Tales from the Basement
It was a week ago that I learn from Owa that the nuns have called regarding their quarterly pick-up of donations. Unused clothing, linens, decors, trinkets, accessories and books are hauled out of the house and into the nun trucks they go. Yes, even the books have to go, too. **GASP**, I know.
I find out that the books to be incinerated(what, you don’t think the nuns actually read them, do you?) filled two sacks. Some works I’ve heard of, others, I did not. Noting them down and then piling them up, it crossed my mind that maybe a) I could give them away to those who want them and would take care of them---**waves to you guys**--- or b) sell it and make a few bucks out of it. However, going through tome after tome, it dawned on me that one of the best things I admire and would remember Owo by was that he was such a wild reader(we have 2 libraries to show for this). For a surgeon, I find it amazing that apart from studying numerous texts on medicine, he still had the time to devote to reading and collecting all these literary pieces, dictionaries, bibles, novels, pocketbooks on sex, occult, science, and history volumes… I thought to sell them would make empty the feeling that he went around the world buying these books, learning from them, holding on to them for so long in memory, and almost leaving it to us to look after.
I know I’ve read or seen too many fantasy stories when I start thinking that the reason why I can’t let go of these books is that for fear that one of those books holds the answer to surviving the apocalypse due to come some time soon or the cure to cancer is shelved beneath our house and it would take just a peek to be discovered or I’m still hoping that really, there’s a book upon opening, will take you in to a better universe…
At least one where the books don’t have to go to the nuns…
I find out that the books to be incinerated(what, you don’t think the nuns actually read them, do you?) filled two sacks. Some works I’ve heard of, others, I did not. Noting them down and then piling them up, it crossed my mind that maybe a) I could give them away to those who want them and would take care of them---**waves to you guys**--- or b) sell it and make a few bucks out of it. However, going through tome after tome, it dawned on me that one of the best things I admire and would remember Owo by was that he was such a wild reader(we have 2 libraries to show for this). For a surgeon, I find it amazing that apart from studying numerous texts on medicine, he still had the time to devote to reading and collecting all these literary pieces, dictionaries, bibles, novels, pocketbooks on sex, occult, science, and history volumes… I thought to sell them would make empty the feeling that he went around the world buying these books, learning from them, holding on to them for so long in memory, and almost leaving it to us to look after.
I know I’ve read or seen too many fantasy stories when I start thinking that the reason why I can’t let go of these books is that for fear that one of those books holds the answer to surviving the apocalypse due to come some time soon or the cure to cancer is shelved beneath our house and it would take just a peek to be discovered or I’m still hoping that really, there’s a book upon opening, will take you in to a better universe…
At least one where the books don’t have to go to the nuns…