It was bound to happen at some point.
Mr. Curio had a love for books since he was a child. Other children played ball. Young Master Curio perused the dusty tomes of the local library. Why bake in the hot hometown sun when you can explore the cool dark caverns of bookshelves? Between every dustjacket, lions roared in the Serengeti, the last, lone dinosaur wailed in the jungle, gargoyles giggled amidst the spires high over France, and strange hooded men chanted in the deep groves of the Irish countryside.
As Curio grew, so did his book collection. His one modest bookshelf turned to two, then three… Soon, he had an entire wall dedicated to his beloved books. Then, an entire room! His favorite pastime was sitting in his wingback chair, while his faithful black cat companion, Jinx, sat on this lap as he read.
Despite his years in formal schooling, he attributed much of his real knowledge to the books he read. One day, while taking Jinx to the vet for her annual checkup, he chatted with a young boy. He had a small box in his lap.
“What do you have in the box?”
“It’s my pet lizard. He’s sick, I think.”
“May I?”
The boy nodded and cracked the box open.
Mr. Curio chuckled. “Well, that’s a very fine specimen of a Plestiodon fasciatus. And she is about to lay eggs. You’ll want to keep her in a 5-10 gallon terrarium and keep it humid. They like lots of moisture in their environment.”
“Thank you, mister. You know a lot. Are you a vet, too?”
“Not at all. I just read a lot. There are some really good books on lizard care in the library. Have you checked them out?”
“A library?” The boy said it like he had never uttered that word from his lips.
“Why, yes. Surely you’ve been there.”
The boy stared blankly.
“Good heavens!” Curio exclaimed. “You must go, and quickly! Infinite worlds await! Discoveries to be made! You can’t rely on this newfangled internet. Any hooligan with wifi can make up anything and change it all tomorrow if it doesn’t suit their fancy.”
“Books… books are real. Books are timeless. They are a glimpse into our past. They hold the hope of our future. Go!”
Wide-eyed, the boy ran out, clutching the box tightly.
That evening, the conversation rattled around in Curio’s brain. He couldn’t imagine life without books, or stepping into a library. Where would he be now? He shuddered to think about it.
He ran his fingers along a row of weathered spines. Some of these books he had read multiple times. So many people don’t even know these books exist. Maybe it’s time to release a few of these back into the world…
And as such, Mr. Curio’s Vintage Books was born.
Today, Mr. Curio scours the countryside seeking undiscovered vintage and antique books. He aims to raise awareness of the bygone era when the printed word was gold, and real knowledge was worth more than all the money in the world.
