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Circus of the Absurd

Circus of the Absurd (ISBN 978-91804-7-9) is a 2012 collection of short stories by Nigerian author and economist, Deji Rahman. The collection contains 11 stories, set in life locations in Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom, some other parts of Africa and places conceived in the realms of the author’s imagination.

Plot Summaries

Candidate Number One

An American returnee who believes he has a lot to offer his fatherland finds to his chagrin that politics is local and that the Nigerian version of Presidential democracy is different from that of the United States. Having been encouraged by the President of Nigeria to leave the United States and come back to Nigeria to participate in the political process and help enable the “change that can work”, Jide Martins finds himself dumped in the wilderness when he decides to fish in the same water with his benefactors. He is dating the same woman with the President!

The Ungrateful Refugee

Ade Ajayi, a rich Advertising practitioner, finds a refugee (James) on the road and in the spirit of “Good Samaritan” decides to help the poor boy. Their circumstance of their meeting is extremely unusual. The boy attempts to steal an item on the man’s car. Passers-by catch him and his gang and instead of allowing the poor fellow to be sentenced to death by jungle justice, Ade Ajayi pleads for mercy. He later rehabilitates the boy, James, and adopts him as a son. But what he gets as a reward is a shocker.

Circle of Fortune

The story of Ade Ajayi continues in another story in the book, this time, narrated by his wife, Biola. Ade has become extremely bullish (technical word for optimistic in investment banking) about stock investment and has committed almost all his fortunes into shares. He sells his houses and takes heavy loans to finance share investment. The returns are initially good but turn sour (as usual with such businesses) when the stock market collapses. Ade Ajayi loses all, including his houses and his health. He suffers a heart attack. When his last property, the house where he lives is about to be seized by the bank he is owing, a saviour emerges out of the blues to save him the embarrassment of a refugee life. Who is the saviour? Another shocker!

A July like No Other

Bimbo motivates and helps her doctor husband achieve a career-fulfilling dream. With the motivation and financial assistance of his wife, Ogie sets up a modern hospital in the city. The dream however becomes a nightmare the moment it begins to disturb Ogie from playing his role as a husband. Regular domestic quarrels and finger-pointing begin to tear asunder a happy family. The result is a tragedy. A Dream Come True

Dr. Nengi, a world acclaimed activist and leftist, substitutes an enviable radical credential for a life of sleaze and corruption immediately he leaves the University Campus for a ministerial position. Interestingly, he ends up in the trap he set for others as he gets jailed in the prison he conceives and builds as Minister of Internal Affairs.

Other Stories

•	Tears From The Sky •	Aunty Stella, The Lamb •	Olympics In The Savannah •	Where Is The Water? •	Arabian Groom •	King George And Queen Elizabeth

Themes and motifs

Themes in the book are centred on the followings:

1.	The supremacy of personality in African politics. African rulers are democrats in words and dictators in practice. The African “Big Man” sees the state as his personal estate. In Candidate Number One, President Oluwole, snatches the Senatorial ticket from Jide Martins on account of Jide’s perceived stubbornness as evident in his refusal to stay away from the same girl the President is wooing.

2.	The weakness of institutions and processes in African political system. Institutions and processes are too weak to stand in the way of the wishes of the men in power. Also in Candidate Number One, Jide Martins is announced as a loser of an election he has clearly won through the use of a fraudulent electoral system, designed by the United People’s Party to manipulate the election in favour of a last minute favourite.

3.	 The sheer force of opportunism as a dominant factor in the decision process. Jide Martins exchanges the United States for Nigeria when the Nigerian election appears an easier ride (Candidate Number One). Also, Timothy Ojukwu also dumps a fiancé for another woman when he notices the latter promises a future of greater comfort (Arabian Groom). Ade Ajayi mortgages all his wealth for an opportunity of fortune of a lifetime through stock market trading (Circle of Fortune).

4.	The strong influence of trends and peer actions in the lives of people. Ade Ajayi falls for trends in his decision to abandon advertising for the Stock Market (Circle of Fortunes). Stella also dumps an enviable life of decency for waywardness because it seems to favour his sister and her friends (Aunty Stella, The Lamb). Nengi betrays a lifelong cause of radicalism as a University lecturer for the usual attitude of corruption as a government minister in a developing country. (Dreams Come True).

5.	The “illogicality” of life. Bimpe Williams loses her life while going home from school to stay with her parents during the weekend as any good girl would while Sandra and her friends attend a wild party the same night and return safe to the campus. Stella attends a party for the first time in her life, after several years as a decent girl, and loses her life that same day. Other girls who have always lived their lives the sinful way escape death (Aunty Stella, The Lamb).

6.	The power of unseen forces or destiny over the desire of man. Stella, it seems, is ordained to die a sinner despite starting and living the better part of her life as God-fearing (Aunty Stella, The Lamb). Folinka also dies in tragic circumstances as destined despite his spirited attempts to use his wealth to elongate his own life. (Olympics in the Savannah)

7.	Man’s inordinate desire to put self interest ahead of other considerations. This theme rings loud in almost all the stories. President Oluwole’s decision to sacrifice Jide’s political ambition on the altar of self interest (Candidate Number One). James’ little regard for the feelings of his adopted father (Ungrateful Refugee) when he chooses to date the daughter of the same man and eventually impregnates her. Folinka’s sacrifice of his daughter (Olympics in the Savannah). Timothy’s betrayal of Nne’s love (Arabian Groom).

8.	The seeming “irrationality” of values. The values of African societies are not necessarily guided by the moral code. Bunmi’s relative would rather spend their money on the funeral of Bunmi’s mother rather than contribute the same money for her to treat the diabetes which eventually kills her (Tears from the Sky).

9.	The destructive tendencies of greed: This is also a common trend in many of the stories. Timothy meets his waterloo in the Tunisian capital of Tunis (Arabian Groom) when he chases an Arabian silver spoon for money rather than love. Ade Ajayi loses his entre fortunes in the stock market (Circle of Fortune). Nengi ends up in jail when his taste for sleaze becomes uncontrollable and he thinks he can always circumvent the law.