I was sifting through my copy of Paint It Black (yes, I’m still reading it.  ’Savoring’ is how I would describe what I’m doing.) when I suddenly found this receipt tucked in one of the folds.  I’d usually think nothing of it because I use receipts as bookmarks, but this one was unusual.  

It was exciting finding out that the book I am holding now was once in Pollak Library.  Some time in 2008, it was just sitting nicely on a shelf in California never knowing that it would somehow end up in the Philippines.  I wonder, what happened in between? This girl, whose name I blurred out, was she so desperate?  I mean, she probably sold the book for a couple of bucks.  To eat, maybe.  Or for drugs?  Who knows.