Something I've always loved is finding things and imagining. Perhaps that's why I tell stories, because I like giving things a voice, faces a name and all that. I like imagining what happened here, who something belonged to before it found its way to me and so on.
And for that reason, I suppose it's a great thing that I borrow a lot of books from the library. I started doing that some four years ago and honestly, I don't remember the first book I took home, or the first “special one”. But there have been several. What I mean by special one is that one book where someone else forgot something.
Do you know the one I mean?

A chocolate wrapper, a shopping list, or in this particular case, some stamped notebook papers from the Lighthouse Golf&Spa Resort in Balchik, Bulgaria. Now, Romania is very close to Bulgaria, as some of you may know, and given that the prices are quite alright, a popular holiday destination for Romanians.
Much to my disappointment, there is nothing written on these pages, no message from the person who last had this book. Or maybe it wasn't them. Who can know?
Because always, when I find such a memento in one of my borrowed books, I always put it back in and hope the library ladies don't find it to take it out, throw it to the garbage. I'd hate that, because then the link would be lost, the bond between readers broken.

Maybe I read too much into these little things, but then again, maybe not. What's funny is that one of the main characters in this book – Swimming Lessons, by Claire Fuller – is a writer who collects old books for the notes left on the side by previous owners, for the little improvised bookmarks, because he says they each tell a story. And knowing that, I can't help but wonder if the person who left these pages inside did it intentionally?
Perhaps they wanted a bit of their story carried on to the next reader, maybe they wanted to establish contact. They were reaching out for me and I'd love to reach back, but I don't know who they were. And, as the book shows, it doesn't matter.

I don't want to discover that the writer was actually the chambermaid and Suzannah was just a guest in room 127 who needed fresh towels. Or that room service got Suzannah's request for eggs on toast but couldn't find the order pad.

This is what his daughter, Flora, says when they discover just such a hotel note (interesting, no?) with the words 'Suzannah room 127' and begin to speculate what it means. And while I have a feeling the moral of the story may be somewhat different, this is what I take away from it thus far – why would I want to know? If I'd found a message explaining what happened at the Lighthouse Golf&Spa Resort in Balchik, Bulgaria...well, that wouldn't be exciting at all. Maybe it was their first vacation together, maybe it was done to spice things up in a marriage that was long overdue. Maybe they weren't together at all, but she wished they were. Or he.

A whole story is contained in those three words.

But the story has to happen in your head. It's the only way, I believe. So, let's explore a little more. The book has 5 return dates stamped on the front, one of which is my own. So the notes could've been left in January, February, May or October. Given that Balchik is a seaside town, I'm leaning towards May, though October was quite warm too. But I think May, let's say May, it seems like such a perfect month for a story.

And from there, the possibilities are endless. Anything could've happened in that May and to the person who was reading this. Is he or she still on good terms with the people they vacationed with? Have they since had a row? Did his eyes linger a little too long on the low-cut bathing suits, when they shouldn't have? Or was the person running from something? Just a few days, but they had to get away, because whatever it was was suffocating them. So many stories that could exist within those pages.

And how about dedications on books? I'm crazy about those.

Now, I can't help but wonder about this one, it's my most recent favorite. The dedication itself is banal – best wishes. Nothing romantic about best, is there? But then, the book itself is very much romantic. It's a book about two soulmates searching for each other in seven worlds, it's about eternal love. Now, that's a bit more risky. You don't give a gal such a book with no intention in mind, you know?
So, did Michael (looks like Michael, doesn't it?) fancy India? Certainly sounds like it. And what did India think about the book? Was there a happy ending in store for Michael, or did she rebuke him? Maybe he never knew India's heart was so broken by another she could never love him back. Or maybe they're laughing over it to this day. Maybe they're no more. Maybe one died in a terrible car crash and the other sold this because it was too hard to look at...
Endless.

Or this. This one is a bit clearer, but still leaves a lot of plotholes. I found it in an old book about the band R.E.M. which I got at a second-hand bookstore in London. What happened to Simon? Why did they sell the book, again? It was a Christmas present, presumably one with meaning for Simon and honey. Perhaps they were huge REM fans and judging by the words, this Christmas might've very well been after the band broke up (in 2011), so not quite so long ago. So what happened? Did they break up too, like their favorite band?
Did they really need the money? (Hey, perhaps they were investing in crypto!)
We can't know what happened and that makes it brilliant – it could be anything. Don't you just love that?

So, I've been thinking. While writing this post. How about we leave a little message for whoever picks Swimming Lessons up next? Something from all of us, I don't want it to be just me.

What do you think? Might we have a new Steemian on the way? Oh well, only time will tell.

What about you? Do you have any interesting found-in-a-book stories you'd like to share? :)

Thank you for reading,