A Review of the book "The Road Once Taken" by Emeka Esogbue

BOOK REVIEW

Title: ‘The Road Once Taken’

Author: Gbudje Efe Blessing

Publisher/Year of publication: Onileagbon’s Sight and Sound/2017

Reviewer: Emeka Esogbue

This is an 80-page fictional book with the story-line particularly set in Libya, a North African country. It is beautifully divided into chapters that sums six in all, untitled though. Chapter one opens with the despondency of Linda, the protagonist, utterly crestfallen by the trials gifted her by fate. At this point, her mother, a petty trader whose shop is not far off from their home, tries to hearten her but she is too downhearted for any comfort. The curtain opens on Linda’s paternity; her father, dead, was a teacher in a primary school who was not well-enough so he had to support his means of livelihood with farming on weekends. As we are told in this chapter, Linda’s father was also a member of the king’s cabinet who used his position to avert an impending combat between his community and neighbouring Umunze over a parcel of land.

From the account made available to readers, he was shot on emissary by enemies that ambushed him. What followed his death was invocation of the cultural practice in which four months after the interment, the deceased elder brother made moves to inherit the widow and assets left by her deceased husband. Irked by this action, Linda’s mother dashed to the palace but was advised by the King to respect the people’s tradition. This cultural situation is blamed on conflict of ethnic disparity as the woman complained that her deceased husband, an Igbo, did not inform her of this cultural practice before the marriage was contracted. As it turned out, it was actually inherited by Linda’s uncle. Chapter two opens discussions on Linda’s UTME experiences. The attempt was her fifth and it was here that Linda met Chioma, the girl she would strike friendship with. Sadly, she failed the exam again as did Chioma. But like a people that fate would bind, they both found a way to get into the university to obtain diploma. Here in the university, bad fate came calling as Ajibade, the lecturer, notorious for sleeping with female students and receiving bribes from their male counterparts approached Linda. She maintained her dignity but that was not enough to see her through; Mr. Ajibade ensured that she never passed his course.       

The chapter closes with Linda’s encounter with a completely amoral Boss of the company where she sought employment. And after she could not tolerate his amorousness, she ended the job. Chapter three would extend Linda’s employment happenstance in another firm where the amorousness of her Boss reenacted, and again she terminated the job. It was in the heart of her hopelessness that she reunited with Chioma who on promising her better life, invited her to Libya thought to be a bed of roses to work as a house help. Chapter four begins with the long tortuous trip to Libya. Although the journey was initially premised on flying on air, she soon realized that it was a deceit as her international passport suddenly got missing, making it a journey by road. And as the Author would describe it, it was “laced with stress, hunger, thirst and the dangers of desert-crossing”.

Once in Libya, much to her surprise, she was told by Mr. Kunle, the driver that she was owing them Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira for getting her through the desert and landing her in Libya. Consequently, she was taken to a hotel called Baba Koa Connection House where was expected to live and make money for her mistresses as a prostitute. Male “customers” who hailed from Ghana, Niger, Chad and Nigeria were turned in to her but she kept refusing them and in the process incurred the anger of her “employers” who as a consequence of that action took her to Chioma who was now queenly in the business. Chioma not only warned her on the consequences of her actions but instructed that her phone be seized and also arranged her transfer to Tripoli where according to her, beautiful girls were on high demand. The journey was intercepted by soldiers who ordered that she be taken back or risk deportation, an action that forced them to return her to Sabbah. Few days later, they succeeded in crossing her over to Tripoli and was made to stay in White House, a club house owned by Maleek, a Moslem.

She was soon handed to Shina who took her to Omies, another club house, later raided by soldiers but she managed to hide behind a refrigerator but was soon discovered by some Benin guys who on trying to assist her, handed her to certain woman, where she gained some air of freedom until Shina reappeared to demand her release to him. Linda was handed to Tunji who also handed her to Tope and Bola, a couple which operated Tejura, a club house. The couple was to later separate as a result of the misunderstanding they had so she returned to Gigarage owned by Ola, a Nigerian. The Author tells the story of the bleeding she experienced due to the Bouba or what they called “Baby wipe”, forced into her to prevent unwanted pregnancy and STDs. Although she received medication, she narrated her plight to a lady who obliged her the phone number of a certain Israel Ajayi in Tripoli for help. Chapter six, which is the last chapter of the book opens with Israel Ajayi who disguised himself as Alhaji that wanted to have sex with her. On seeing her, he approached the owner of the connection and told her that he wanted a night with her, and after initial refusal, she accepted his proposal. This singular exploit provided her the escape she needed.

Soon, the lady whose phone was used to contact Israel Ajayi was identified and later found dead with her body hanging on a ceiling fan in her room but the game to haunt down Linda by Kunle and Shina continued. Before long, Chioma and Obama caught up with her. Throwing her inside the car, they made to drive off when a car suddenly blocked them. Obama drew out a gun, cocked it and was ready to pull the trigger when Chioma was fired in the head and she died instantaneously. Obama also died and Linda was grabbed and put in a car that sped off. Just then, it turned out that Israel was one of her rescuers. Linda resumed her stay with Israel and for the first time, sent some money to her mother in Nigeria. The unfortunate incident of how she was hit by vehicle was narrated by the Author. She was though medically cared for but as it turned out, the Doctors reported that only with the grace of God she would she walk again. Linda soon discovered that Israel’s love for her has not only gradually faded off but Israel has leased off the apartment they both cohabited and had disappeared. She soon sought help at the Nigerian High Commission in Libya and with the assistance of the High Commission, she was back to Nigeria; and in Nigeria, she got hooked to Austin whom she wedded.

The book is a narration, recounted by the Author and does not bear conversations by any two or more persons, which makes it easy to comprehend. The storyline appears realistic with actual forenames, landmarks and names of places such as hotels and club houses mentioned. The Author must be praised for her apt geographical knowledge of Libya, human trafficking and the Libyan environment as a whole and for digging into the culture of widowhood practices in which women. She also dug into the maltreated suffered by widows at the loss of their husbands. The book also contains genuine travel advice and assistances such as “Advice to Nigerians in Libya”, “Work and Residence Requirements”, Legal Advice” and “Useful Contacts”. However, I wish to point out that the Author failed to utilize dialogues in passing the story. Again, not much of figures of speech are contained in the book. Although Umunze is cited as Linda’s ancestral home, we never got to know the names of her parents. Other than these, the book is prized and useful to every household as it teaches some lessons.

I therefore recommend this book to you.

Being a review of the book by Elder Emeka Esogbue during the book presentation in Lagos.