Today I got a great surprise meeting Bernice Chauly in Kinokuniya. I was hunting for food when I decided to pay a never-miss visit to Kinokuniya. As I was approaching the main entrance opposite Petrosains, I saw people began to sit in rows facing another empty chair and a table. As I stepping down the staircase, I saw a familiar face and smiled.
“Hi!!!!” I murmured clear enough for her to react.
She smiled and wanted to give me a hand-shake but I think I was focusing on something else that I missed the gesture. My eyes caught the Kinfolk before I could look at her again. Then I turned around to see whose book going to get read today.
I turned from Berniece and landed my hands onto the book where the author’s desk was being prepared.
“Oh! It’s Bernice who’s gonna talk,” I told myself.
Then I turned around again trying to congratulate her. This time, she was in a conversation with someone else whom actually a familiar face to me as well. If I am not mistaken, the guy was Karim Raslan. And speaking of the Raslans, I myself get confuse between Karim and Kam Raslans.
Before Bernice took over the microphone, the person in charge briefed us about Bernice’s book that she was about to read for us aloud. In brief, as heard while combing the shelves of books; it is about how Bernice is dealing with her current self – the mid-life crises, children grown up etc. All are well-written in the book she was about to share with today’s audience entitled Incantations/Incarcerations.
Kinokuniya Malaysia’s website cited this as English book, but if I am not mistaken, I heard Bernice read out some lines in Bahasa Malaysia. I am not surprise if she writes in both languages. Bernice has always been known for her creativity.
Somehow, my smile disappeared from my face as soon as I saw the book I had heard of but was not looking for it today. It was The One Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan (ISBN: 9781848549258).
But whatever it is, listening to Bernice reading her own book today is somehow touching. I felt her when she said she wrote the latest book based on what she faces in life now. That reminds me of what I am doing myself. I wrote The Deserted Wife after the failure of my first marriage and completed another book this year because being an instant mom made me realise that being a mother is the toughest rewarding job God ever created for women. Wallahualam. Thanks Bernice for reminding me of the good old days when I thought I would never be a writer myself. And thank you again for giving me an affirmative appearance today. You made me believe that writing the truth about what we are undergoing is not entirely wrong.
P/S: I videoed Bernice reading the first selection of poem from her book. Please help yourself finding the video on my Youtube channel (WOUII).
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Title: Incantations/Incarcerations
ISBN: ISBN9789670311418
Price is RM28.00 according to Kinokuniya Malaysia’s website