A Weird Hope (A Novel)

[Muhsin]

Salam,

A few months ago some of the esteemed members of this nice, entertaining and educative forum had questioned me some questions about how my novel like what is it about and other related questions. Yes, if you can recall that mentioned time, I promised to someday give its excerpt or some portion from it. Alhamdulillah, here I come today with what's called A Querry Letter. It may as well function as the Excerpt.

I'm, moreover, mulling of whether to send a copy to Professor AUA. I know he may not have time at his disposal to go through it. Any way, it's worth a try.

A Weird Hope

Written above is the title of the novel. It's, partially I can say, a romantic novel. My meaning by using the word "partial: is because the novel comprises many events and incidents that can characterize it out of the romantic novels, which usually dwell more on a boy-girl relationship. However, as regards to literary appreciation, the piece has to be called a Romance. It is not so long in length; just a hundred and thirty (130pgs.) computer A4 papers or thereabout.

The story principally centers on three lovers: Abubakar, an ambitious university undergraduate student in his early twentieth is featured as terribly adamant, pig-headed and nervous. He never welcomes hints from anybody, including his astute friend, Salim, who selflessly and determinedly stands by Abubakar's side through every thin and thick before he at the tail end gives-up on him. Nevertheless, Abubakar is very studious and always eager to learn. That makes him known and admirable at school by all. The second central character is Maryam, a cousin to Abubakar, whom the consanguineal relation develops to love relationship. Maryam is simple, innocent and loyal, but also inexperienced girl. This leads her life to marrying someone she never have affectionate feeling in favour of, for even a second. The last but not the least in the novel's primal characters is Shahada, a witty, a worldly-wise, and a go-getter American girl. Notwithstanding all these qualities in a girl, being a new comer to Nigerian society, brought by her parent—her father who is appointed Chief Ambassador after working at the embassy for more than a couple of decades—is infatuated with Abubakar. They meet at their university, situated at Wudil, a village in Kano, where she is living with her grandparents. The main purpose of this is for her to learn Hausa language, the father's mother tongue, and afterward they go back to the US.

Abubakar, at first instant, cannot stand to see Maryam marrying someone else, and more disheartened when everyone apparently knows she does not love the powerful, rich Lagos-based mogul, Alhaji Usman (Maisunan), the destined, but unscrupulous husband. The marriage is done against her free-will; her materialistic father, under the notion, which is actually a façade that Maisunan is her childhood betrothed. Truth be told, his ulterior reason is worldly possession. Later on things fall apart. Abubakar is furiously frustrated and stopped going to school. Hence he lost a lot such include his Continues Assessment... and the like. After a long journey full of anguish and misfortune he meets Shahada, whose father principally said his daughter would not get back to US unmarried. Thus, he brought forth his friend's son's offer which Shahada instantly, unhesitatingly declined. He thus vows to make things difficult to Abubakar as the person she announced loving to be her husband. Meantime Maryam's wedlock unlocked as her rascal husband was apprehended and subsequently charged with human trafficking, child labor and as a pimp of prostitutes. Upon their first meeting afterwards, Maryam reminded Abubakar of their old relationship. In the light of these incidents, their semester result was placed, and he found himself in probation. It is an unbearable situation to him, for he was, hitherto, the first person leading the class, but relegates to the last. He raved mad.

Before taking him to asylum, Maryam, hearing he was sick, visited him. She too came back home and felt sick too. Her sickness soon exacerbates, for she is pregnant. Salim in harness with Ra'afat, Shahada's confident cousin, take altruistic role of consoling Shahada there at Wudil; telling her to be calmed and composed and to even go and meet her father, whom they believe had a tangible role to play in bringing Abubakar back to normal life. At other side, Maryam's condition worsens. She nurtured Pregnant Induce Hypertension (PIH) as it's discovered that she's HIV positive, contracted to her by her husband. She alas died. To cap it all, Abubakar recovered and got married to Shahada, which is never a marriage; while trying to leave the country, the military takes over the elected government. In panic and unrest, the car carrying Shahada, her father, his security and Abubakar careened down the road and crashed.


The story, personally, interested me when I look at the kind of relationship exist between a boy and a girl (lovers) in our society and/or school; as well as other consanguineal relations between a father/mother and their kids; a man and populace; and a friend and another friends. This is, in many instances, outrageously growing rotten and unchecked.

Additionally, the story predominantly launches attacks on students, who are mixing up their studies and other unwanted or rather unnecessary things/affairs, specifically love. It admonishes them to desist from doing so as for it will ineluctably, negatively affect their studies. Things need to urgently be changed and reformed for peace, harmony, development and progress of our future Nigeria. Though, I am not a professional but just an apprentice writer. This is my first trial. Wish and hope I start with luck.

Nagode

[kharuldeen]

its really nice,writin a book on students relationships is a very nice move cos the majority of book readers are students,its a nice way of gettin some sense into their heads.i hope you wrote about being broke at school.

[Muhsin]

its really nice,writin a book on students relationships is a very nice move cos the majority of book readers are students,its a nice way of gettin some sense into their heads.i hope you wrote about being broke at school.

Oh thanks. If i guess right you are presently broke. Wish you'll get your bag full, dude.

And the novel actually include many things as I have earlier said. But unfortunetly, I forgot that, I can say. Maybe 'cuz I am not currently a boarding student. Lol

[HUSNAA]

Muhsin, it sounds to me that ur novel has a gritty realism to it, which only yr command of the english language is capable of killing. So get a good proof reader. Does the prof have that much leisure time in his hand? At any rate give it to him, he can help u loads with all the grammatical inconsistencies. By the way I hate tragic stories and yrs has that flavor all over it. But that is life.. never perfect..

[Muhsin]

Aunty Husnaa, I really appreciate your comments. God bless. And as you suggested, I'm processing sending a copy to Prof. Abdallah. I know he's busy up there with his day-to-day works, but I wish and hope he'll accept my request for he's such an industrious and helpful fellow. More grease to his elbow.

Eventually, there is somewhere in your words that I don't quiet gist its meaning. I don't know why; and this is your expression—"which only yr command of the english language is capable of killing." Please, do rephrase it a bit more, so'll get it aright.

As you said; you abhor tragic novels. Yes, I can believe that because as they said, it's a general behavior in women readers; you mostly detest tragedy. Some claims that it melts their heart as it leads them to unavoidably even cry for tausayi. That's an affair of all women; tausayinku is too much.

Husnaa, I have had tried to see my novel as something else not tragic type, but one of my teachers hinted I should have its end as it is now. And, if you read the whole content, you'll see it as the best ending. I recommended his advice as nice after asking numerous questions to a number of my friends and course mates.

Anyway, thanks once more. 

[HUSNAA]

what I meant was that one will not enjoy reading yr book if it was full of grammatical errors. So that would tend to kill the interest and pleasure in it.
About the way the story goes and ends, its not a happy book at all. There is no hope for anyone in the book and the moral behind it is lost somewhere. Ok Maryam is a classic victim of course it happens times without number, but why should abubakar, his wife and her dad die altogether in a car crash? What were they running from? What did the dad do that he is so scared of the military?
Another thing is that it is OK to have all yr novels ending in tragedy if u are only interested in literary prizes and not financial prizes. If u want them to sell very well, u must give them some form of happy endings, even if its not exactly what the readers hopes will turn out. Its not only women who dont like tragedies, I believe men also dont appreciate them much. We really want to read novels to get into another reality or virtual world. The closer it is to our own world the more interested we are in that world, however we dont want it to have the same results as our reality.
There is a book called the French Lieutenant's Woman; in the book the author gives three alternative endings to the book depending on the reader's choice (although none have a happy ending as such). I have watched the film yrs ago but I still havent read the book yet. should be interesting...

Anyway good luck. U dont have to do anything about it OK? U like yr product as it is and its great... then everything is great. Afterall I havent seen the finished article yet, so I shouldnt put the cart before the horse.

[Muhsin]

Aunty Husnaa, thanks again for your good and reasonable comment. I like it.

American Heritage Dictionary define the word 'Weird" as:
ADJECTIVE:
weird·er , weird·est
1-Of, relating to, or suggestive of the preternatural or supernatural.
2-Of a strikingly odd or unusual character; strange.
3-Archaic Of or relating to fate or the Fates.

Thus, from the above defintions, particularly number two (2) we can understand that there must be something strikingly unsuall that is likely to happen in the book. There must be again reasons for using it as one word in the book's title. Think of this.

Eventually, there is no enough time now, but I rather vow to respond fully to all you have said when back.

Thanks

[HUSNAA]

Hmm.....

[Muhsin]

I didn't initially write this very first paragraph, but I later decide to do it after extra perusal of what I have written (this reply) and the perturbation I find myself in, pervasively, to have it written in this forum. But, in two days, I have had tried to do it while 'lesser misfortunes' dissuade me.

As suggested Crawford Killian, a lecturer from Capilano College, Vancouver, Canada, in his paper Advice on Novel Writing; when writing A Query Letter (the thread) one should include a bit information about his credential and possibly his background. That I, unintentionally, forgot to do. Hence, something remains enigmatic and complicated. Nevertheless, I now come up with it.

I was born two decades plus (20+) years ago. Sorry, I don't want to tell of my actual age due to some personal reasons. But, I solidly believe many of you here are fathers and mothers to me. My father is a low (or middle?) class incomer; working then as an Accountant at Bursary Dept. BUK before he retired a year ago.

I had my primary education at Gwale S.P.S and secondary at GSSS Warure and GTC Kano respectively. Though, I initially started at GTC Wudil before I, following a persistent illness, got transferred to Kano, where I finished.

The year I sat for my NABTEB (SSCE) I also sat for JAMB and applied to BUK and KUST, seeking in both varsities Electrical Engineering as that was my dept. in secondary. But will of our creator Allah, none I got admission to. Thus I sat for MPCE and applied to FCE Kano. I, there, applied to get Computer/Mathematic. But still something eventiful happened; I didn't get my desired course of study although I was given ENG/PES to read, sincerely speaking because I don't have Mathematic at credit level in my O-level.

Struck by disappointment, resentment and self-loathing, I came back home. In frustration I protested saying I would not do it. English! What a nice but non-marketable course?

Convincingly, my able brothers, good friends and some of my teachers hinted me to accept it as destiny of my life, so, I had to be fatalistic. Hence, I reluctantly accepted. THAT'S THE KICK-OFF OF MY INTEREST IN ENGLISH STUFF and now I proceeded to BUK this year after spending a good year there.

My fellow good people of the forum or particularly our valued aunty Husnaa, you can therefore see I almost totally lack good backroung in English language. In spite of the fact that I'm an avid reader of novels, I surely would not have been capable to write such a lenthy piece. I moreover never did private school and again nobody at home speaks to me using this language.

Generally, I don't always in my life want to sound or hear someone sounds pompous or self-congralatory, but my antennae makes me believe wholeheartedly that I've tried; writing a novel is not at all simple. Or being a member of this forum and other forums in both internet and real life—who can express himself and be understood (though not always, I suspect) is not also an easy task, yet i9 manage doing it for more than a year. I think I have start climbing that ladder securely. By Allah's grace, as once said my teacher; the sky is my limit-Amin.

And to the questions raised by Husnaa and to, probably, some yet unasked ones, I'm going to pick them one by one and answer each, so as not to jump any.

One-English language as this is the language of the book. Its purposely selected because, not all but mostly readers of English novels are reasonable and educated, more especially as regards to Hausas. To be candid enough with my humble self, my English is unripe, I can call it, to have enough me write a novel. Anyway, I manage it as for there is a message I for long want to send to people—to, by Allah's grace, help in extricating them.

Two-how the book goes and ends; this also was done carefully and well-planned. There are many happy and exciting scenes. Don't think it's all in all dim and despairing. Further, some other incidents are funny, historic, educative and host of other meaningful issues.

You talked of Maryam's death in the novel. Yeah, so she must end. Two or more things are x-rayed due to that; first, the threat of HIV/AIDS secondly, the end of materialism and thirdly, the outcome of inexperience and 'over-obedience'. And Abubakar; it's not directly said he died. Neither Shahada nor her father was too said had pass-away. Literary doyens always say; "learn from old masters". That is the way I emulated. Deceased May Elen Eziekel in her novel Dream Maker deployed one very canny way that she ends her novel.

Relatively or rather coincidently, I want to portray the purpose of using the word 'weird' in the novel's title. So I end it in such a way.

Though still, lets say it ends in the way you mistook it does. Don't you ever read the famous book of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the  D'Urbervilles? All the major characters in the novel eventually died at the end of it. Notwithstanding this, his works are still considered one of the world's greatest works of literature.

Aunty husnaa, I'm doing this for neither fame nor fortune. If only tragic novels make prize, why Aliyu Kamal's Hausa Land took last year's ANA/Chevron Award? And so many examples in such regards.

Lastly, wallahi Allah I really appreciated your comments, questions, suggestions, criticism etc. you are being very concern, nice and just like a guider to me in both my personal and academic endeavors. Allah blesses you and everything you own abundantly in this life. Such praise is your due. Let no thought makes you think otherwise.

NB
The novel is not yet published and is not, in a near future, going to be. So more of Husnaa's are welcome, I'm going to re-look at hers and what maybe is going to be said further. If there is need, I'll use it in the novel and amend my story. Though I already know it's going to be re-writing as it's presently with literary heavyweights.

[HUSNAA]

Muhsin, please change the font from pink to black. I got a terrible cold, and a headache.My right eye is longsighted and my left eye has little sight left without the aid of spectacles. So I cant read what you've written and it looks interesting. I see u mentioning Tess of the d'Urbervilles.. Have u read the novel?

[Muhsin]

Salam,

Aunty Husnaa, I did all I could yesterday to change that colour, which I accidently or rather ignorantly selected, to black but I flatly failed. Anyway, am now going to retry. Hope I'll succed.

And to the novel Tess.....Yep,I read it, now about a year or so ago. It's in the JAMB's literature paper/exam required texts. Its very nice but full with dispairing. I like it and the author Thomas Hardy himself.

Here I go......

[dan kauye]

Muhsin,you come accross as too politically-correct to me but whatever.I'll take some time to read the excerpts of your book.It better to hawt!!! The critic has spoken. ;D

[Muhsin]

Muhsin,you come accross as too politically-correct to me but whatever.I'll take some time to read the excerpts of your book.It better to hawt!!! The critic has spoken. ;D

Waiting for what is gonna be said by the critic, dan-kauye. Wish your criticsm won't lead me to perspire and hence fail to be responded to correctly.

Aunty Husnaa, I've been waiting for your say but you still say nothing on what I've written further in responce to your questions. Pls. say something. :'(

[Muhsin]

Allah ya baki hakuri Aunty in nayi laifi to deserve such throw into trash.

[HUSNAA]

Muhsin there is nothing more to say about the novel except after it becomes published and we all read it in sha Allah then we will be able to make criticisms. At the moment, only u and God Know what it is u want to transmit in yr novel and only God Knows whether yr argument is convincing at the moment. Shi yasa nayi shiru.
As for Tess of the D'urberville and Thomas Hardy. Yes he writes very gloomy and depressing novels. I was just surprised to read that you'd read the book that is all. I remember when I read it, I cried for WEEKS. I couldnt look at the book without tears streaming from my eyes. There was a very famous song at the time called Babe by Styx and I was reading the book at the same time listening to the song and I came to associate the book with the song, and there was no time I will hear that song without thinking of Tess of the D'ubervilles.