—
The News
FORTUNATELY, THERE is no time for Reeni to stay upset.
She quickly tells me everything on the way inside from the balcony to the sofa, where we settle down to watch the TV news. The city was trying to fine us. Us! All the people in Horizon Apartment Flats. They were going to do this because they thought we had set up the lending library just outside our building compound. They called the library clutter.
Well, that was two things they got wrong! Reeni’s daddy tried to tell them the library belonged to Book Uncle and not us. He tried to explain that it was not clutter.
“He didn’t say nasty things about Book Uncle,” Reeni says. “You know he would never do that.”
Why would the city even care about Book Uncle’s lending library being outside our building? We didn’t mind, so why should anyone else? What is wrong with all these people?
“Don’t worry,” I whisper to Reeni. “We’ll do something.”
She looks as if she wants to believe me but she’s not sure if she does. Truthfully, I don’t know if I believe me.
There they are in a row, all the candidates. They begin with things I don’t know much about, like what do they feel about the new Techno-Zone, and do they have a drinking water plan for the city? I should try to remember those things, in case I ever need to know about them.
Then the TV person says, “I understand you have all received letters about a certain gentleman in our city …”
“Mmm,” says Mayor S. L. Yogaraja, looking unhappy.
“… who runs a street-corner library,” says the TV person.
“Y-y-yes,” says another candidate.
“Something like that,” says a third.
“I wish to clarify,” Mayor SLY says, his hands making designs in the air. “This so-called Book Uncle person … he is, you know, not to put too fine a point on it, breaking the law. I have received complaints. We must make our city clean and green. Clean and green, yes. That’s my motto.”
The TV person coughs. He turns to Karate Samuel. “And you, sir? Do you have anything to say on this matter?”’
“Yes, indeed,” says Karate Samuel, all bright and ready. “I have received many, many letters, even from children. About one Mr. Book Uncle.”
At last, at last, at long long last! I am so excited I jump up and down. My parents look at each other and they smile in that way grown-ups have when they’re trying to understand kids, but really, it is too much for them so it’s best to smile and carry on.
Karate Samuel is carrying on. “I understand Mr. Book Uncle makes it possible for children to get good books. Can you think of a better thing to do?”
The TV person says no, he can’t.
“He is a symbol of our city’s pride in elderly people, children and literacy.”
Karate Samuel pauses here, as if he now expects applause.
He has said some nice things about Book Uncle. That is a start. Slowly, I begin to clap my hands. Reeni sniffles, but she claps her hands, too. All at once our little flat fills with the sound of people clapping their hands.
I turn to see. Who else is here?
Why, the room is full. While we have been watching the news, it seems all the people who live in Horizon Apartment Flats have come to watch it with us. Even the newly-marrieds from 1B are looking at the TV instead of at each other.
“See?” I say to Reeni. “If one letter can cause a problem, many letters can make it right.”
She nods. But she still looks as if she’s taken a step, expecting to find pavement under her feet, but it isn’t there.