the readers

We stopped by to see them on a Sunday afternoon after an early breakfast of coffee, juice, and crusty bread with butter and a variety of jams. I had not seen them in two years, and while we all change a bit, they both looked more relaxed and settled than I remember. They had been reading when we arrived. Their living room looked stark but serene, more minimalistic and open than the clutter of books, magazines, and papers I remember. They both had their Kindles at hand and we talked books. All five of us read, and the two of them, now retired, read volumes. We talked about books. Actually the talk became a review session made fun by the fact that as we talked about the books we had read, finished, or returned in frustration, they downloaded samples. While we were there, they each purchased two books, their agreed daily limit. Some people like scotch, single malts, and some love books. I pictured this wonderful cloud floating above us, this library cloud, complete with a periodical reading room and rare manuscripts archive, floating above us as we compared notes, and the bay outside floated into the room, sun peeking down, no boats, just birds, and realized again how nice it is to read and talk with people about books even if there is no paper involved.