"Buti nakakahanap ka pa ng time magbasa,"
I said to a female student, scanning two books for release. "Exams niyo na, a."
She smiled,
explaining that she reads several pages here and there during breaks from
reviewing.
I already
encountered her a few times at the Circulation counter, both on the 1st and 2nd
floors of the Main Library. She often borrowed novels and fiction titles, and
not because it was required by her professor. As a librarian, you tend to
remember students like that, especially these days when many teens only have
trending topics, funny videos, and hugot lines in the head.
I eventually
asked if she read Wattpad books, as
these publications targeted students her age. She made a funny facial
expression, which I interpreted as her way of saying "Not really."
"Talaga?" I replied, amused. I
assumed teenagers loved Wattpad
books like "She's Dating the
Gangster", "Diary ng
Panget", "Talk Back and
You're Dead", and "The
Bet" (all have been made into movies; "The Bet" recently
adapted into "Just the Way You Are" starring Enrique Gil and Liza
Soberano).
She explained
that these books' endings were "predictable." I laughed.
"Predictable"
meant already knowing what's going to happen next. "Predictable"
meant no matter the author, the number of chapters, the main characters, or
even the situation, the outcome of the story will always be the same.
"Predictable" meant reaching a point where you already know how an
author thinks and don't find it interesting anymore.
And it
especially meant she had already read enough books to know what
"predictable" is.
I printed out
her receipt, reminding her to return the books after three days. I was
confident that it wasn't the last time I'd encounter her at the Circulation
desk. People who've 'leveled up' on reading always return for more. As a
librarian, I am sure of it.
In fact, you
could even say it's predictable.
