A Rare Man Who Loves to Read Literature
/What makes us smile? Acts of kindness, heartwarming stories, lost loves found, music and food and the sweet memories that they bring forth, old photographs, family gatherings, heroes in our midst, remembrances of pets and experiences, etc. etc. Each of us have our own smile triggers. What's yours?
Send us a story that makes you smile, be it a vignette or an anecdote, a picture with an extended caption, even a screenshot.
He came into the library to pay for his purchases. I noticed that they were literary books, not romance novels, or self-help, or manuals.
Later in the day he was back again, going through the books, selecting several more. He came in to say to reserve the books since he'd return later to pay.
His uniform was that of an electrician working on the sixth floor of the new mall building. His demeanor was that of the lowest ranking of electricians.
His love for literature warmed my heart. I told staff when he returned to pay for the books that there had been a mistake; the books he selected were free. And in the future, any books he desired that were literary in nature would also be given for free and not for resale!
He came back, his face was quizzical when told of his bounty. He sported the biggest smile I had ever seen.
This is my way of thanking the many donors to our Ortigas Library book drive, the books from which we either keep for our collection or share with other libraries in the country.
Update: One Balita PH identified this literature-loving person as Rudy Guballo.
Rudy Guballo (Source: One Balita PH)
First posted in the author's Facebook page.
John L. Silva is executive director of the Ortigas Library, a research library in Manila.
More articles from John L. Silva
