Chapter 12: Entering the Bookstore

When school day ended and Tifara helped Dalila recover from her heart attack, she closed the door to May's house. She surveyed her surroundings and sighed with a smile on her face. Alright, Tifara. Time to meet up with Saul, she thought as she exited the front yard. She turned left and dashed her way towards the end of the sidewalk.

Once she got there, she grinned and waved at Saul. "Hi, there, Saul!"

Saul waved back and rushed towards the end of the sidewalk, looking both ways before crossing the street. "Hi, Tifara!" Then he strolled towards the entrance of May's neighborhood. "How are you doin' this evening?"

"I'm doin' fine. How are you?" Tifara said, smiling at Saul.

"I'm doin' fine as well," Saul responded. "How was your second day of school?"

"It was the same as yesterday, I guess…" Tifara answered, putting her head down with a frown.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Saul gave Tifara his frown.

"It's alright, Saul," Tifara said, closing her eyes, waving her hand downwards at Saul, reddening her cheeks. "So anyway, how 'bout you? Did you have a good second day of school?"

"Well, I sure did!" Saul exclaimed, also closing his eyes. "Bein' 'round people as Secondary School President is so much fun, y'know."

"Yea, I bet so," Tifara answered as she and Saul continued to walk throughout the neighborhood, chatting with one another. Oh, man! This is amazing! I'm havin' a good time with Saul right now! she happily thought.

****

Once Tifara and Saul entered the city, they still chatted with one another for a while. With a lot of Mom and Pop's stores bustling around them, Tifara then scanned her surroundings as soon as Saul stopped talking to her. Okay, Tifara. Time to find the store where David goes to, she cautiously thought, I jus' need to make sure my parents aren't around or I won't be able to go to the new park with May and Dalila next weekend.

Saul noticed Tifara scanning her surroundings, raising his eyebrow at her. "Uh, Tifara. Are you okay? Is there something wrong?"

"Huh?" Tifara asked, quickly turning to Saul. "Oh, no-no-no! Not at all. I'm jus' lookin' for that store that interested us last evenin', remember?"

Saul grinned with his mouth open after he recalled what Tifara just said yesterday. "Ah, of course I do, Tifara. Let's go find that store together! Jus' you and me!"

"Mhn," Tifara said as she happily shook her head and searched for the store that she and Saul were looking for. They searched everywhere they went until Tifara found what they were looking for. She pointed her finger at it, turning to Saul and the store back and forth. "There it is!"

Saul looked at what Tifara was pointing at. "Ah, there it is!" He then turned back at her. "Let's go check it out."

"Right!" Tifara said, shaking her head.

While Tifara and Saul looked both ways, Tifara took a look around in front of and behind her one last time before she crossed the street with Saul. She didn't see any sign of her parents nor David anywhere. Whew! Thank Elohim, my parents aren't around. Now I jus' need to cross the street to get inside that store before David arrives, she thought with her determined look on her face.

"Alright, are ya ready, Tifara?" Saul asked, turning his attention back to Tifara.

Tifara turned to Saul. "Sure, I'm ready when you are."

"Okay, here goes nothing!" Saul said while he and Tifara looked both ways. They ran across the street and entered the store. Alright, we made it jus' in time before David shows up, Tifara thought as she and Saul looked around the store.

There they saw a lot of books shelved on both sides of an aisle. People were either standing around to look or read books, or seating at the cafe center far away from the store entrance. A couple green beanie bags sat on the floor, with three individuals reading books on them.

A bald man at a counter, who had brown skin, white hair on his head and mustache, and a green uniform shirt with his name tag that stated "Asad," stood there and smiled at Tifara and Saul.

The man at the counter waved at them. "Hello, there. Welcome to Mulberry's."

"Hi, there," Tifara and Saul said, waving back at the man at the counter.

"Whoa, this place is pretty cozy for a Mom and Pop's store. I'm impressed already," Saul loudly exclaimed, scanning the store with his excited mouth opened.

"Yea, you're right," Tifara agreed, continuously scanning the room. Alright, looks like David will be in here any minute now, she thought with a serious face. Better find a place to hide with Saul before he finds us.

Once she noticed one of the book shelves facing sideways behind the one on the wall, she tapped on Saul's shoulder. "Hey."

"Huh?" Saul asked as he turned to Tifara. "Hey, what's up, Tifara?"

"Let's go to that book shelf over there," Tifara suggested, pointing her finger at the shelf she was interested in. "I wanna check it out to see what kinds of books it has."

After Saul stared at that shelf for a few seconds, he returned his attention to her. "Are you sure that's what you wanna do?"

"I'm positive," Tifara responded, shaking her head.

"Alright then, whatever you say," Saul said as he and Tifara walked towards the shelf.

Tifara and Saul took a look around. Saul's eyes were wide open when he examined the books, pulling a particular red-covered book out of the shelf and closely studied it.

"Ah! This place is great!" Saul happily whispered. "It's so great that it even has a book I'm looking for."

"Really?" Tifara questioned, turning to Saul with a smile. "That's awesome, Saul."

Tifara returned her attention to books and peeked from the corridor back and forth, seeing David not present yet. Then Saul raised his eyebrow when he turned to Tifara. "Uh, Tifara. Are you alright? You've been acting pretty strange lately," Saul whispered.

"Oh, yea. I'm fine, Saul. Honest," Tifara responded in a whisper, closing her embarrassed eyes, grinning.

Saul nearly closed his eyes. "Are you really sure? You're not lyin' to me, are ya?"

"Oh, no-no-no! Not at all!" Tifara said, waving her hands sideways, closing her eyes. "I'm positive, I'm not lyin' to you. Honest."

Saul opened his eyes back up. "Okay, well. I'm gonna purchase this book."

"Alright then. I'll wait for ya here," Tifara whispered after Saul excitedly gazed at the book one last time before he walked towards the counter.

Watching Saul make a purchase, the store bell vibrated the store after the door was opened. Tifara turned left and widened her eyes. There she saw David enter the store and the door closed itself behind him.

Looks like David's here, she thought with her eyes twitched. I wonder what he's doin' here at a place like this when it's almost dark out. Shouldn't he be at home afterschool instead?

The man at the counter smiled and waved at David, after he accepted payment from Saul and placed the book in the clear, light brownish plastic bag. "David! Welcome back!"

David grinned and waved back at the man at the counter. He walked up to the man at the counter while Saul returned to Tifara. "Hi ya there, Uncle Asad!"

Tifara quietly gasped when Saul stopped moving halfway, turning around. No freakin' way! She thought, That man is David's uncle?! No wonder why David's came here this late!

"So how was your second day of school?" Uncle Asad asked.

"I did well today," David answered. "Did you have a good day today?"

"Why, yes, I have. And you?"

"I did as well."

"Oh, that's good then, Uncle Shaz."

Saul walked up to David. "Excuse me." David turned to look up at Saul. "David, right?"

David gasped and grinned at Saul, placing his hands together. "Saul! It's good to see ya again! How are ya?! I missed ya so much!"

"I'm doin' fine and you?" Saul responded.

No freakin' way! Saul knows David?! Tifara thought while she watched David and Saul chatted with one another. I didn't expect that to happen. I thought as soon as I found a reason why David came here this late. Now by the looks of it, I need to get outta here and go home. I can't risk havin' my parents find out that I went somewhere outside of my restricted locations during my punishment, nor David finding me here. Looks like I'll have to go home without Saul.

"So what brings you here?" David asked while Tifara looked both ways before she snuck out of the store.

"I jus' came here to look 'round, bought a book that I desire…" Saul raised the bag with his eyes closed. "And I bought a girl with me."

"Oooo," David's cheeks blushed. "And where is she? I would like to meet her."

"Oh, sure. She's jus' over there. See?" Saul turned around and pointed his finger at the shelf until the bell rung from the doorway.

David and Saul turned around to the door and saw Tifara left, heading in the left direction. Tifara looked down below her for a while before she lifted her head up to scan her surroundings. Several people walked past her in both directions.

She sighed out of relief after looking back behind her for a few seconds. Phew! That was close one! I hope Saul doesn't find me!

As soon as Saul exited the store, he called her name and chased after her. She frowned all the sudden. Oh, no! She sadly thought, Saul found me! Jus' great...