not to cause others trouble. Unfortunately, the situation in Serbia was entirely different or, to be precise, completely the opposite.
The story of the cheerful journalist and the quiet bookseller ended in an unusual and somewhat incomprehensible way: “That’s what the daily life of our new fellow citizen, who has replaced the excitement of journalism with the silence of his antiquarian shop, looks like for now. Whether the Balkan journalist will soon return to his first love and greatest passion – journalism, you will find out soon on the pages of ‘Radost’.” Dean Littlecross shook his head skeptically, carefully folded his newspaper, and headed towards the Ethics tavern. “I’ll have a bourbon before work; it’s only right to celebrate!”

A new surprise awaited him at the tavern. His colleague Littlemouse and the editor-in-chief of “Joy,” Michael Johnes, were sitting at the table where he usually hung out with friends. In front of them was a bottle of Knob Creek, three glasses, and a copy of the local newspaper. Littlemouse was the first to speak:

“As you can see, Mr. Littlecross, American journalists like to have a drink during work hours. This is my boss, the editor of ‘Joy,’ Michael. It’s Thursday morning, we’re sitting in a tavern, and we’re waiting for you to join us.”

“I enjoyed your story, dear colleague, and I think it would be nice for our ‘Joy’ to bring joy to all its readers by giving you the opportunity to share your storytelling gift with us.”

Michael opened a wax-sealed bottle of bourbon, poured three glasses, drank his drink in one gulp, and then continued:

“I’d like to offer you a job. We expect you to publish an original piece in our newspaper every week. It would be an overview of the political uncertainties and moral mysteries that you and your friends solve every day at the Ethics tavern. Yesterday, I also spoke with the editor of the city newspapers in your hometown. He’s a wonderful person. They would simultaneously publish a Serbian version of your article. It would be our honor and pleasure to begin a joint collaboration.”

“Many years ago, the sentence ‘once a journalist, always a journalist’ helped me visit the United States at the expense of the American government. And today, I still believe it. It would be a great pleasure for me to write for the local Moralville newspapers. I’m especially pleased that the articles will be simultaneously published in the city newspapers. Of course, all of this is contingent on the two of you keeping your jobs. After a bottle of bourbon early in the morning, I’m not entirely sure that will be the case.”

After the contents of the Knob Creek bottle quickly disappeared, they headed towards Dean’s bookstore. Above the entrance, a carpet with a Pirot design was hanging. Dean quickly removed the carpet and revealed a sign that read: Sumadija Bookstore!

“It looks nice,” commented Littlemouse, “but it seems like the sign is a bit crooked!”