chapter 34

If i should accuse him of receiving bribes and the police happen to believe in his goodness like others do, I might appear ridiculous.

My record as an ex-convict wouldn't help the matter. I stood up and left his office.

I could have ransacked more parts of the town for job but I decided to rest a bit until I heard from the Director the next day on the efforts he had made in convincing Mohammed Ali to give me the job immediately.

It was dawning on me that if I failed to secure the job in Ali Group of Companies I might have to

consider leaving the town altogether.

The possible target was Kano.

Kano is a commercial town where I guessed there would be job opportunities. My chances of getting a job in Maiduguri was getting slimmer and slim-

mer. It even appeared to me to my embarrassm- ent that everybody in Maiduguri knew me as an

applicant. For I was always jumping from office to office without achieving anything. I was getting rather embarrassed telling Mmembe everyday that I failed to secure job in this or that office.

Now I had to prepare to tell her that I was sacked from Punjab Corporation the very day I got the job. If she was superstitious she would believe that I was an accursed man, one who carried the faeces of a witch on his head.

I continued to think in this way until sheer tired- ness made me squat under a tree. The shade gave me comfort, which made me to scan through the pages of the novel I bought.

In a minute I was able to determine that I had bought a novel which was most uninteresting.

The frustration nearly inade me throw it away.

I took a taxi and told the driver to take me to a bookshop in Mafoni Ward. I was determined to read an engaging novel and I was going to buy one. I dropped in Mafoni and entered the book-

shop. I ransacked all the shelves and ended up picking She by Rider Haggard. I took it to the girl on the machine and. she pressed the buttons, releasing to me a receipt with Seven Naira

bill on it.

I wailed openly 'Is this an encyclopaedia? Why is it so costly?' The girl gave me a lecture. There is an Act of the National Assembly called Economic Stabilization Act. It's aim is to help revamp the nation's economy. But it has also led to a monumental inflation which is affecting all trends of sale. The publishing houses are not left out of the impact of this Economic Stabilization Act. The book you are holding is published in this

country in collaboration with its original foreign publishers. The Publishing houses get their publishing materials at skyrocketing prices This means that books published by publishing Houses

who themselves get their material at high cost inherently carries with it's high cost.

This should explain to you, I think, why you are buying Rider Haggard's 'she' at a costly prize.

Am I understood?' she asked.

I was rather offended at the manner the girl choose to answer me because I could see some sarcastic intentions on her face.

Iwas forced to snap whether there is an Act of National Assembly or no Act of National Assembly, all I am saying in a layman's term is that your book is too costly.

The layman is not interested in National Assem- bly Acts!' The girl informed me that I was the

first person ever to complain about the cost of the novel. We have sold more than fifty thousand copies' she said. The number of copies you sold is irrelevant to my complaint!' I yelled.

'In our bookshop here we allow the individuals the free will to do what he wants' she said. This means that anyone who doesn't like our price has the fundamental human freedom to avoid buying our books. You can, for example, drop the novel and I give you your money.' She spoke in a matter-of-fact manner. 'I have not said I want to drop the book!! I said harshly.

This is what I am saying' said the girl you have the fundamental freedom not to drop it.'

Not knowing what else to say, I said to her in a sarcastic manner 'what do you know about freedom?' She informed me she knew a lot. Do you have the fundamental human freedom to

give yourself to me?" I asked her if she would exercise that freedom.

I have the freedom to exercise that freedom, and I

have the freedom not to exercise that freedom' she said. Which of the two freedoms are you going to exercise? I asked. She smiled. After some moments she asked which of the freedom do. you want me to exercise?' I told her I wanted her to exercise the freedom of giving herself to me. Well,' she said 'I am the wife of the proprietor of this bookshop. As a married woman I cannot

give myself to another man.' "There you are!' I said triumphantly.

That means you do not have the fundamental freedom which you claim to have. The girl still had something to say. 'No'. she said it does not mean I do not have the freedom, for I have. It

only means I have exercised the freedom not to have the freedom'.

Just before I could respond to this a fierce looking man entered the bookshop and said to me 'That's my wife. What are you discussing with her?' I told the man I thought this was a bookshop where a buyer had the right to talk to the sales- woman.

Turning to the girl he asked 'Vero what is he discussing with you?' The salesgirl, or his wife, told him that I was complaining about the cost of a novel that I had just bought. The fierce man

did not say anything again. He simply stepped onto the stairs and began to climb up the ladder. 'I thought people should have the right to complain' I said loudly to the hearing of the man, and left the Bookshop.

Hello 🤗 Guys, sorry for not updating yesterday

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