The Happy Reader

Flash Fiction

The Happy Reader

“Did you hear what happened?” James said rushing into the room.

“No” said his sister Jane, not even looking up from her book.”

“It’s exciting…!” James added, still no look up.

James stood there looking at her, waiting for her to look up. She didn’t.

“What is so important in that book that you don’t even care about something exciting?”

Still not looking up she said, “The last ‘really exciting thing’ you told me about was when the cat knocked the trash can over. This book is really exciting…”

“Something in a book that’s so exciting that you can’t even look up?” James said, obviously hurt by his sister practically ignoring him.

“Have you read this book? This is a book about a real murder. It’s the story of the murderer and of the man he murdered and how they both were thinking!”

“How can you tell how a dead person is thinking?”

“By before he was killed, and why the killer picked him as someone he needed to kill. It’s so interesting.”

“Huh, I never thought of books being interesting. Usually, they’re trying to teach you something… “

“Well, if you’d go to the library with Mom, and me, I could help you find lots of books that you would find interesting…”

“Huh, I never thought of books as interesting… what is that one about?”

“Oh no, you will need to read it yourself! You need to know many things before you get to the part I’m trying to read…”

“Oh… well I will show you my thing later when you are done reading… and maybe I could go to the library, if you will teach me where to find the exciting books…

“It’s a deal! So, go away!”

And another happy reader was finally about to be born.