Nine hours of power shutdown on a weekend can drive one to boredom and idleness. Not with me though. I did what I’ve been putting off for a long time. One dreary Saturday, with no electricity at home, and wanting to do something worthwhile, I decided to read a book. I didn’t grab one from the shelves but instead went online with my phone (thankfully, it was fully charged) and searched for ebooks.

Usually, I read non-fiction and motivational authors such as Stephen Covey or Bo Sanchez, but this time I went for one of the classics by Leo Tolstoy, a book titled Anna Karenina. What made me curious about this book was the fact that it was mentioned by Audrey Assad (one of my fave Christian artists) on her Facebook page with positive reviews especially about its author.

Finished Anna Karenina! My heart is broken because there is no more of the story to read. Because of this one book, my heart is a little more flesh and a little less stone.
– Audrey Assad on her Facebook page, March 20, 2012

So it was a day of no electricity at home. And while other homes were relying on whatever source of power or light they have – a candle, an LED lamp, 9v rechargeable battery, or power generator – my mind was somewhere else in Russia, lost in the world of the Oblonsky family, of Anna and her lover Vronsky, Levin and his young wife Kitty, and all the other fascinating characters in the novel. It was also my first attempt at reading an e-book with my phone and often had difficulty turning on to the next page with a swipe. The novel got me, like a squirming helpless fish caught in a fisherman’s net. I didn’t notice the time and was even surprised when the lights came back at dusk.

I’m still unfinished with the book. Looking at the pages yet to be read makes me eager to know how the story ends. But the real world demands more attention and priority; tasks and affairs need to be dealt with first. Until next time we meet then, Anna, tomorrow perhaps?