If my brains numerical wire didn't get a short circuit due to never ending intakes, I had read 'Campus Blues' by Sentilong Ozukum in a sweet season of 2011 but it was a borrowed reading and I knocked almost all bookstores to have myself a personal copy but disappointment followed me and I blame the dying reading generation who cannot see the housefull of companions books gift us, sadly 'the paradox of this generation is that the more gadgets we invent to entertain ourselves and make our life comfortable, the lonelier we become'(pp.10, Campus Blues). But yes good things come to those who wait and "the universe conspired to make it happen" ~(Emerson)and I now have my personal copy of this pretty creation.

Campus Blues is one read which isn't limited to one group of reader only. It isn't age specified and I shall tell you why:

Being a teacher for so many years now, I most of the time get carried away by the need of covering the syllabus and forget that 'the chief aim of education should be to help the growing soul to draw out that in itself which is best and make it perfect for a noble use'(pp.81,Campus Blues). Present system of education is seriously depressing. We are only letting the students mug up non- innovative, non- imaginative, non- creative revised curriculum. This book presents the thoughts of students against our ways of teaching which they cannot speak openly,maybe because they fear of marks being deducted, maybe they want to tell us, 'the moment you are giving notes to us, you're snuffing out those little sparks of creativity we have inside our small brain's(pp.65,Campus Blues). I have understood that I am a Lecturer and not a Dictator and my(lecturers) job is to 'give beautiful well researched lectures so as to let the students think beyond the textbooks'(pp.62,Campus Blues). So a must read for my Teaching mates.

Everyone is born a creative genius and we all must lift up the creative caliber of the other but many a times we demean the potentiality and this demeaning takes speed when we as elders suppress the young and this adversely affects their life as they never forget this and curse the ill reminiscing ' not only did they mock me that day, they also killed a dream'(pp.40, Campus Blues). To the young minds, remember your parents landed on the earth many years ahead of you and are well experienced. Nothing can be compared to the love our parents have for us so we must not do anything that makes their heart heavy because 'there is something about seeing your parents cry over your mistakes' (pp.75) and this something is heartbreaking. So Campus Blues is a must read for both Young and Old.

And now to the Lovers..seriously you gonna love reading this book. This book takes me to my college years where Canteen used to be the home away from home for one and all, couples as well as singles, and the library was for those silent lovers. Guys if you really love a girl keep this in mind, 'thinking of a girl again and again all the forces in the universe conspire to bring about the union with her' and when 'diamonds are just stones compared to her eyes'(pp.18) believe me the universe is with you. Young hearts 'every love story begins with a friendship' (pp.117, Campus Blues) and please you dare not approach this new friend without Yellow Roses.

Coming to myself, neither did I have someone like Moluti nor my heart felt like Ali and I don't know whether Plato was right when he said "at the touch of love everyone becomes a poet" but yes i know that 'amazing things happen when you are in love. You become a completely different person...happy all the time' (pp.162), so a must re-read for Me too.

Charlotte Brontë said, " spring drew on..and a greenness fell over those brown beds, which suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night and left each morning brighter traces of her steps" and I cannot wait for the spring of 2020 to draw near and bring freshening hope of love with the Campus Blues' sequel.

NOTE: to the author Sentilong Ozukum, thank you for making me fly again to that beautiful sky of laughter and tears, fun and facts and because I love sweet surprises am looking forward to sweet surprises unfolding in the novel.
And here I once again thank Ilandlo E-care and particularly Lipokjungla. Thanks Lipok for patiently being there for me. Always grateful to you.