Granny crammed for the finals

I CAN’T remember when exactly, but I used to visit a friend who lived around the corner from us, and every time I got to his place, I’d find his grandmother deeply engrossed in her Bible. 

Finally, one day, my curiosity got the better of me and I had to ask: “Why do you think your grandmother reads the Bible so much?” 

“I’m not sure,” my buddy replied, “but I think she’s cramming for her final exams.”

Now, though I am not cramming, I have found great value in immersing myself in the Good Book; it makes for interesting reading and for fascinating study.

I even have 12 copies I have acquired over the years, but that’s only my physical copies. I sometimes go online comparing the more traditional versions and the freer paraphrases.

And to answer the obvious question, the answer is YES, of course I own other books! But these days I find very little time to read. Working at a newspaper has me reading all day, and by the time I knock off, the last thing I feel like doing is curling up with a book.

Yet, it was in books that I often found the most enjoyment and relaxation. 

For example, one day, I was tasked with helping someone renew their car’s licence in Polokwane. I got to the traffic department at around 9am, and by then the queue snaked out of the main building, around the perimeter of the courtyard and out the main gate.

This was before smartphones, so people just waited. But just the previous day, I had bought a book: Monster, by Frank Peretti, from a bookstore, and I started reading as soon as I joined the line.

In no time, that immersive experience that only comes from reading took hold of me; I read and shuffled, inching forward for the next few hours, with my mind miles away.

Before I knew it, I was on the building’s veranda in the shade. I checked my watch and hours had passed, and before long, I was standing in the doorway. By now, I only had four chapters to go, and things were coming to a head in the story. I even thought of asking a few people behind me if they wanted to go ahead, so that I could polish off the last few pages in peace.

That is the magic of a book that nobody can explain, describe or illustrate to you; you have to read, and really get into a book in order to experience that.

This past week, on a whim, I popped in at one of our city’s libraries. The selection of books on display had my heart thumping. I remembered that feeling I used to have in high school, wanting to devour every book on every single shelf at the Judy Scott Library.

The thought that crossed my mind was that I really hope the youth are taking advantage of what libraries offer: Books that you can read for FREE! 

Yes, the selection of books at bookstores is incredible, staggering, massively impressive, but I do find the prices a bit prohibitive. For example, one or two of the Bibles I bought when they were on sale are priced well over R1,000.

Also, if you’re hunting for that best seller online, I’d advise taking your heart meds. The prices could make your eyes water. I know that printing doesn’t come cheap, and that authors also have to make a living, but surely there has to be a way to make literature more affordable. 

It just worries me that if people don’t discover that thrill of reading for themselves, they’ll miss the joy that comes with being completely absorbed in a story – the kind of magic that can’t be taught, only experienced.