Geeky Love: Is it books that you will eat?!

When I first graduated from college, at the end of the 8-5 work drill, I often dashed to Barnes & Noble. Once inside the bookstore giant, my sister and I were like women in the heat of a clandestine affair: we'd part ways inside the store, find a book, grab a couch and enter our secret worlds until the 11p.m. closing time.

It was my mother who initiated this nerdy nose-in-book habit in all of us. Of course as 4-year-olds we were more interested in the pictures than the words of the Sesame Street storybooks she had subscribed to. We received at least 3 books a month, and thus began the obsession. By the time I was six, even though I could barely read, I couldn’t fall asleep at night unless I had a book tucked beside me.

One time, my mother caught my sister washing dishes and reading a novel at the same time. The book was too good to put down so my sis placed it behind the tap and continued washing. I thought it was genius—but my mother didn’t think so. She gave my poor sis a good whopping.
“Is it books that you will eat?” my mom used to say, or “Do you want your husband to send you back home because you can’t cook?!” Now, the second question used to baffle me. I couldn’t comprehend having a husband that would stress me, talk less send me packing because of something as trivial as *gasp* food. Nah, that would mess up the fairytale romance that held forte in my teenage mind. Even now, in my more skeptical twenties, I still don’t understand that question.

To my consolation, boarding house in Nigeria turned out to be one big book club! There were no computers, phones and certainly no boys to flirt with. So you gossiped, slept or read. Romance books were the craze. You knew how an M&B book would end, yet you’d keep reading one after the other, while you tell critics that such reading enriches your vocabulary. You however wrap the paperback with notebook paper, lest you reveal the not-so-innocent images on the cover.

Fast forward to the millennium. I discovered blogs on a slow day at work and started reading during my down time. At home, I shopped for books online. At an average of $15 per title, books will cut into your wallet. And don’t be fooled by those $1.39 used books on Amazon.com. My frugal self couldn’t resist them, and I bubbled with excitement as I added title after title to my online cart. Next thing I’d have spent 50 unbudgeted dollars!

Where are most of my books? In faraway America, because of a 50kg transatlantic baggage limit. I guess you can argue that my books aren’t really beloved since I didn’t pay the price to have them shipped. No, blame it on the airlines! We all know how unrealistic those limits are (well, a Nigerian woman knows) and we must not give in to such monopolistic manipulation!

Anyway, just when I thought my N9, 975 government. stipend had killed book buying, a true friend recently SPONSORED a shopping spree at the NuMetro Media store! I happily acquired 7 books that blissful evening. Aaah, where would we be without both our real and printed friends?