Muffled View: A Ray of Hope

By Anne Alalibo

Jenny Rowland discovered she had feelings she could not comprehend, when love, with its muffled view, found its pathway to her at a time and in a place she least expected. Unsure of what the future held for her, it was as though she had found love on a slippery road. Three years later, when she met Richie West again, she resolved to keep hope alive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Oct 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491881019

Anne Alalibo

Anne Alalibo hails from the oil rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria and has four brilliant brothers. She was born in Manchester, England and grew up in the city of Port-Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria. She has a B. Sc. in Biochemistry and a Masters degree in Biochemistry (Nutrition and Toxicology). She’s an associate member of The Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria. She has a great passion for writing stories.

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© 2013 by ANNE ALALIBO. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/17/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-8100-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-8099-9(hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-8101-9 (e)

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Dedication

Foreword

Acknowledgement

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

"Alas that love, whose view is muffled still,

Should without eyes see pathways to his will."

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (1.1.171-172)

Dedication

I dedicate this book to God Almighty who gave me this gift as well as the inspiration.

Foreword

A part from sharing discipline in the sciences with the author—Anne Alalibo; who trained in Biochemistry up to Masters Level, I studied Industrial Chemistry, we both work in the same office, where the author discovered I too have penchant for the literary world. Be this as it may, I had the privilege to read this story, when she asked that I should edit the yet to be published book. The message in the book is important for every adolescent, bachelor and spinster with potential to get married. I once walked similar route of life depicted in the story, but unlike Jenny’s, the relationship ended in a fiasco.

The book tells the story of young undergraduates in the university campus and their life few years after graduation. The book can help someone experiencing love the first time manage emotional upsets, most especially, if it’s a misplaced love. The book is unique and important because it shows how what seemingly looked odd culturally and socially, was made a reality due to a resolve to forge ahead in the face of all obstacles. The situation Jenny found herself happens in everyday life around us. Majority of people with similar experiences find it difficult to manage the situation successfully for lack of vision.

I adverted at the onset, that it was a privilege to write this foreword because the author and I are colleagues at NetcoDietsmann Company, Afam VI Power Plant, Afam—Port-Harcourt, as power plant chemists. We shared interest in literary works of great writers such as Prof. Wole Soyinka, Prof. Chinua Achebe, Prof. John Pepper Clark, James Hadley Chase and William Shakespeare, just to mention a few.

HENRY AFOWOWE (MR)

ILAWE EKITI, 2013.

Acknowledgement

I express my hearty thanks to my parents Engr. & Mrs. I.B.E. Alalibo and my wonderful brothers: Krama, Henry, Belema and Ngo, for their immeasurable support and love. I am grateful to Mr. Faith Golly, Dr. Patricks Chinemerem MITD, MNMGS and Mr. Henry Afowowe for taking out time in their busy schedule to edit and enrich this book, and for their encouragements. I also thank Mr. Emeka Ejechi for his encouragement.

Above all, I give thanks to Almighty God for this gift.

I am also grateful to my friends, colleagues and relatives who have all supported and encouraged this gift in one way or the other.

CHAPTER ONE

I t was the last semester of my fifth year at the Lagos State University, where I was studying chemical engineering. I was in the biggest cyber café on campus, surfing the internet with a friend who was also my course mate. A tough semester it was, because it was our final year.

Students walked in and out of the cyber café, some looked confused while many looked stressed up and preoccupied. It was the usual scene during final year project writing, we called it project madness. As students walked in and out through the swing doors of the cyber café, one would wonder if project research was the only thing we lived for. The look of worry hung in the atmosphere. Undergraduate project defence was a month away, and so many students’ project works have not been approved.

I was one of the very few whose project work had been proof-read and approved. My supervisor believed in speed and hard work. I had worked very hard, and in less than a month I would defend my project and return home to await either my convocation ceremony or my NYSC call up letter, whichever came first.

Life after school was unclear, but we all believed it was better than being in the four walls of the university. I had short term goals of defending my project and then going for the National Youth Service Corps—NYSC. Anything beyond that was of less importance.

I was asking the café attendant to get me more internet air time, when an overexcited Felicity Nnamdi hastily walked in, and exclaimed:

‘You won’t believe what I heard this morning in the department’s general office!’

Felicity was dark skinned, tall, slim and beautiful. She was also an intelligent person with a passion for news. It was not surprising because her father was a journalist.

‘What did you hear this time?’ Geraldine Adebayo asked with a mischievous smile, her eyes not leaving the monitor.

Gerry, as she was popularly called, was the daughter of a wealthy entrepreneur. She was chocolate skinned with beautiful eyes, wide lips and was fun to have around. She, Felicity and I were very close.

Before Felicity could answer Alvin Georgewill, an average height young man in his late twenties, walked in behind her, and said, ‘Felicity you always seem to hear things before anyone else in your department.’

‘Alvin, I wasn’t talking to you, you forever poke your nose into my business.’

That was true. Alvin had a special way of getting on her nerves all in the name of getting her attention. He wasn’t in our department and was doing his Masters in mechanical engineering but because of his apparent interest in Felicity he was always seen in chemical engineering department. He had no classes today so he had accompanied Felicity to the cyber café. He had been of great help in our project research, especially in assisting us surf the internet for information.

As a means of occupying himself, he organized tutorials for the first and second year students where he taught physics and mathematics. Obviously, not for the money as he was from a wealthy home. He was a brilliant young man and we all wondered what he saw in Felicity that had fascinated him, because even though she was snobbish towards him, he still craved her company.

‘Your love for news makes you hear things that do not exist,’ I said, smiling.

‘You all can make fun of me for all I care, but I have never given any piece of wrong information,’ she replied good-naturedly.

‘No one said you have,’ Gerry said. ‘But remember the time you said the student executives in the department were not to pay departmental dues, and we did not, and it caused us a lot of trouble with Dr. Rita Adeyemi, the head of department.’

‘I got the wrong gist or I must have heard wrongly,’ Felicity defended.

‘Please, Felicity, do tell us what you heard so that we can get on with our work,’ I said.

She cleared her throat and took an air of importance.

‘Get on with it, we haven’t got all day,’ Gerry urged impatiently.

At this juncture, Alvin bade us goodbye and left. In less than ten minutes he would be having physics tutorials with the first year students.

‘I heard ASUU will go on strike and it may last for a month or more,’ she said at last.

We all paused and turned to look at her. I did not want to think it could be true, because I was eager to be done with school. Also, my rent would be due in a week’s time, and after much pleading with my landlord I was given two extra weeks to stay without pay. The additional two weeks were just enough to write my final examinations, and defend my project.

‘Now Felicity, are you absolutely sure of what you are saying?’ I asked slowly, hoping she wasn’t.

‘Yes, I am, Jenny. I asked Mr. Jones, Dr. Rita Adeyemi’s secretary, and he confirmed it. Starting next week, ASUU goes on strike,’ she answered confidently.

‘Sounds as though you are pleased about the strike,’ Gerry attacked.

‘To be honest, I need a rest. I have been working so hard to make sure my project work is ready before we start our exams. I haven’t put together the result chapter much less give it out for typing.’

‘You haven’t yet let go of this lazy attitude of yours,’ Gerry told her disapprovingly.

‘I may not have gone as far as you have but it does not mean I’m lazy,’ Felicity defended, not pleased.

‘Hey! Stop it,’ I interjected before a quarrel surfaced.

‘Sorry,’ Gerry muttered an apology to Felicity who only nodded.

‘If truly there’s going to be a strike, then I have to think of where to stay. My rent will be due this week,’ I said thoughtfully.

‘If others are thinking of where to stay, you shouldn’t. You have a sister who lives very close to the university,’ Gerry commented.

‘I wouldn’t want to inconvenience her and her family,’ I replied.

The truth was that I did not like the way my sister was being treated by her bossy husband in her matrimonial home, so I really did not want to spend more than a week there.

‘Jenny, it would be unwise to pay another rent, especially when you don’t know if the strike would last for more than a month,’ Felicity said seriously. ‘Or do you intend going home to Port Harcourt to stay until the strike is called off?’

‘I don’t have that in mind. I couldn’t because of the talent show of my fellowship coming up in three weeks.’

Felicity sat on a stool, which had just been vacated, and then said, ‘Then it’s simple. You just have to stay with your sister. She has enough space in her home to keep you for two months, if the need arises.’

‘Let’s put an end to this discussion. We aren’t even sure if the strike would hold,’ Gerry said seriously.

We said nothing afterwards and concentrated on surfing the internet.

CHAPTER TWO

T he rays from the sun spilled into my apartment through a tear in the curtain. I stared at the light as it fell on the foot of my bed. I was in no hurry to get up, though it was a Wednesday, and I still had my project work to edit, print and bind.

I was still on my bed with thoughts on what to do if the rumour about ASUU going on strike were true, when I heard a knock on my door. I pulled away the wrapper I had used to cover myself, and quickly got up to peep through the tear in the curtain. Standing in front of my door were Gerry and Felicity.

They had not mentioned coming to my apartment this morning. We had agreed to meet at the cyber café at ten o’clock, and the time was just twenty minutes past eight.

‘What brought you girls here?’ I asked as I opened the door.