Toby sat three seats ahead of me to my left in Cataloging and Classification. Toby wasn’t even his real name – it was the name he requested the professor call him during the first roll call. Had he just kept his real name, he probably would’ve blended into the background. But no, he was Toby. He was Toby who wore a Shamokin Dam Model Railroad Club tee shirt, admitted to being a train conductor at one point (I just put together those two pieces…), and wore a wedding ring – which stuck out to me only because he was my age. (But then again, we’re not really getting younger)
Two weeks ago while on my lunch break at the coffee shop across the street from the Library, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, I saw him and a lady talking over coffee. Weird! Our library school is an hour away – what was he doing here! But me being me, and the fact that he didn’t give any indication of recognizing me, I didn’t say anything and just basked in the beautiful randomness of life.
BUT THEN, I went to Harrisburg to visit Kaytlyn over Memorial Day weekend and there they were – 200 miles away and 1 state away in the same sushi restaurant! Once again, I didn’t say anything, considering that he still didn’t make an indication to recognize (the class we did share after all ended almost a year ago) and we were in a quiet restaurant.
I am taking these events as a premonition of how I am going to die/the beginnings of a strange and fantastic adventure.
Cassidy B. Charles 