Books offer different things to different people. For some, books offer an escape. For some they offer a different vantage point. For others, entertainment. For others, peace. For some like me, all of the above, and then some!
I enjoy hearing people’s perspectives. Books allow me to do that easily, at my pleasure. From time to time, books leave me pondering, often long after I have finished reading them.
One of those books is titled Dust by Yvonne Awuor Adhiambo. She’s an immensely gifted author and a recipient of the Caine Prize for African Writing. Years after reading her book, I am still pondering.
Ah, what’s that you say?
A problem half shared is a problem half…
Say no more. I shall throw this to you. Yvonne writes in her book:
“Everyone has at least four secrets;
- One secret can only be repeated to God.
- The second is buried in between life and death, to be retrieved at the time of a man’s most important life decision.
- The third is the one you sell to buy your oldest longing.
- The fourth is the name you baptise your death with.”
Indulge me.
Ponder over these four secrets. Can you answer each with certainity?
More importantly, what do books do for you?