Library Meeting

The librarian handed me a brightly coloured box and dispensed advice on the worth of the film. Spouse and I spoke with her about matters pertaining to the weather until a fellow came by, family trailing behind, and called greetings in Czech. The librarian responded in the same tongue; a nice character, she said, that spent a good deal of time at the library.
Shortly after, another man approached and grinned broadly at the librarian: another patron she was warmly familiar with.
She then recalled seeing our name last week on books underneath the checkout counter- items the library had reserved. I replied that we had collected those pieces a few days before and our account had thus been settled.
With all that said and done it was soon time to part ways, and off went Spouse and I.
"It's strange," I remarked to Spouse, "but that was nearly like being at the library!"
We turned around to observe our friend, neighbour and librarian lifting her lively little terrier dog into the car. She beamed at us, waved farewell one more time. It had been a grand idea to arrange an evening stroll along the river and through the park: and it turned, because the world is full of minute surprises, into an exhilarating outdoor version of our weekly library excursion.