A Memory of My Grandparents (3)- (U) Khin Maung Latt and (Daw) Khin Myo Chit

 Books, Books, Everywhere….

(Family photo at the lawn, in 1972-73?, we twins with our grandparents, and our parents. The only thing we equally love is, ‘Books.’)

They believe in books we can find a rich harvest of corn, no need to invest in farms and lands. My grandmother always said for the volumes of learning gave you houses of treasure. They gathered books, novels, encyclopedias, and dictionaries, thesaurus kept at their family library as a best heritage for their grandchildren. My parents also loved books as they invested their money only on buying books to add up in our family library. We followed their way never search for more pleasure but satisfied ourselves with their golden treasure, believed within books whose countenances are like jades.

(The old cover of ‘Listen and read English Course’ in 1976. - (Right))

One day we were old enough to read books, or understand English alphabets, our grandparents planned to teach us ‘Peter and Molly’ – Listen and read English Course with cassette. All the lessons were conversation between Peter and Molly (brother and sister), and their friends. My grandparents taught us with patience, explained word by word, and let us speak as the cassette tape goes. We listened, and followed as they talked. 

In the mean time, our parents showed the various types of thousand of books such as, ‘Illustrated Classics’, ‘Lucky Luke’, ‘Finding Out’, ‘Knowledge’, ‘Mickey Mouse’, ‘Donald Duck’, ‘Tin Tin’, etc and let us try a taste of them. 

(Books, thousands of books around us, I believed books are treasurer…..)

When we were able to read books, we could choose what we liked from the bookshelves. One day our grandmother called us, and we sat beside her. She said, ‘My dear twins, listen carefully. You two are now old enough to read books by yourselves. You can choose what you want to read. But if your chosen book is unluckily not interesting from the beginning or it becomes boring for you, you must change with another book. Do not waste your time reading a book that you don’t want to read. There are thousands of books and cartoons here. You can change any book you like. Your parents also collected books, and they also loved books too. You are rich in books. So, remember what I said to you both.’

(Our grandma called us one day, and said, “My dear twins…….”)

‘You may have tangible wealth unfold;

caskets of jewels and coffers of gold,

Richer than I you can never be –

We had our grandparents, and our parents who read to me,

And who keep books for me.

I believe books are treasurer,

Than the rich of what you own.’

 (Quoted from SricklandGillan)

 (To be continued...)