The Coat of Many Colours

By Oluwatoyin Adedeji

The book is a fictional account of a foreigner’s experience in Nigeria being relayed with reference to her experience in her war-torn home country. It attempts to lay out the struggles of many African countries in search for peace and unity amidst cultural diversity, differing political inclinations and sheer greed.

The writer also tries to reflect the cultural values of the society in which she finds herself, as well as the impact of civil conflict on any society.

The story brings out some beautiful aspects of life in the geographical entity called Nigeria and seeks to highlight reasons why this unity must be upheld.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Apr 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781546243243

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© 2019 Oluwatoyin Adedeji. 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 04/10/2019

ISBN: 978-1-5462-4325-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-4324-3 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

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.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Glossary

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all human communities that strive to rise above various challenges to attain unity and peaceful co-existence amidst diversity. It is dedicated to all who lost their lives in this struggle.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I appreciate God, the inspiration behind all good things. I thank my family and friends who kept on encouraging me to write.

CHAPTER ONE

I was weary.

The journey was long and tedious. What with the frequent stops at each country’s border, the uneasiness at the stern suspicious stare of immigration officers on the way not to talk of the unspoken fears of uncertainty that lurked in the heart of every one of us. We were all refugees running from the realities of a living hell that had been our place of abode, our country.

The bus came to a sudden stop with a jerk

‘Tule, Tule, wake up’. ‘We are finally at the border of Nigeria’.

I woke up with a start and rubbed my eyes. Yes, we were at a border. I could see gun toting soldiers, custom officers and the immigrations peering at us keenly. I was apprehensive. Everybody was. Here, our fate would be determined.

Were we going to be turned back? Rejected as illegal immigrants? Were we going to be allowed to take refuge in Nigeria- the giant of Africa?

Taking a closer look at soldats and their counterparts, I saw kindness and compassion behind the façade of rugged harshness and professionalism.

Yes, we looked pitiable, like lost children, after travelling several days by road eating almost nothing other than bread and water.

After checking our documents and luggage, their leader issued brisk carry on and we all heaved a big sigh of relief. We made it.

The journey in to the country continued under a more relaxed atmosphere.

Everyone was chatting away happily.

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I laid my head back on the seat and closed my eyes. As I did, vivid memories of the living hell I had escaped began to flood back. Memories of the rampage, the destructions,