Expensive Cost by Oluwadarasimi Oyeyemi – SYNW Book of the Month (November 2020)

EXPENSIVE COST BY OLUWADARASIMI OYEYEMI – SYNW BOOK OF THE MONTH (NOVEMBER 2020)

Reviewer: Niyi Oyedeji

OLUWADARSIMI Oyeyemi’s book, Expensive Cost, explores the life of Dayo, a spoilt boy who, through the careless attitude of his parents towards his life and future, becomes a miscreant.

Dayo, a young man with several opportunities before him, becomes a terror to not only his family, but also to those around him.

The book tells the story of the ‘careless’ parents who, in the name of love, neglect their primary responsibility to their child and spoil him almost beyond redemption.

The family of Solape is blessed with a baby boy and as is common with all parents, they strive to ensure that he always has reasons to be happy. This aim though is taken too far, as the young boy, much to the concern of well-meaning friends and ignorance of the parents, is spoilt a great deal.

Matters are taken a bit far when not only is Dayo not encouraged to study for exams, but also assisted to cheat his way through school.

The relationships of his parents with their friends are destroyed just to prevent people from criticizing the way Dayo is being raised.

And though Dayo loves and cares for his parents a great deal before going to higher institution, eventual happenings make him forget and even ignore their existence.

Dayo’s upbringing is a bit perplexing as it is revealed that his parents are capable of raising a child the right way as shown in the birth of his sister, Solape, who contrary to the attitude of her brother, is highly-disciplined, well-mannered and very intelligent.

Dayo’s decadence is further encouraged when he mixes and makes friends with the wrong company who not only encourage his behaviour, but also make it worse. He sinks further into moral decay until the school has enough of him and sends him packing, not affected by this, he is eventually caught on the wrong side of the law.

Luck is on his side, however, as not only did his parents take him back, they both share in the blame for his behaviour and prayerfully hope for a second chance for him. He restitutes his ways and returns to school and makes a name for himself in the long run.

The story of the Solape family is a happy ending both for Dayo and his sister Happy Solape and even for the parents.

“Expensive cost” is a book that exposes the evils of bad home training and also the possibility of a second chance for those who are ready to work for it.