Shattered Dreams
By Bross Books
()
About this ebook
Due to the economic situation on the continent, most Africans prefer to seek greener pastures in the more developed European and North American countries. However, in most cases, only few ever achieve their objective for migrating.
The book, Shattered Dreams, tells the story of four Nigerians, who, in a bid to achieve their lives’ goals, decide to migrate.
The first, after being duped by a fraudulent immigration agent while trying to secure a visa, resolves to embark on the journey by land to Europe, passing through the dangerous Sahara desert.
The second, a female, instead of being taken to Europe to work, finds herself trafficked into another African country for prostitution.
The third resigns his appointment from a high-paying banking job to migrate to Canada, only to discover that life is not that rosy on the other side of the Atlantic, and the last, who arrives in Russia for study, has to contend with racism, while an attack on a hostel populated by Africans on a particular Christmas day by racist gangs, shortly before the end of his studies, blighted his dream of a future life with the girl he hoped to spend the rest of his life with.
The book sheds light on reasons why majority of Africans crave the opportunity to migrate to the West, and the extent by which they will go in order to accomplish their ambition.
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Shattered Dreams - Bross Books
SHATTERED DREAMS
(The struggle to migrate at all cost)
Adewale Oshodi
Published by Bross Books
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
Copyright 2011 Adewale Oshodi
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold
or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person,
please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to
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of this author.
CHAPTER ONE
Papa, the streets of Europe are paved with gold. Money is lined up on the streets and anybody who needs money will just be picking it
, David told his unlettered father, trying to convince him to sell the family’s cherished possession, a four-acre landed property in a bid to finance his journey to Europe where he had always dreamt of living.
Do you mean the white people just put money by the roadside?
Pa Kenneth, David’s 68-year-old father asked curiously. Definitely, that is exactly what happens in Europe,
he replied.
Just look at Papa Dauda’s son who went to Europe two years ago
, David said, sounding confidently, as he tried to convince his father that selling the property would amount to an investment on him, which would later pay-off in the long run.
After just a couple of years in Europe, he bought a car for his father and is already renovating their dilapidated family house.
Pa Kenneth thought for a while, nodding his head, I remember that Okiro, Pa Dauda’s son had graduated from the university, and for five years, he could not get a job, and then we were told he had traveled to London; so he is just packing the money on the streets of London and sending them to his father?
That is exactly what is happening, David chirped in
, That is why you must support me to go to Europe too, so that I can bring enough money back home
.
But the only possession we have is the four-acre family land and I can not just single-handedly take a decision to sell it without informing other family members,
Pa Kenneth said, grinning.
"Look father, you are the family head and the land documents are with you. Just sell the land and within six months of my getting to Europe, I will pack enough money and send it to you to buy back the land from whoever you sold it to; I’m sure the person who will buy it will not resist when we want to buy it back double the amount he paid us; David said, still doing everything possible to convince his father to sell the land.
It will take sometime before I decide because what we are talking about can cause a big crisis in the family,
Pa Kenneth said.
Walking away grudgingly, David murmured to himself as he left his father’s presence. Travelling abroad was something he had always wanted, so immediately he left the university, he did not bother to search for any job. After his compulsory one-year military service, he had taken the traveling issue as his priority, despite the fact that his mates had dusted their certificates and were looking for job all over the place.
But while it is easy to contemplate travelling out of the country, one of the greatest problems associated with it, is the huge financial resources which must be available at one’s disposal.
First, the intending traveler must obtain an international passport before submitting his application for a visa at the destination country’s embassy. For David, the United Kingdom was his destination, with London being his preferred city in which he wanted to settle.
He had heard many interesting stories about London and had planned to immediately go to some notable places in the city as soon as he arrived there, and take some pictures which he would send to family members back home. This was what most of those who had traveled before him had done. He had planned to take pictures at the Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, London Bridge, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) at Bush House, among other places.
Therefore, after the discussion he had with his father, he felt his father was not buying into his idea. This left him dejected and sensed he needed to see his friend, Tanimu, who lived across the street.
David and Tanimu had been friends for as long as they both could remember. They had attended elementary, secondary and even, tertiary institutions together. However, that was where their journey in life separates.
Although they both studied Agricultural Science in the university and were both conscripted for the compulsory one-year military service at the same year, but while David’s dream was to travel abroad, Tanimu’s was to establish a poultry farm and nurture it to become one of the biggest agribusiness companies in the country, and even in Africa.
So, after their military service, Tanimu, while working as an Agricultural Science teacher in a private secondary school in their town, had also bought day-old chicks that he was breeding, which he hoped to sell for profit after four or five months.
Since he had a theoretical background in agriculture, he had no problem breeding the chicks successfully.
It was his chicks that he was tending to when David got to his house. Papa Chicken,
David shouted from a far when he saw his friend pouring water into the chicks’ trough.
You and your chicken business
David said, trying to make jest of his friend, Tanimu.
You are so lucky that you are a witness to the start of a multi-billion naira agribusiness empire
, Tanimu replied, sounding confident.
I pity you
David said, with all seriousness. Don’t you know nothing ever works in this country; the best thing is for us to find a way out of this country."
Look, we cannot all leave
, replied Tanimu, Some people must remain to change how things are done in this country
, Tanimu said, sounding like a patriot. The United States and other European countries that you are struggling to enter at all cost, did not get to where they are in a day, so I believe if we all contribute to the development of this country, then we will get to the level these advanced countries have attained
,
Anyway, my mind is made up
, David said, I’m here to tell you that if my plan is accomplished, in the next couple of months, I should be a resident of the Queen’s country
Really
, Tanimu exclaimed, have you submitted your application for a visa at the British High Commission in Lagos?
I don’t really need to go to the High Commission,
David replied, I have just met this man who has an immigration agency. He is into the business of helping people get visas and he has promised to help me as soon as I my hands on the funds I am expecting
Looking a bit disturbed, Tanimu said, you must be careful with these immigration agents; most of them are frauds
.
The person who introduced this agent to me said he has been into this business for the past 10 years and that he had never been denied a visa at any of the embassies or High Commissions
, David said.
In fact, he has successfully assisted people to enter the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and many other developed countries. His success rate is 100 per cent.
David was so confident that this agent was genuine, and there was nothing anybody could tell him to have a rethink. Realising this, Tanimu just said, "I just wish you the best of luck and hope your dream comes to fruition.
After the discussion with Tanimu, David felt the anger against his unlettered father had subsided, and he left for home, promising Tanimu that he would see him soon.
***
It was 5.30a.m the following morning; David was already at the Iwo Road motor park to make the one and a half hour journey to Lagos to meet Doraso, the immigration agent he had been introduced to.
Being a Friday morning, the bus got filled quickly because of the huge number of people travelling to Lagos for the weekend. Most of these travelers were travelling for various social engagements coming up at the weekend.
David was glad his bus got filled quickly, because he wanted to return home on time. He knew Lagos could be very dangerous, especially at night. The Ibadan-Lagos expressway also gave him serious concern. The highway was such in a bad shape that at short intervals, the bus entered into deep gullies, which made the passenger heap curses on the government. Most of the travelers wondered why such an important highway in the country would be left to rot away, while claiming innocent lives. They all blamed the government for the country’s woes, despite the huge billions of dollars the country was making from crude oil export.
One of the passengers, a middle-aged man, was visibly angry. Until family members of those who are in positions of authority perish on this road, the government will not realize that it is high time the highway was rehabilitated
, he said, fuming with anger.
As the discussions about the terrible state of public infrastructure were continued, David thought to himself, this is what I am saying about this country. The government is not responsive to the yearnings of the people. Who should blame me if I want to leave at all cost now?
he asked himself with a smile. This is further strengthened his resolved to migrate at all cost.
David and the immigration agent, Doraso had talked extensively on phone a couple of days earlier, when they were introduced to one another. Doraso had suggested to David to come to Lagos so they could meet in person in order for him to analyse his chances of immigrating, and they had agreed to meet under a very big tree just opposite the British High Commission. The tree provided shade for the larger number of prospective immigrants who trooped to the High Commission on a daily basis in order to obtain their visas to travel to the UK.
David was earlier bothered that Doraso had asked him to meet him under a tree in front of the British High Commission, and not in an office. He had voiced this concern to Doraso while they were talking on phone, but Doraso had assured him that using the tree as his office, he had contact with people who mattered in the British High Commission’s visa section, as well as other embassies in the area. This explanation made David to overcome his initial doubts about Doraso being a fraud.
On this particular day, traffic into Lagos could only be described as terrific, as the volume of vehicles entering this commercial city was so high. After a series of dangerous driving and maneuverings, the bus pulled up at the Yaba motor park, and all the passengers disembarked. However, by this time, David was already 30 minutes late. He had agreed to meet Doraso at exactly 10.00 am, and in order not to waste more time, as soon as he got out of the bus, he signaled to a commercial motor cycle operator, popularly known as Okada.
Victoria Island
, David asked the motor cycle rider, motioning to him if he would go.
The motorcycle