Estambai an Autobiography
A SYNOPSIS OF "ESTAMBAI" ESTAMBAI is an autobiography of a simple town girl nick-named "Estambai" as a child. The book depicts the author's early years at school, her privilege of a pleasurable school life except for some harassment and teasing that she had to endure from other youths in her neighbourhood. The author gives some anecdotes of incidents and people that impacted her life as a growing child. These include the concept of modern day "child labour" in Chapter Two which she projects in a positive light. In Chapter Three, she describes the domineering actions of the family barber who delighted in putting a centre parting to her hair cut after every barbing session. Unknowingly to the barber, that parting was stylish but hurtful to Esther as it provided the opportunity for the youths on the street to tease her by chanting ..."Esther, centre par...t, gbogbogba... estambai...: The book derived it's title from the tauntings. Other anecdotes are reminiscences of some events and people in her home. These include some complex religious practices (Chapter Four) followed by the portrayal of Uncle Folly (Chapter Five), the author's authoritative caring and much - loved father (Chapter Six), her mother, a caring mother of great strength (Chapter Seven) and leisure (Chapter Eight). All these were narrations of pleasant memories of a growing child. In Chapter Nine, the author's delightful experiences were interrupted by her admission into a Christian Secondary School, in Owo, Nigeria. In the boarding school, she encountered a more regimented but properly - planned academic and social life. There were specific schedules and rules for different aspects of life in the boarding school and no indiscipline was tolerated. Retrospectively, she views both the discipline at home and at school not only as complementary but of great impact and so, contributory to her proper up - bringing. Perhaps, the cultural activities in the boarding school also ignited her interest and appreciation for the cultural values in the larger community where she grew up. So, she describes the naive pleasures she derived from the festive occasions that she witnessed in Chapter Ten. As a conclusion, Chapter Eleven gives an Epilogue in which the author shows appreciation for all her experiences at home and also at school to the glory of God.