The kernel of the soul of the book for today is “You should not be afraid of love. It is the best of everything”. That is precisely what the book before me today will show you. Love is the balm that soothes all pains and gives you the energy to press forward in life. Love is life and life is love. It is the lubricant of all relationships. And the book is a novella. By the way, a novella is a short novel, usually longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. The novella is titled It Is So Long.
It Is So Long is a 69-page novella written by Yinka Adeboye. It was published in London, United Kingdom by BCK International in 2014.
The author, Mrs Olayinka Adeboye, is a linguist, communicator, poet, event planner, a freelance writer and author of books both in Yoruba and English. One of her works, a Yoruba fictional novel, O Soju Mi, has been serialised on radio.
It Is So Long is a story of love and betrayal. It is a story of love gone sour sweetened and garnished from unexpected quarters.
The novella revolves around Lara, an undergraduate student who falls blindly in love with the baritone-voice, promiscuous Segun, and the disappointment, heartbreak and rejection which she experiences in her relationship with Segun.
Lara’s dream of a-forever-affair with Segun is shattered when Segun suddenly announces that he will be leaving Ibadan for Port Harcourt to take a job. He departs for Port Harcourt and never looks back, despite repeatedly promising to call Lara every day.
Then the waiting begins. After a month of Segun’s departure, and after weeks of hearing his mobile operator that “the subscriber you’re calling is not available”, Lara cannot take it any longer. She loses her mind, she loses weight; she skips lectures and gets sick.
All these happened until Shade, one of Lara’s roommates, suggests to Lara that she should look for Segun’s cousin who is also a student on their campus.
Kunle, Segun’s cousin, has bad news for Lara. Segun is in Lagos, not Port Harcourt and that he never wants to see her again.
But the entry of Kunle provides another twist in the story.
It turns out that Kunle and Lara have something in common. Kunle tells her that his girlfriend of three years walked away a year ago.
What happens next will open your eyes to what happens to you when love strikes the right cords in you.
The book is a text on true love and how finding love can be soothing. It is simply written in accessible language for all categories of readers.
. Olatunbosun can be reached via 0802-351-7565 (SMS and WhatsApp only) and [email protected].
