I'm really grateful to this nice Chinese man who started my journey in reading - I wonder if he'll read the article in the Star and if he remembers it? If yes, I'd really like to meet him and thank him personally!
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A woman recalls a school holiday spent at a bookshop in a shopping mall and her love of reading which was nurtured by a kindly soul.
I WILL remember that day in December, 1983, forever. I was in Primary Three and was browsing around the stationery section of the (now closed down) Berita Book Centre in Sungai Wang Plaza.
Fascinated with all things cute and colourful, I spent almost an hour there before arriving at the children’s book section. I must have spent another hour immersed in books from the Ladybird series. It was my school holidays, and I had all the time in the world to browse while my mother worked at a beauty salon.
I must have been on my fourth or fifth Ladybird book when a young, Chinese man in spectacles approached me.
“Hello, how many books have you read already?” he asked with a friendly smile.
I shook my head as I really didn’t know – I’d simply taken the next one on the swivelling book rack after finishing one. Besides, my mother had repeatedly told me that I should not talk to strangers.
“How old are you?” he asked.
“I am nine years old.” I replied. He smiled and said that I was too old for Ladybird since I could finish so many books in one sitting. Then, he suggested that I follow him to another section where he was sure I would enjoy the books.
I remember being led to a section with rows and rows of paperbacks arranged according to their colourful spines – red, orange, yellow, blue, green and purple. He ran his finger across the books, stopped at one and picked it out.
“Try this and see if you like it. If you don’t like it, I can find you another one.”
It was The Tales of Betsy May by Enid Blyton. I said thank you and gingerly turned to the first page. I was getting nervous because he seemed quite enthusiastic about recommending the books.
You see, I knew very well that I couldn’t pay for the books. And my mother would surely scold me if I did something wrong at the bookshop – like reading all the Ladybirds for free. Was this man forcing me to buy a book?
He must have sensed my worry because he quickly assured me with another cheery smile, “Don’t worry. You don’t have to buy the book. If you finish this book and you would like to read another, you can sit here and read it also. Nobody will disturb you here. You can read all you want, okay?”
Wow, what magic words!
I felt an instant relief and attacked the book happily. He left to carry on with what he was doing.
I read the book and was soon immersed in Betsy May’s adventures. When the day ended, I took note of the page number, returned the book to its shelf and returned to my mother’s workplace.
I went back to Berita Book Centre every day after that but the young man never came to speak to me again. He smiled at me when he saw me coming but left me alone.
I soon finished The Tales of Betsy May and moved on to another book. I think it was The Naughtiest Girl in School is a Monitor, also by Enid Blyton.
My mother didn’t know how I spent my time until one day when I was completely lost to the world around me, experiencing the British boarding school adventures of The Twins at St. Clare’s, again by Enid Blyton.
I was enjoying the book so much I forgot the time! When I finished and glanced at my watch (my mother had specifically bought it for me to keep track of time), I was horrified to see that it was already 7.30 pm.
I was two hours late in meeting my mother!
When I didn’t show up for tea at 5.30pm, my mother waited a while. At 6.00pm, she had gone to the information counter and paged for me, at least 10 times. At 6.30pm, she was beside herself with worry and went around to every kiddy arcade and toy shop in the shopping complex to look for me. I think she enlisted my uncle’s help too.
By 7.00pm, they decided to lodge a missing person’s report at the complex security centre. While they were in the midst of describing my dress to the security guards and showing them my photo, I showed up.
I’m afraid I can’t remember if my mother was extremely angry or relieved to see me then. All I know is that the bookstore was the last place they’d think to search!
After that day, my mother was rest assured that I was safe at the bookstore and that was where I spent the remainder of my school holidays.
Thanks to the kind man, I went on to develop a love for reading, and amassed a huge home library of books. I also became an English teacher and continue to recommend or buy suitable books for my students, friends, relatives and their children.
I still don’t know who you are but I am truly blessed to have met a Book Angel like you. May God bless you!
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Original article appeared in Sunday Star, 19 April 2009.
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