K-k-k-karma

Just the other day I was commenting on Heather W.'s post about escaping an enormous library fine, and now karma is catching up to me. I was bragging about how several times I have thwarted the "replacement fee" by purchasing my own copy of the damaged item (computer game, music cd), and returning it to the library without penalty. I might as well have dialed the Springville Library and left a threatening message, daring them to catch me.

Today, after returning a stack of books (not including Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?, which was still at home needing to have some pages taped back in), I was getting ready to check out another stack and scanned my card. Up popped the following warning in red letters: Fine: $24.99. I nearly laughed out loud, wondering what in the world had caused such an awful mistake. I took my card to the lady behind the desk and was greeted there by another librarian, the one who checks the books in (librarian #1 from now on). She showed me a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar that I had returned that day and explained to me that it was ruined and I would have to pay for it.

I was taken aback. I couldn't think of a single thing that had happened to that book (remember, I hadn't tried to return Brown Bear), and so she opened the book and proceeded to show me food stains on a few pages. She then showed me that a couple of pages were stuck together at the bottom and when she tried to unstick them, she had ripped a page. Two other pages was still stuck together, and she feared trying to unstick them, declaring the book was no longer able to be circulated and needed to be replaced.

I tried to get out of it. I asked if I could take the book home and work on it, sure that I would be able to get the pages unstuck and cleaned up enough to pass inspection, but was denied. A second librarian agreed that the book was ruined, but that after I paid for it, I would be able to keep it. Oh goodie, that makes me feel better. Since I didn't have my wallet on me, I told her I would have to come back later (preferrably after I thought of another plan). She asked librarian #1 (fast becoming my best friend) if I could still check out books, and she replied with a sigh, "Not any more than five. We shouldn't let her check out any."

Now, with tears starting to form in my eyes, I said, "I'll come back later," and walked outside, trying to figure out what I was going to do. Noel was outside with the kids, and I discussed the situation with her. I was a little mad at myself for not checking the book earlier so that I could do one of two things: 1. clean the book and get it in circulating order again, or 2. buying one from half.com for a couple of dollars and pulling the ol' switcheroo. But mostly I was just mad, as I couldn't see any way out of paying for it, so I went to the car to get my wallet.

When I got back inside, librarian #2 was there to help me, telling me again and again how sorry she was. Librarian #3 piped up, "At least you're getting a good book." Internally, I rolled my eyes, but she had a point. At least I wasn't stuck with Eloise Takes a Bawth or some other book that I can't stand (no offense to Eloise, but a story about a girl who takes a bath at a hotel and causes millions of dollars in damage because she lets the water overflow everywhere just isn't very funny). If I was going to pay $24.99 for ANY book, at least it was one we all love. Still, though, I couldn't stop the tears from spilling out onto my cheeks, and I ducked down to talk to Kyla, hoping no one else would notice. Librarian #3 asked if my husband was the orthodontist who had such beautiful flowers outside his office, and I knew she was thinking that if my huband owned that office, we must be loaded, and I shouldn't care so much about a piddly little library book. I said yes and thank you for complimenting his flowers, not bothering to explain that it's really Jeff's brother's office and that he's just an employee there (and therefore, NOT loaded), and it is still a big deal that I'm having to buy the book.

So, it was a rough morning. I came home and taped Brown Bear, Brown Bear back together, and now I'm crossing my fingers that we don't have a repeat episode next week. There were some pages already taped together when we checked it out, so I'm guessing it will be alright, but that brings up another question: apparently it's not a big deal to tape pages back in, but it's not okay to have food stains on pages? I don't understand the logic. But I do understand karma. And I will refrain from any more "braggy" comments from now on. Now, I need to decide which of the kids is going to be getting a slightly used copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar for Christmas.