Invaluable
"Invaluable" does not mean "not valuable"; it actually means "very valuable".
I
love antique books. Especially those with fabric or leather wrap. Books that
passed from a generation to another generations. I can’t hold myself from
imagining that someone, far before I born read the same book I read. And love
it. I wonder what she or he felt back then. The anxiety and anticipation when
the pressure rises. The happy ending. The love and sad story. Story the author
wants to share.
Unfortunately,
most of those books I love written in English. Language I don’t understand.
That why I learnt English. No. Not from school or teacher. I don’t really like
school, frankly. And I don’t understand what my English teacher taught me. When
I bear in mind about me as a child. I remember a kid with lot of learning
problems. But I can read. Not only read. I understand sentences. Two different
things, I guess.
As
child, I hate school so much. Especially my classmate and the teachers. Ck…
They bullied me so much. I am not a clever kid but I knew that I am not an
idiot too. Long story short I have no friends. Yea yea of course someone talked
to me and we had lunch together. But they will dump me on the first chance when
they get new friends. I was lonely.
My
first sanctuary was children magazines. Bobo and Aku Anak Saleh. And my
favorite part was Oki and Nirmala comics. Bona and Rong-rong’s story was my
prefered too. Then I get to know Kawanku, Aneka Yess, and Gober Bebek. Oh, it
was heaven. Until one day I found Hello magazine. There was an article written
in English with a very amazing caricature. And I was so curious about what the
article said. My mom was too busy back then and I had no one to ask. I kept
that part of the magazines for some times. I forgot how. But finally I knew
what the article said. It was about a fairies world where all animals and
plants can talk. Awesome!
Then
I got addicted to books. I can say that I could get dizzy if one day I didn’t
read anything. I read anything. Books, newspaper, add on paper, or my parent
teaching source. And old books. My first source of old books was my grandaunt
library. Then my grandpa books collection.
Now,
while I “uhuk” got older. I even love books more and more. The smell of old paper
gets better when I flip it while drinking a nice cup of coffee and chiffon
cake. That is my treasure. I can be a detective, a witch, a doctor, a circus
member. Everything!.
I can go to Baghdad to solve a mystery with Mr. Poirot. Or fly across the
Pacific Ocean with Emilya Reinheart. Or simply being a “santri” from a village
who dream of study high and far in “Negeri Lima Menara”.
That
is why I love “Inkheart”, the movie. I feel like someone or probably something
understand what I feel. Something in my head. Well, I don’t really understand
the joke, honestly.
OK. I
will write more tomorrow.
Hanjisss…..
I write this far.
Ciao, it is 4:38 am.