A review of Daniel Ayodele Agbaje’s The Unexpected by Folorunsho Moshood.
ONE of the best mystery short story writers, Edgar Allan Poe, once provided his audience with a glimpse into what a good short story should be, ‘Short story should adhere strictly to the following rules: the story can be read in one sitting, end in its climax, and should only have one mood. To the reader, the short story genre provides some benefits such as brevity of the storyline arising from the economy of its setting, omission of complex plot, vivid disclosure of characters, especially the protagonist in action, and satisfying treatment of characters and themes.
Daniel Ayodele Agbaje’s “The Unexpected” is a collection of three short stories published by OAK Initiative, an arm of OAK Foundation, a charity organisation aimed at supporting indigent students, widows and the fatherless in Africa.
All the three stories fit into Edgar Allan Poe’s rules. Each story is very short and can be read in less than 40 minutes, has a single mood and dramatic and climatic ending.
The book, which is a 2,022 prose work, explores the themes of sexual harassment, family integration, unethical practices in business, prolonged communication gap, bravery gone wrong and adverse effect of vengeance, unprofessional conduct of security agents. All the themes are weaved around the common phrase, ‘Between the devil and the blue sea’.
The three stories in this lucidly-written collection are, ‘Crescendo’, ‘Boomerang’ and ‘Kaboom’ have one element in common, ‘Unexpectedness.’
The first story, ‘Crescendo,’ written in first narrative, is divided into four brief chapters.
In this particular story, the author presents his views on sexual harassment in work places and family integration to the reader. The protagonist, Nifemi, a secondary school certificate holder travels from her village to seek greener pasture in Lagos. She has to stay in her uncle’s apartment at No. 10, Boska Street, Iju road. Arriving in that apartment, a reader with a pre-emptive mind would think that the element of unexpectedness is going to happen between Nifemi and her uncle’s wife, especially with the welcome look Uncle Taiwo’s wife gives Nifemi at the entrance of the apartment. But that particular setting grows into family integration in Uncle Taiwo’s home.
Before her arrival, Uncle Taiwo has helped Nifemi to secure a full-time job in his friend’s firm as receptionist. She resumes work at the firm with mixed feelings. As at the time of resumption running to weeks, the CEO of the firm, Mr Alabi, her uncle’s friend, is conspicuously absent from office. She has to contend with the office nuances and gossips of co-workers. When she is getting used to her work, the CEO resumes, and the unexpected happens – sexual harassment. She has to choose between the devil and her pride.
The second story, the longest in the anthology, ‘Boomerang,’ written in second person narrative and divided into eight chapters, is centered on Babatunde Babalola and the way he responds to his fate and allows it to define his destiny. Responding to his fate involves taking some ridiculous steps at home and in workplace. He comes home late with hidden justifications and without confiding in his wife what he is passing through at work. He resumes work late as a result of confrontations from his wife for coming home late. Choosing between the devil and the blue sea eventually lands him in gaol for life. His employer, Chief Adigun, is a fraudster, who wants him to clean all the books of ACE Limited, an investment company Tunde works for as accountant. He is now saddled with the task of cleaning the book under threat. The books may be subjected to a thorough investigation by Financial Corruption Agency (FCA), an anti-graft body very soon. The books must be clean within nine days, and in doing this, Tunde has to work and close late. Along the storyline, the unexpected starts to happen.
Kaboom is the third story in this collection. Kayode, the protagonist in the story, is a real-time hustler who is trying hard to make ends meet. He runs a shop in Williams’ market, where he sells clothing materials for men. One single decision of demolition of the market by government brings him face-to-face with his fate.
Unconsciously, his words, ‘No demolition’ becomes a trajectory that the protest in the market by the shop owners follows.
The three stories in this anthology show clearly how fate can define the destinations of human beings. I will recommend ‘The Unexpected’ to all and sundry for lessons about fate and destiny.
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