(3): A Weird Hope (Synopsis)
A Weird Hope is my novel, which was published by
Century Research and Publishing Limited, Kano-Nigeria; 2012.
STUDIOUS freshman
Abubakar has a romantic notion that love and studies can be taken along
concomitantly, whereas his urbane confidant, Salim
regards so doing as an aberration and hence a threat to their future and lives.
He defiantly flouts the admonishment. This eventually coincides with the time
his consanguineous relationship with his ravishing cousin, Maryam Bako develops
to a full-pledged love relationship.
Bako, a conservative, avaricious father
of Maryam forbids her to attend any school beyond the college, which she is
only able to finish under the auspices of Abubakar. She’s finally lured and
vanquished into marriage with one rich, miscreant Alhaji Usman alias Maisunan.
The marriage has been arranged—typical practice among some traditional
Hausa/Fulani communities—since she was a baby. The father is indebted to what
Maisunan’s father did to him when he was helpless. Unluckily for him and luckily
for her, the loveless marriage is short-lived; for, a few months into it the
tycoon is arrested for his shady, snooty businesses and sentenced to life
imprisonment.
Abubakar has already gotten a new girlfriend, a better one, as he
believes for she will be a path for him to the El-Dorado—the mighty United States of
America. Shahada Bukhari, a witty, go-getter daughter of the newly appointed
Nigerian Ambassador to the U.S. is brought to her grandparents in Kano to learn
her native language and to get married. She, against all odds, rebuffs her
parent’s proposed man because of Abubakar. They are to return soon, and the
father vows that his daughter must get husband here in Nigeria . The parents hence
pressurize her chosen one to come aboard for their marriage or else…
The divorced Maryam appears volte face before Abubakar and their love is
rekindled. Yet he feels unable to desert Shahada for her. Amidst this qualm, their
semester result comes out; he’s eventually withdrawn from the university. He
was lovesick—due to Maryam’s marriage—during the exam. Things exacerbate to the
extent he couldn’t withstand the pressure; he becomes raving mad. Hearing what
befalls her old-lover, Maryam who has months’ old pregnancy instantly falls
sick. She’s later tested HIV positive and finally dies of Eclampsia at giving
birth.
As soon as Abubakar recovers, his marriage and Shahada is ultimately
solemnized without any fanfare because they have to leave the country on the
day. On their way to the airport, along with Shahada’s father, they heard an
announcement that the present government is over-thrown by the military,
therefore all boarders are to be closed, and no plane will be allowed in or
outside the country. In frustration and haste to escape being apprehended,
Ambassador Bukhari crashed the car into an avenue of deeply-rooted mahogany
trees.
*The end of the novel is actually (read:
deliberately) obfuscated: after the accident, the newly wed couple are shown
rejoicing over the birth of their first child. As a somewhat supplement, this
is written in italics to suggest to the reader that the
incident is either a dream or a wishful thought by both or either of the couple.
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