Diddly-Squat

I did not know how this day was gonna turn out. Not that I ever know. My emotions just aren't good judges of...well, anything really. Anyway, I had finished school with the kids, and the sky was rainy and slate-gray. The power had been off today more than it had been on and I felt like I had sorta crabbed my way through the afternoon.

Today is C's last day with us, and she asked me if I'd be willing to go out for one more jaunt into the city. She wanted to buy a novel to distract her from thinking about typhoid, and I thought I might find a kid's book in English to translate into Hindi. I need something to use in my conversations with my landlady.

So, it was still cold and damp out and I had only 250 rupees in my purse. That's roughly $5. I rummaged around in my bag and muttered, "I hope I have enough money for a book or two, but I don't know..." I felt beige about the whole thing.

We set out and the first bookstore was closed. Then we looked inside another one--nothing. Finally, on our way home (and as we were being rained on) we saw one more bookshop. We walked in, browsed a bit, and I found exactly the two books I was looking for. I felt instantly relieved, a feeling quickly replaced with the knowledge that I might not be able to afford them.

I flipped them over, scanning for a price tag. The first one cost 140 rupees, and the other one 110. Two hundred and fifty rupees exactly. And though that seems like mere coincidence, I know otherwise.

I'm glad I don't know diddly-squat about how my days will turn out. It's enough that Someone Else does.