Habiba My Habiba
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
A
He deliberated the narrow spring bed where he lay at the hotel then thought vividly of the sins that could have been committed on that bed. Just like those he'd done himself, from Rabiatu and Zulaha to Habiba. Thinking about Habiba he smiled. What a woman! He said. A girl really, he whispered, then laughed and coughed agonizingly. A straight line of almost thirty-two women, or rather thirty-one, and one girl. What's the difference anyway? He asked himself. He thought he had made a record, in a very short time! Of course he did not tally those women he picked from the brothels. How could he! He kept a diary in which he wrote, on a day after day bases. Of course, only for the habitual ones who went steady with him. He yawned, taking out Habiba's picture from the shack. Habiba, he whispered quietly. What a girl! He winced in pain wondering for how long he had been ill. Now that Habiba was gone he could now recognize he's been dying. The rashes had amplified into large white spots. His body was itching disgustingly. He had to stop a thousand times to scratch his flesh-less bones. Then will halfheartedly revisit his intricate letter, wondering how many seconds it will be, before the next itch came, to smash to smithereens his hopes of another word.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Habiba My Habiba is set against the horror of the AIDS epidemic in Africa. This is a personalized account of a young man who set out to earn money in a distant city in order to get married.
But in due course he is distracted from his efforts to earn money and takes up with several loose women.
He falls in love with one of them, who has a heart-rending story of her own to tell. These star-crossed lovers, finally having found each other, come face to face with a bleak future exasperated by their lack of money or resources.
Even as they struggle with the practical problems of trying to earn a decent living, and traveling to another country for work, they are faced with the ultimate problem, AIDS, which they called simply “the syndrome.”
It is a tragic Romeo and Juliet story with a modern twist that focuses on this modern scourge.
About the Author
Bob Danierla was born in the North West province of Cameroon in 1971. Completed elementary and secondary education in Cameroon and university education in Nigeria. He returned to Cameroon and worked in various capacities both in Education and industry before moving to the United States. He lives with his wife and two children in the city of Alexandria Virginia. Habiba My Habiba is Bob Danierla’s second novel, Death of the Oracle being his first. These are two books that are a must read.