Tryst with a hobby

Bill Gates reads about 50 books every year. It breaks down to roughly one book every week. Now that is a scorching pace to maintain consistently over the years. But then, the man has made the ‘superlative’ virtually his own backyard! On a comparatively minuscule scale, my own sojourn with the written word began when we shifted from Amravati to Nagpur in 1977. I left Holy Cross Convent after completing 4th Std. and entered S.F.S. High School in the 5th Std.

The school had a well stocked library. I forayed into it tentatively. Our librarian Brother Thomas suggested Enid Blyton’s Mr. Twiddle series for me to read. I sampled a few, moved on to Mr. Pinkwhistle and soon was ready for something more dramatic. One day, I picked up a few books carrying words like murder and robbery in their titles, from the shelves and took them to the issuing counter. Brother Thomas was average height, middle aged and slightly plumb. He had peppered grey beard, with a tendency to peer over his spectacles, which were tied by a string which would otherwise allow them to hang over his bosom. He had an aura of gentleness to his presence. He smiled at me benignly and offered me another Enid Blyton book called “Five on the Kirrin Island”. I was quiet disappointed. It was a strange name of a book, for me. I couldn’t understand the significance of the word ‘Five’ in the title. However, being a 10 year old kid, I was in no position to argue with Brother Thomas. Rather reluctantly I took the book home. Began reading it after dinner, got hooked on the first page, read it from start to finish overnight, and that night remains indelibly marked in my memory when I got introduced to the magical world of books and reading. Famous Five characters- Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timothy the dog will forever be a part of me, for taking me on an unforgettable adventure where time flew and I did not notice the night turn into morning. Reading became a lifelong hobby and books- permanent companions. Till date, I read, intermittently and indiscriminately if not voraciously. Subjects do not matter much. They may range over everything from philosophy to pornography. Although with age priorities may have changed slightly but I will forever be partial towards the thriller and non-fiction genres.

A thoughtful gesture by a considerate adult may set into motion ripples which may be felt until decades later. Thank you, Brother Thomas for igniting a lifelong passion.