A Mysterious Work of Art

By Akin Abimbola

Art is a free gift to man, used to express himself and to release the treasures hidden within his beautiful heart. Art is a clue to our precious history and a revelation of the secrets to our future. If every artist reveals his or her creativity, perhaps we shall discover that the road map to divine treasures is not hidden in some faraway place but right here within us.

Tobi is a young man embarking on an inspiring journey of self-discovery. Through a mysterious work of art, he enlightens those he encounters. After several failed attempts by the art to grasp the attention of the people walking past, all hope is virtually lost. The art’s persistent voice becomes audible to Tobi, the only one with a good heart and clear conscience.

The art overflows with joy when it realizes that it has finally made it to the heart of one man, but the fate of mankind is shadowed by a looming danger. If humanity does not recognize the truth dancing before its eyes, the world could be drowned in heart wrenching sorrow. Tobi’s is a bumpy ride, but he might have the ability to bring us back safely—but as different people.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Sep 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665711289

Akin Abimbola

Akin Abimbola is a poet, speaker, and writer who discovered writing while in high school. He has won several awards for literary creativity, most notably his Anthem for the prestigious Lagos Country Club in Nigeria. He currently lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, with his wife and daughter.

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Copyright © 2021 Akin Abimbola.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system

without the written permission of the author except in the case of

brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents,

organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products

of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Archway Publishing

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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.

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.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version® Copyright © 1982

by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-6657-1127-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-1128-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021917215

Archway Publishing rev. date: 09/21/2021

Contents

Dedication

Preface

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1     A Friend…Indeed.

Chapter 2     Adversary from the Past.

Chapter 3     The Demise.

Chapter 4     Different Scenarios

Chapter 5     The E.R

Chapter 6     At the Gallery.

Chapter 7     An Entrance

Chapter 8     The Encounter (Soliloquys of Tobi).

Chapter 9     Arrival.

Chapter 10   Holocaust.

Chapter 11   A Familiar Confessor.

Chapter 12   Apocalypse.

References (*)

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in

settings of silver. Proverbs 25: 11 (NKJV)

"Adore me! This piece of art said,

But I admired something else instead.

It said, is there any other fairer than I,

That I deserve not your eyes to pry?"

Have you ever wondered who the greatest artist is? Just take a look around you and you will find that nature is one fine art.

Art is an exemplary model from different angles, a free gift to man to express himself and to release unto the fore the treasures embedded within his beautiful heart. Art is a clue to our precious history, and a clear revelation of the secrets to our mysterious future; ranging from the pictures, which the words are capable of painting in our minds, to the fact that they are the very genesis of man himself.

If man allows peace to reign, and mankind is preserved, and every artist reveals their creativity, perhaps we shall discover that the road map to the treasures underneath our very nose is right here within us.

Dedication

To all that do not let prevailing circumstances, no matter how hard, allow the words that they utter become thrown darts, which are sharp enough to pierce in through the hearts, and then the souls of those they hold dear…and to others.

Preface

From time immemorial, the relationship between humans has been the cause of the aftermath of their activity, as every single person cherishes peace and recognition; people seek to be celebrated, and this comes with a high sense of belonging. We all want to feel alive in our souls, both physically and spiritually, as our body endlessly yearns for such banality.

Over the years, intellectuals found it essential to take resourceful initiatives to critically analyze contemporary issues concerning friction, and barrier in communication between parties that only succeed in establishing conflicts at different levels.

Their devoted research however, caused the birth of tactful approach to varying issues, as past philosophers have developed their theories to authenticate principles which assist international communication, further strengthening it, making communication healthy and relationships amicable.

However, the wise men that we revere have also in their own capacities helped play a great role in diminishing the tendencies of outbreaks of sour relationships.

It is therefore a mystery that the holy book has been around throughout the times when commotion of thought had been the order of the day, a worthy companion with volumes of documented inspiration that God specially bestowed upon man.

Man adorned by God’s presence in the heat of sobriety, on the table of submission and upon the mastery of the revelation of the mystery before our very eyes.

Great care is therefore wont to be attached unto the words that we speak unto the heart of man. Then, maybe then, the world can indeed stand a chance of becoming a better place.

Acknowledgements

Fate makes us victims of circumstances in this perfect world, as the saying goes, We are a product of our environment our environment being subjective due to the tendency of man to knowingly recreate it to the standard he so desires.

I thank God for the inspiration and for the best things in life that are free, and to every single person that I have encountered, pleasant or otherwise, by default or design, and others too numerous to mention.

Thank you to my wife Funmi, Dad, Mom, Ayo, Ladun, Abbey, Oloye, Wole, Titi, Teju, Bob, Trevor, TD Bank, Lagos Country Club, NCCF Kwara (2006), YabaTech, Lloyd Anderson, Charles Adebiyi & co., Railway Property. Believe it or not, you all made it happen.

#FACT:

The National Arts Theatre really does exist; it is the primary centre for the Performing Arts in Nigeria.

The Monument is located in Iganmu, Lagos, Nigeria.

Its construction was completed in 1976 in preparation for the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC), in 1977.

Far up above beneath heaven, it stood out of its surface very high up and distant, perhaps at the bosom of utopia, like a ripe orange dangling sloppily from a tree endowed with plenty of potential energy, ready to succumb unto the inevitable pull of gravity towards the epicenter of the Earth.

Like a fate carefully wrapped in its supreme moment of kairos getting ready to drop upon the surface of the earth like a dog, apparently eager to pounce on a stranger, but restrained by its master. It stood out of its surface for a long time, perhaps for too long, but still, it seemed like it is not yet time to plunge into where it is wont to, for it is not ripe yet.

The principles have not been obeyed and the heavenly bodies have not yet aligned to coincide with the sun’s breaking forth from beneath the bowels of the clouds, along with its silver line.

Only time will tell when the eaglet shall soar, for heaven is waiting, and watching patiently without any haste at all as time constantly ticks away. Hopefully, at least one person shall pass the ultimate test, a test that requires only an ounce of conscience. Possibly man’s freedom will then be guaranteed.

1

A Friend…Indeed.

I searched afar, a quest to find

a friend I can hold dear,

Alas, but my guest amid a trend

a friend is always rare,

I clutch a jar of sand and stones

but no one ventured near,

How has my plate of sweets far

deplete before I tried to share?

A young lad stood right in the middle of the road, literally submitting to life just as it is.

He stood there, lonely and filled with sorrow, so much that all kinds of people and weather seemed destined to catch him right there. He had not eaten for days. He was there, almost lifeless.

Why not?

He was loyal to the boulevard, just as if the street was his birth mother. And when he begged for alms, he did it as if his life depended on it, and only the alms could cure him.

He solicited not only in the rain but also underneath the ruthless and raging sun, and even in the storm, literally the gale of life in which he was consistently baptized in.

The poor lad lacked almost everything - food, shelter and friends - but not life, and his spirit was definitely far from being broken.

Though stubborn and undaunted, he focused on a quest, perhaps a vague pursuit for victory, first of self.

I shall conquer me, and then the rest shall follow he said.

He did not remove his eyes from a mark, which perhaps he alone could see, a spot of glory and hope, that he anticipated with all of his faith, might, and enthusiasm.

He craved for an expectation that vaguely he saw, like a vision that isn’t deniable to the blind in the eyes of their mind.

For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal*.

He began to move against the stampede of a vicious crowd, like swimming against a powerful tide, thus expending all his energy, yet unable to leave a spot. He opened his mouth as if to wail, depicting a dismal state in a pitiable disposition surely.

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I’m hungry!

Oh starvation, the tool of the devil that is a great cause of strife, a propagator of discord, a livener of an inferiority complex and a promoter of insecurity, having the capacity to spin desperation into sightless abhorrence.

The quest to satisfy appetite and the worms of the stomach that unleash terror upon one’s interior really does give one great strength.

Everyone passing by heard the scream.

The resonance was so awesome that it grasped the airwaves with great strength and vigor, with the tone of desperation, like an act, like a will produced by a slumbering giant, an inner strength.

Sadly, nobody acknowledged the young lad’s yearnings, as everyone went about their own business.

Of course they had their own deadlines, they were encompassed by their own responsibilities, and their problems had the better part of them too. They even shoved the young man from side to side, not minding his feeble physique.

Then again, in the middle of the already useless scenario, the young lad, from the bottom of the young lad’s stomach, with the tenacity of the thick molten magma from a vicious sprouting volcano, like fountain gushing water higher than the height of a mountain, again came the willing voice of a