Sort of True except for the Visit

 This one is different. It's me writing fiction but based around a few facts.

I joined an online library and as it was in the next state I thought I would visit it. It was a corner building in what was once a thriving mid American town. The library stood out because it was a brightly painted attractive pink colour with a big window of immaculately presented secondhand books.

I'd joined the library because they were boasting one or two hundred thousand online books for download and I got a special starter price of a few dollars per year for life. There were bumper packs of books, free speed reading courses, publishiing tuition, forums with other members and other things I can't now recall. 

So I came to the door and it had an old fashioned cute bell that rang just like in all the old shops . However, when I entered there was but one book case in the middle of the shop and one long wooden counter with an old fashioned cash register against the back wall. To the side was a door to the back of the shop, probably the living quarters, with a quaint white lace curtain in front of the glass. A lady came through the door, quite tall and pleasant looking, introducing herself as Laura-Anne, the daughter of the business founder, who now, she said, having lost most of the use of his legs, worked in the back office on the computer managing the online part of the business.

 " Nice to meet you Laura-Anne. This one bookcase, is this all there is? There's a greater number of books in the window area? " She seemed a bit sad. "We don't get many visitors, but we like to have a few hard copies."

 " I was looking for a particular book that is from the 1990s. I assumed you might have a copy. It fell out of my pocket yesterday and have no idea where I might have dropped it. I told her the title and that it had not come up in my online search. Then I said as I had noticed the business address was only abut an hour away I thought I'd drive over. "Its a bit disappointing, because your online website seemed to be quite something". 

"Im glad you like it . But I'm sad that you think your journey to the shop is less exciting". 

"Your father established this shop years ago, shouldn't there be many more books?" 

 " My father worked in a rare specialist area to do with Antarctica and the last entry in the Encyclopaedia Britannica in 1958 about the Firmament". 

" Wow that is niche, " I said. "This used to be a bustling town , but I can't imagine your dad would survive just selling that type of material" 

" Well we didn't have many visitors and my Mum was around , and I was just growing up, so I didn't have a lot to do with the shop and that particular period of the business. I did wonder the same thing and my Dad said the type of military enquries were so specialised and so highly paid, he actually did very well". 

I noticed both the smell and form of a nice hot jug of freshly percolated coffee. She followed my eyes and said " Oh , forgive me, you have come a fair way and been disappointed. Let me offer you a mug of coffee. We don't have chairs I'm afraid ." 

" Yes , it's a bit bare , but the floor is fantastic. What on earth is that wood ? " 

"It's a type of South African tree that some military told my Father about , on a return trip from Antarctica in a naval boat. The rest went in one of the rooms of the White House." 

I was disappointed by my visit, but it was so difficult being this matter of fact , when it was clear that both the father and the daughter would be pleased to have any visit here, in this very quiet Midwest town.

 Once I was home, I cancelled my subscription and ordered my replacement book from Amazon . The 1990s hardback edition was even cheaper as a used book than the 6 dollar paperback. I ordered the 2 dollars 50 hardback , which arrived 3 days later. 

_____ 

Kind of true, except for the visit.