The Red Shawl Boy

It was April, the nicest April for Maggie when she met the boy who always wore the red shawl for the first time. Every morning before she went to the school, she went to the bookstore to help her mother cleaning up the store but sometimes she helped her mother after school especially in the storybook lady time. She loved the storybook lady time. Since she was a child her mother always read a story to her and other children. But now, she replaced her mother to read a story to children who came to the store. Her mother own a bookstore, named the Happy Book Shop. Maggie loved reading books and even she often indulged in imagine things. She read almost the whole books in the store.
She looked around hoping that she could find a book that she hasn’t read yet. There, she found something that attracted her.
“Mom, may I have this Persuasion, please?” begged Maggie to her mother.
“O, dear I wish I could give it to you” said her mother. “Don’t you have already read this book? So, why do you want to have this book if you have already read it?” her mother wondered. “Um, yeah I have already read this book but can’t I have it, please? I’ll do everything if you give this book for me”, said Maggie. “Okay, okay honey. I’ll think about it”, said her mother. “Meg, you have to go now. It’s already 7 if you don’t hurry you’ll miss the bus”. Then Maggie went. Along the way to the bus stop she kept thinking and hoping that her mother would give the Persuasion for her.
The day was the third day she studied at School. She took the English Department. The reason why she took this major is because she loved reading and writing. Jane Austen was her favourite.
It was Wednesday. It was a bright day. She wore a cardigan - green cardigan, the one with the hood and the white t-shirt and skirt. And she also wore her favourite shoes, her brown flat shoes. She always wore it wherever she went because she thought that the best shoes could bring her to the best place in the world.
While waiting for the bus, she sat on the bench reading Pride and Prejudice, another Jane Austen’s book. She always spent her leisure time to read or write something. Suddenly, she closed the book looked at the time, anxious because the bus hasn’t come yet. She has already waited the bus for an hour. But she hasn’t seen any bus. The bus station was getting crowded. She noticed at the people in the bus station. “Ah, there are a number of people here… Maybe I am too serious reading till I don’t realize how many people here and most of them are students just like me. I wish they go to the different way with me so I don’t need to crowd each other. There… the bus comes, I have to be ready so I can sit in my favourite seat.”
When the bus came, she hurried to stand in the right door. Finally, she could sit in her favourite seat. She sat at the second seat behind the bus driver near to the window. She could see a beautiful view from the bus, she enjoyed it. It needed 30 - 45 minutes to get there. Maggie loved her journey to school very much. Usually, she spent her time in the bus reading. But today, she preferred to notice the people on the bus. She saw many different people on the bus with their own characters of course. She noticed two young girls talked and then she noticed someone in her left. She amazed. She saw a boy that looked like Paul McCartney. He wore a red shawl. She couldn’t divert her attention from him. “Oh My Gosh, he really looks like… young Paul McCartney, doesn’t he? Ah, I still can’t believe it.” She couldn’t believe in what she has seen. When she noticed him suddenly, her cheeks turned to be red.
Ten minutes later, finally she arrived. She walked. Seeing the flying birds, and enjoying the weather. Her first class begins at 10 am. She still had a spare time before the first class begun. So, she decided to sit on the bench in front of the class. She continued to read.
Unexpectedly, there was someone coming. That was the boy in the red shawl! He sat on the next bench to her. She stopped reading. “Is he the boy that I have seen at the bus?” She wondered and noticed him for a while. The boy still kept silent like a statue. “Why is he here? Does he go to the same faculty with me? Um, well anyone can take any major that they want of course include the major that I take but why… he is here.” She still wondered. Ah, it’s better for me to continue reading than thinking why he is here.” She sighed. Then the boy noticed Maggie for a while. “Is she the girl on the bus? Umm…” he tried to remember about Maggie. “Should I ask her? Maybe not, I guess I need not to ask her whether she is the girl sitting next to me or not.” The boy stared at Maggie with curios face. But afterward, “excuse me, hmm… is your name Maggie? I mean Maggie Fox?” said the boy to Maggie hesitated. “Um yeah, I’m Maggie. Sorry, how do you know my name?” Maggie surprised. “Here’s, I want to give your book back. You left it at the bus and there is your name on it. That’s way I know your name”. The boy gave the book to Maggie. “Oh, my name is Joe. Just call me Joe.”
Maggie became nervous; she didn’t know what to say. It seemed that the words in her mind were gone. “… thank… thank you’re, Joe!” She slipped her tongue up. “Thank you’re? Ha-ha…” Joe laughed hearing what Maggie said. “You welcome, Maggie…ha-ha”. Maggie’s face turned red. “Okay… Maggie, I have to go now. Good bye, see you!” Joe smiled at her. “My...oh…my, see what you have done Maggie, why do you say such a silly word!” Maggie was angry to herself. She felt so ashamed. She sighed. When Maggie saw at the book that the boy gave, she saw a letter slipped in that book. She opened it up then she read.
“Dear, Maggie…”
At that moment, she read the letter from Joe she heard someone called her name. “Maggie… Maggie… Maggie…hey Maggie, are you listening to me?” It was Susie, Maggie’s best friend. Maggie surprised, it turned out that she was only dreaming talked to the boy. Susie had wakened her up from her daydream. “Maggie… See, you slept again when you were reading.” Susie giggled seeing what Maggie did. “Ah Susie… you’re frightening me out.” Maggie acted as if she was shocked, actually she disappointed. Maggie sighed. As soon as she looked at her right side, the boy in the red shawl still there. He did the same thing as before. He did nothing like a sculpture of Paul McCartney.
“Oh boy … how come it was only a dream, I felt like it was real. Ah,” Maggie sighed. “I wish I know his name, the boy in the red shawl… I wish”. As they walked to the class, Maggie turned her head to see him for the last time and surprisingly, the boy smiled at her. “Thank God! You give me a chance to see him, the boy in the red shawl.” Maggie’s grateful.