All Hope is not Lost

 

I like bringing a book everywhere I go. Whether I had the time to read it or not, that's a different story.

There were a couple of instances where random strangers struck up conversations with me. A fellow bookish I presume.

Once, I was reading Aristotle's Politics. 

A 20-ish young woman asked, "Is the book fun?". 

Her eyes were lively. 

I laughed. "I don't know, I just started reading it", I answered.

Just recently, while I was putting sugar into my cup of coffee, the barista read aloud what was on the book cover. 

"Muhammad. Prophet of Peace Amid The Clash of Empires". 

I glanced at him, and with a smile, I told him, "It's a good book". 

"How much is the book?" he asked. 

"Erm I don't remember". 

Then he continued, "I baca banyak buku pasal Nabi. I suka kaji. Oh I muslim". 

He probably needed to explain himself since he was wearing a face mask.

I laughed and told him, "Of course. Kita kena selalu baca pasal Nabi (Muhammad s.a.w.)"

These kinds of small talk are refreshing. Whilst the vast majority of people are worried about the booming TikTok and YouTube generations, these youngsters who read are still here. They're just silently living, buried in a sea of lives, like a treasure awaiting to be discovered.