THE LITTLE ESSENCES OF LIFE

 Maybe I seek the past-- a past that as Lauret Ngcobo pointed out, is swiftly passing through our fingers. But I have a different opinion... the past should go, I believe but that will only happen after it has finished its role of helping me build a present I can cling to. I was advised never to make a move before I am sure of where I am going. So until that happens, until I have fully grasped my present I will not even contemplate parting ways with my past. And of course, I will never part ways with my past for there is no present without a past, just like there is no future without a present.

“I just felt lonely after the church service and I decided to check on you.”

Perhaps that was a simple everyday text that was not supposed to awaken so many emotions but in my case it did. First, the sender is a very close friend-- the kind I can say (without trying to be modest) that I cannot live in this world without. She has always been there with me and I couldn't reply the text without a tinge of lose; thanks to the passing of time that has decided to throw distance between us.

When eventually I sat down, I discovered that I needed to open up to someone about my fears of the coming and going of seasons. Laurence Durell says that somewhere in the heart of experience, there is a fear that we can conquer if we were attentive enough, loving enough or patient enough. Will there be time? I am accused of being an alarmist. Granted, I look for things that I may never find but the fact that the search is worth the while is what motivates me. Discovering new truths is a habit that I would want to cultivate in the people whose paths cross mine...it could be a mirage but I see it as a mental exercise that can help develop so many other aspects of an individual.

So where was I? Yes, I needed consolation and assurance that this great feeling of loss at breaking ties with old friend wasn't a reserve of people with a name like mine or some other artificial thing. Then in a nutshell I was told that its heartbreaking and uncertain but a time will come when some relationships will have to end. Not because we wronged each other. But because of many other factors. And ending in this case doesn't imply cutting off communication with someone because 'some relationships have to end' but because there is nothing more to talk about. So when this time comes, only the little essences of life can keep you going. So, what are the little essences of life?

• The laughter you shared
• The love that will last, always, no matter the circumstances that have driven you apart
• The simple joys and pleasures you got from the most funny places;like under a particular tree
• A shared childhood(if you shared one)or other things you have in common.

Whatever the case, friendship ties should be guarded to survive the ever changing circumstances that characterize the world we live in today. I am persuaded to believe that true friend can grow separately without growing apart.

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THE EXIT OF A WRITING LEGEND

Photograph: Mike Cohea/AP




Once in every era, a voice is born with a rare ability to stand for truth in the midst of storms. In the era that ended this past Friday, Chinua Achebe(1930-2013) was that person. His ability to walk on turbulent waters...a place that even angels and demons fear to tread is a quality that will continue to vibrate for generations to come.

Some  writers argue that when a man is left with just a few days to his death, he becomes emotionally disturbed with unsettling questions doing their rounds in that person's head. In the introduction of Leo Tolstoy's novella THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYCH, the writer seems to say the same thing. He says that a lot of people experience a finality that makes them so afraid; not because of the impending departure but because of the fear of having failed to do things that they should have done. But for Chinua Achebe (I can't bring myself to say, The Late Chinua Achebe because I think that he still lives, in his own special way) this thinking can be said to be totally false because he wrote as much as he could and not only that, he wrote widely and far into the future. His works will be as new in a century to come as they were in the 20th  century when they were fast written. Achebe clearly devoted his life to the obedience of his calling as a writer.

Chinua Achebe's writings are undoubtedly the most studied works of literature in Africa and beyond. His acclaimed literary daughter Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her talk THE DANGER OF A SINGLE STORY confirms the indespensability of Achebe's writing. She says that reading Achebe's books opened her eyes to new and peculiar truths and helped her redefine literature... she realised that characters with kinky hair and skin the color of chocolate could exist in literature... In a recent essay, WE REMEMBER DIFFERENTLY, Chimamanda acknowledges the fact that Achebe is a writer whose work gave her permission to write. She goes on to say...
"...Afterwards, I held on to the phone and wept. I have memorised those words. In my mind, they glimmer still, the validation of a writer whose work had validated me."

That brief digression was to draw us to the length of life Achebe still has ahead despite his physical death. I believe that Chimamanda will not want to offend her literary father's memory by doing anything less than what she should in as far as literature is concerned.

Chinua Achebe's name will remain in our hearts and the hearts of many who will be born in the coming generations. The best honor we can give his soul is to walk the talk.

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GENEVIEVE NNAJI ENTER SOCHIMA EZEOKE

It is not every day that we meet a young and obviously beautiful lady whose ambitions (not appearance) govern her way of life. In this rare and exclusive interview with Nollywood actress Sochima Ezeoke, we meet a redefinition of the youth; a proof that beauty and intelligence can reside harmoniously in one body. Ladies and gentlemen, here is her majesty, Sochima Ezeoke.

ON HER ACTING CAREER: 

Daisy Nandeche (DN) : Basically, who is Sochima Ezeoke?

Sochima Ezeoke (SE): Sochi is a strong, intelligent woman who believes so much in hard work no matter how difficult an undertaking is. She keeps working until she succeeds.

DN: You are now a household name in Great Movies Industry considering that most of your movies are done there. How did it start?

SE: I got there through the Great Movies Talent hunt. Since then, I have been opportuned to work with them. But that is not to say that I can only work for them. I work for other producers as well.

DN: What are the benchmarks of a film that you can star in?

SE: Any film with a good story line will do for me.

DN: Are there any roles that you can not take no matter what is offered?

SE: Yes. Roles that require me to go nude or something close to that.

DN: Are there any similarities between Sochima Ezeoke and that characters that you have played?

SE: Yes, some similarities exist between me and some of the characters I have played. LONELY PRINCESS as ‘Ego’ and Royalty to Royalty as ‘Ijeoma’.

DN: Palace Slave and its sequel, The King’s Bride was and still is a much talked about movie among Nollywood fans. Did you envision that kind of reaction from the audience?

SE: No. I never anticipated that kind of reaction from the audience especially since some people had already given negative criticisms before the movie was shot; they didn’t want me to take up the role because I was new. All thanks to God because He made it happen. And God bless Sunnycollins Nwatu for believing in me.

DN: What in your opinion sets Nollywood apart in Africa?

SE: Its deep roots in ‘Africanism’. Whether we accept it or not, every Nollywood film addresses Nigeria’s problem and that of Africa as a whole. This approach has enhanced globalization and it has also shown that there is another world outside what Hollywood creates.

DN: Is there anything you would want changed in the way Nollywood films are done?

SE: The only thing I would like to see is film makers working harder in order to attain a near-perfect shape in their work no matter how simple or complicated a film is. Also young talents should be given chances so that our movies won’t be filled with the same faces all the time.

DN: Where do you work currently?

SE: I am working with Justice Development and Peace Commission on a project that aims at helping and empowering the rural poor. It is an NGO under the Catholic Church.

DN: Who are your main influences in Nollywood?

SE: Genevieve Nnaji and Bimbo Akintola.  They only get bigger and better and that makes me admire them more and more. I also love Genevieve’s sense of style; she can do no wrong in my eyes (laughs).

ON HER UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

DN: What did you study in the university?

SE: I studied Mass Communication at the University of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Awka.

DN: Did you have a problem with your family when you selected that course?

SE: I did not have a problem. Actually, I started with a Diploma in Law.    I love Law so much but I discovered that studying Mass Communication would give me the foot with which to try other things. That is why I decided to go for a degree in Mass Communication. I had my parents’ support all the way.

DN: I have watched a lot of movies about the crazy things that university students do over there—drugs, immorality, non-commitment to their academic work to mention a few. Is that portrayal the reality on the ground?

SE: The portrayal is not the exact scenario here. Sometimes Nollywood exaggerates their stories and characters. For example, some movies show university students ‘half dressed’ in lecture halls, but the truth is that most universities here do not allow indecent dressing to school. Security will stop you at the gate and if you are inside a car you may pass the gate, but you cannot enter any office or lecture hall. But that is not to say that immorality, drugs, non-commitment to studies and so on does not exist. A lot happens.

DN: Any memorable (and horrifying) incident you witnessed as a student?

SE: One day during my third year, I took a cab to school because I was late for a quiz. The driver headed to an unknown destination. When I asked him, he said I should relax… he was speeding. We ended up in a deserted place near an uncompleted building. He stepped out and asked me to wait inside which I agreed. Only God knows how he forgot to lock the car. By the time he came back, I was far away and he couldn’t catch up with me.

Another memorable incident was the day we did a speech presentation exercise in class on the topic ‘Who are you’. When my turn came, I walked up to the stage smiling then I started talking. Up till this day I cannot figure out what happened there (laughs) but before I left the stage, the lecturer stood up and started clapping and my course mates joined her. She (the lecturer) asked me to write down everything I had said and give to her. I scored the highest in that course.

DN: How did you manage to come out unscathed?

SE: Coming out unscathed was not my own making. It was God’s doing.

DN: Any tips for university students who are (maybe understandably) under so much bad pressure?

SE: My advice is, they should put God first in everything that they do, mind the companies they choose to keep; they shouldn’t join the bandwagon no matter how tempting it is and remember what you went to the university to do and take it seriously.
 

ON ARRIVALS AND SOJOURN MEDIA (ASM)

DN: I must admit that ASM impressed me totally the very first time I visited the site. Good work. For how long had you nursed the idea?

SE: Thank you. The idea came up towards the end of 2010. We started working on it immediately and that is what resulted to the launch of AS magazine (print) maiden edition. It was a tour magazine that covered just Awka, Anambra state Nigeria where my school is located since there was no time to leave school and travel to other states for research.

DN: Why the name Arrivals & Sojourn?

SE: The name represents our goal for setting up ASM. It means coming and staying__  and staying in a particular place for sometime. Our goals are to show a peoples culture and their tourist attraction sites.

DN: What do you want the site to become?

SE: We are taking it one step at a time. There is a lot we want to put up in the site__ tourist attraction sites in Africa, a list of good hotels and eateries in Africa where tourists can spend their time and a business directory.

DN: Who do you work with?

SE: We have a team of web developers with my elder brother as the team head. They are responsible for structuring and updating the site based on the management’s decision.

DN: What do you do on the site?

SE: Writing articles for ‘Soul to Soul’ et al.

DN: What career do you intend to settle down on?

SE: I want to settle down as a TV presenter.

DN: What is your philosophy of life?

SE: Never look down on anyone; not even a newborn baby because they might just stand in a test. In a nutshell, humility is the name.

Sochima Ezeoke is one of the founders of www.asmedianig.com

Image credits: Sochima Ezeoke.

LIFE'S LESSONS FROM ONE 20 YEAR OLD TO ANOTHER

When I wake up on third of March, I will be twenty...say it again, TWENTY! It's as unbelievable as it sounds. I have a lot to be thankful for. I will begin by thanking people who have walked with me to the present.  I can't list all of them because they are many. But basically, I want to thank all my mentors-- my spiritual mentors, the people who inspired we to get hold of life and live properly, my parents, my role-models... and even those people I have never met but they mentor me by the way they live their lives and what they do. A big thank you to all of you.

It will be another new decade... A make or break decade as far as the future is concerned and I can only pray that the Almighty God will give me direction. Life as they say, is not a dress-rehearsal and I hope to be especially prudent.

So here are a few of the lessons I have accumulated at this grand age.

1. There is always a super-power
A greater power holds this earth. The earth has a beginning and for us to have a beginning then there must be a beginner. That beginner is the super-power. Remember God in everything you do.

2.Only boring people follow crowds blindly
There is a lot of bad peer influence hovering all around as. But luckily, it is always a choice. You can either choose to follow the wrong crowds and get lost or not follow the crowds... But just know that only boring and uncreative people ignore to think carefully and critically before taking any step.

3.There are no guarantees in this life
The fact that you have ability today does not mean you will have that same ability tomorrow. TIME is more powerful than everybody in this life. Use every opportunity to live a mark where you pass...history will ask questions and the fact that an accident stopped you from doing something will not exactly liberate your name in the records of history. People will want to know what you did with the time you had.

4. Everything that can be counted, counts
Whatever you do becomes part of the story of your life and when you will be taking stock of your sojourn on earth, it will be counted. Don't do something that will haunt you tomorrow. Be wise.

5. It is the same mouth which a dog uses to play that it uses to bite
Basically, understand people who are around you and always know the boundaries. Don't get carried away or too excited...only non-thinkers do that and Pisceans are thinkers:)

6. There is a place beyond knowing
There is a place beyond knowing called understanding. Understand  and critically analyze anything before you get involved. A wise man once said that, 'the color of fire is bright and beautiful but once you fall inside it, your body will tell you a different story'. For the Piscean, a word is enough.

7. Freedom is ephemeral
It's a fact. It is easy to discover that once you have it(freedom) for a while. Freedom comes with responsibilities and some of these responsibilities include doing house work...so don't be in a hurry for this thing called freedom.

8. You are the brand you!
Mmmm... Only you are You and you hold your life in trust so protect your life as if it carries all the tomorrows of the universe...because it actually does!

9. Destiny is in mortal hands
Your destiny is in your hands...People will show you the way but only you can follow the way that you have been shown. Walk every step bearing in mind the fact that you are walking towards destiny. Once again, be wise.

10. Be the model 20year old piscean in the world
At twenty, you have a huge life a head of you...hold it firmly and stir it in the right direction. Show the world that you earned the right to be 20 this year and that can only show if you are positively exceptional.

11. Love will come
If it hasn't showed up at your door step, it's certainly going to show up very soon. Love with your heart but don't forget your head.

12. Forgive

Life is a battlefield and we all walk wounded...

I will be meeting my fellow pisceans more often in a label I am starting and we will talk more then.

From me,

With Love.

UNTITLED

The sun feels brighter today. Even trees are more sure of their position... I just love this day, but I love this poem more. And don't be convinced otherwise, I don't just write; there are always 'strings attached'... I also believe that, it is with the poets pen that feelings are felt.

WE

Love with an everlasting love

Led by grace that loves to know

Oh, this full and perfect peace

Oh, this love which cannot cease

In a place where dreams come true

I am his and he is mine

Heaven above is softer blue

Earth around is sweeter green

Since I know as I know

Who shall part my love and I?

Things that once were wild alarms

Had me bound and down in chains

Now cannot disturb my rest

In his arms forever lie

While he whispers in my ears

I am his and he is mine...

By Esther Wamagata

Fresh Paint Vol 1

Literary Vignettes by Kenyan Women.

LEAVE A MARK ON YOUR 21ST YEAR IN THIS LIFE

I  noticed that most of my gold-pals  are turning 21 this year  (2013) and I think this poem by Prof. Kivutha Kibwana  is going to be useful to them.

You are 21 child

a magic cross-roads age

yesterday's child

welcome to the world

there is no ceremony today

you are to give birth to yourself

you will mature yourself

you will adult yourself

mama and papa are far away

your other kin and kith too

21 means frontiers to explore

a world to conquer

an opportunity to make your mark

you are to determine who you will be

you will be the person you seek

you may forever be half child half adult

you may settle for a non person

someone who was just passing by

someone escorting others

someone just waiting

or a go-getter, a doer, a maker

the world is about choice

you may think before you act

you may act before you think

you may ignore to think and to act

you may have others think for you

you may have others act for you

choose...

men like bees will fly to your life's nector

they will hum love, affection, tenderness when their only desire is to sting

women will knock for companionship or for convinience

beware of womankind, beware of mankind

and yet you must love

Your body is yours, your shrine

your mind is yours, to be kept open, pure

your soul is yours, you motor

guard them with your life

build your character day by day

character is the window from which we glimpse the real person

discard the superficial vile

be a person people remember

a person others will follow

set goals for yourself

follow them as a train does its rails

always search for knowledge

the path that guides living

do your bit in life

small bits make the world

learn to reflect

to pause in motion

to dialogue with silence 

to be your best friend

to love yourself

remember

the worst lie is the lie told to oneself

because you know the truth

the lie will torture you

the truth will torment you

remember

nobody can silence a conscience

God is there for us every moment

He will always be there for you

even if you forget or deny Him

don't be afraid to look for Him

in good or bad times

He will mend your spirit

He will give you His peace

Life is suffering, you will suffer

life is joy, you will joy

life is about ups and downs, arise from the downs

life is about feeling you must give up, never give up

life is about being unsure of where you are, be sure

life is bitter, make it honey

life is tough, be tough

life is for living, not for quiting, hang on, live

You are 21

welcome to the world

mould your world

karibu

make the world

don't you ever look back.

Have a pleasant 21st year on the universe. Daisy loves you.

BEWARE, EMOTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE IS PRICELESS.

There is a time I did not speak to my desk-mate for over a month when I was in form three. The reason was this, she had gone into my locker without my permission, taken my favorite novel and given it to someone who had misplaced it. The River and the Source by Margret Ogola is the last novel I will (even now) ever lend out. I am emotionally attached to that book; everything about it just feels important. What annoyed me even more was the fact that, my deskmate knew these.

 When it was clear that the book wasn't going to be found, I let go but I could not speak to my desk-mate for a while. But nature is nice because the healing eventually did come. I got another copy of the novel and luckily, my friendship with Sharon was restored. But I think the unintended consequence of that experience was that I learnt a lot of lessons: to always beware that emotional significance is priceless-- neither silver nor gold can replace it.

One of the main things I picked from that experience is that we look at things differently, just as we value different things. In your eyes, it could be a mere bangle but in someone else's eyes, it stands for everything there is to life. I have learnt to be particularly careful with other people's properties. In Sharon's eyes, the novel may just have been like any other book. I may have gone on and on telling her how much I loved that book but she couldn't figure out any particular special attribute that the book has. And perhaps that was why she did not need a lot of thinking time before giving out the book.

And when it comes to people who have walked into my life or our paths  have crossed I am even more careful. I don't lose a friend unless it is inevitable... I have learnt to look at life closely and in the course of 'my study' I have realized that nothing happens by accident. No meetings just happen... I mean there is never a coincidence. I am saying this with conviction because a lot of people got into my life 'accidentally', but right now I would be lost without them.

So, next time before you do ANYTHING, remember, THAT WHICH YOU WANT TO DO could be all that stands between real happiness and eternal nostalgia for someone else.

Let us be especially careful with people's emotions this year. They are priceless.

CHIMAMANDA TAKE ME AWAY!

I

I go crazy once in a while over Chimamanda... I love her more than what words can say...hahaha! But I know I am not the only one, a lot of people do.

I forgot to begin this way; HAPPY NEW YEAR SWEETHEARTS-- Forgive my delay.

This talk(SHARED ABOVE) made me laugh. Chimamanda felt so near, you know I always feel close to her whenever I am reading any of her stuff but I felt even closer this time.

I particularly like this statement;
"Not all women want to get married. And we should create room in our society for them."
Please Chimamanda, forget the 'pretenders' I am YOUR NUMBER ONE FAN.

Let's talk later when I am a lot more organized.

WRITERS NEVER DIE

Anyone who read Aminata by Francis Imbuga and did not get charmed by the character of Aminata, a young and brilliant lawyer should re-read the book. It was my sister's setbook in high school and I can't remember how many times I told her that she should have scored a straight A in English because they had a wonderful setbook. Of course that was before I fell in love with my own setbooks and decided that there can never be better setbooks than what we had...

Aminata is set in a traditional Kenyan society. The society is heavily defined by customs and traditions and that is what in fact sets the major conflict in the book. Aminata, the lead character has been given a piece of soil as inheritance by her father and people of her village have a problem with this. Women should not be given land! Mmm... their argument is that, women get married and join their husbands and therefore being allocated land in their own parents inheritance meant double potion which was not fair.

Of course I totally disagree with this archaic way of looking at things. To begin with, there are women who don't exactly believe that marriage is their ultimate goal in life; so where do we leave them? Anyway, Aminata was a different kettle of fish. She was (well) married; she would have been content to abandon the fight for her father's land but the desire she had to honor her father's memory could not just allow her to do this and sleep comfortably. The book ends nostalgically... There are other sub-plots in the play which make it a more interesting read... grab a copy.

I have read other books by the same author(Francis Imbuga); Betrayal in the City, Man of Kafira and Miracle of Remera and I loved all of them.

Prof. Francis Imbuga is no more, sadly. But writers don't die... May the words you(Francis Imbuga) wrote continue being an inspiration to all who read them.

A LETTER TO NAWAL EL SAADAWI

Dear Nawal,

I hope this letter finds you hale and hearty. It is with utmost interest that I write it. I would have preferred 'an up-close and personal' interview but I realize that it will be tricky, almost impossible to reach you as soon as I would want to; our different circumstances notwithstanding.

Allow me to start by acknowledging that crown that sits on your head. You obviously wear a crown and this is regardless of whether people can see it or not. It is over eight decades since your fast contact with the world and simply put; you have left a mark in the sands of time and as you said in the interview with Homa Khaleeli in the Guardian of 15th April, 2010, you are becoming more radical with age. You laughed after that comment but I know that was not to make it less factual. In the interview, you went on to say that,

"I have noticed that writers, when they are old become milder. But for me, it is the opposite. Age makes me more angry"

That was a real fast. My contact with a good number of writers shows that a lot of them become less radical with age. What makes you 'more angry' with age and different from most of them for that matter? I know the fact that you are a rebel could be an explanation to that but what else? I am honestly interested in that angle. My friend, an ardent critique of yours(not published yet) who also intends to do her thesis on your work, argues that you are a victim of circumstances rather than a fighter for women's rights. She compares your approach to that in Fatmata Conteth's A LETTER TO MY SISTERS and she draws the conclusion that, in both these two circumstances, the simple idea that there was initial breach from the norm is what makes you view the world from what she calls 'a stressed up point of view'. Another argument she puts across is that, there are other Islamic and (women in general) who achieve everything they want without necessarily going against the norms.

I don't know what your response to such understanding of your work would be. I would like to know.

Dr. El Saadawi, you have been in and out of prison severally because of your stands which in most cases were against the government. You even had to fly out of your native Egypt when you received death threats. In short, you joined the long list of African writers who are forced into exile because of their work. In your opinion, is fleeing one's country by its very nature a mark of heroism? Do you think going into exile helps deliver the message one is passing over to the masses?

You have been swimming against the tide all your life. Those are your words. I admire them because there is something comforting about avoiding the bitten path. Truth is that you gave all your life for the struggle against women oppression and you are not resting until this is done.  But there is a slight problem. Not a lot of people know you or are aware of what you do. You even said in one of your interviews that it is much easier for you to be listened to in other countries; you are more recognised in other countries that your own. Does that state of affairs make your quest unachievable especially in Egypt or is it a classic case of' a prophet is never welcomed in her own country'?

One of your plays; GOD RESIGNS IN THE SUMMIT MEETING was so explosive and you said that your Arabic publisher destroyed it under police duress. This was followed by several court cases because the criticism on religion proved so controversial. An obvious explanation of this would be your daring nature but I still have to ask. What is your source of inspiration? What runs through your mind when 'everyone' seems to think you are wrong and should stop what you are doing?

Finally, are there any regrets in your life? Is there anything you wish you did differently when you were younger?

Pass my regards to your daughter, Mona Nawal. She followed after you in both character and interests and no doubt she is a woman of steel too. I hope to hear more from her.

Very enthusiastically,

Daisy Nandeche Okoti.

BLACK WHITE RED WHITE GREEN

Those colors are special- BLACK WHITE RED GREEN- in Kenya. They are the colors of our national flag which we are taught to respect as soon as we are old enough to go to school. I have regarded these colors highly until lately... I still regard them, but now I have questions.

What did my teacher mean when he or was it she said that WHITE on the Kenyan flag stands for PEACE? and our loyal pledge! What are those words again;

       I pledge my loyalty to the president and the nation of Kenya,
       My ready-ness and duty to defend the flag of our republic.
       My devotion to the words of our national motto;
       My life and strength , and service in the task of of nation building, 
       In the living spirit embodied in our national motto
       HARAMBEE and
       Perpetuated in the NYAYO philosophy of PEACE, LOVE and UNITY 

That was how the loyalty pledge appeared in my school diary in primary five and still does in the diary of my 13year old cousin. Maybe I am moving in circles. I know.





....Baragoi Masaccre, Tana Delta clashes, Grenade attacks... I choose to stop here. I don't wish to go into  the details of how news of fathers or mothers killing their children have been hitting our airwaves on a regular basis lately. And that is precisely why I started with the colors of our national flag and then our loyalty pledge. Do we, as a people pay attention to what we are saying... or used to say?

What went wrong?

My favorite blogger, Kate Henshaw(Author of Soul Kate) in her latest post wrote that and I quote;

"...Hardly a day goes by without the headlines of the dailies telling tales of woe; be it the antics of the BH wasting human lives in their numbers in the northern part of Nigeria, the pensions of hard working civil servants being carted away by scrupulous Director Generals and their board or the death traps on our roads. Millions of money being poured down the drain of various awarded contracts that never get done or completed. The inadequate maintenance of our infrastructure that are left dilapidated purposely so that someone can make millions from awarding the contract to bring them back to some semblance of good condition for usage. Strikes are embarked upon supposedly to right the wrongs but they end with no logical conclusion to the matter at hand; NUPENG, PHCN, ASUU,etc. How come all these stolen money is never recovered? Your guess is as good as mine. Discussing Nigeria is a daily staple and I have come to the conclusion that one has to steal big to make it worthwhile because then, you never go to jail nor return the money. Only the man who steals 5000naira or a bicycle gets thrown into jail and even the innocent woman who was just by the side of the road when a LASTMA official was killed by a bus driver, gets thrown into jail with her two month old baby...!"

 I think I have nothing more to say that will be news to you. The world seems to be playing a dangerous game and it seems even GOD has shut HIS curtains at us because we perpetually refuse to do the right thing.

SCHOOL HAS NEVER GOTTEN CRAZIER

Oh, its November already and trust me guys, the MIA wasn't deliberate. I was up and down with a few things but what is important now is the fact that I am here. I know Mwajuma is going to say that time flys and it is not in my control but I still think I owe this explanation to you; my audience. Anyway, we thank GOD that nothing bad happened to any of us.

So what did I want to tell you?

"I have battled with being a teacher's pet throughout my academic life, I can accurately say. It started with Madam Jacinta, my English teacher in primary six, seven and eight. She had freshly graduated from a teachers training college and I think her sophistication and 'accent' pushed my classmates away. But for some reason, I was drawn to her and she was drawn to me as well; maybe because of my good compositions and a seeming fearlessness when speaking to her. So that was how my life long journey of friendship with Madam Cintah, as I love calling her started. I remember my friends would always complain that she always chose me to answer questions in her class or used my name whenever she wanted to give an example. Some even hated me because of that and being the kid I was, I reported them to the said teacher. She simply told me to ignore them and I did. I will never forget that counsel because I have had to ignore very many other things in my life; especially lately.

When I got to secondary school, 'my love affair' was first with the deputy, Ms. W.  Now, who is ever in good terms with a deputy!? I can't remember exactly what made us friends because to begin with, in my first week of existence in that legendary school somewhere near Nyanza and Western provinces of Kenya, I was always on the list of noisemakers. But I think I have a spell on me because after she punished me severally, I was appointed the class prefect of my stream in my second term in form one; and thus begun a long journey of 'prefect-ship' and responsibility, and good memories and ugly incidences. We became even closer after I was a prefect and I think this was what my classmates could hardly put up with. She sometimes carried mangos from her house and we would eat them together when I went for consultation in Biology in her posh office in The White House, which was another name for our administration block: how I miss those days. Ms. W transferred when I was in form two just about the time when I was 'cementing' my 'love affair' with Ms. A. My mates complained and suspected 'foul-play' as usual but what could they do? Nothing. But as they say, every dog has its day and their own day came that day Ms. A transferred when I was in form three. My classmates made sure that I understood the gravity and enormity of what had befallen me in all the possible ways including jeering at me in the face. I really hated that school at that time. I just wanted to transfer and go away.

Now, I am in campus and 'history' in planning to repeat itself! I am not in a hurry, I will fill you in as it unfolds but in a nutshell, I am ready for them after all, I am still the same old Daisy."

Have a great month,

All my love.

I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT TO BE HUMBLE

I know a lot has already been said in regards to the fact that, " We can never have a second chance to make the first impression" and I don't intend to start any argument about that tonight. A lot of people depend on the first impression to make up their mind about somebody and that is their way. No qualms on my part. But I think this piece will still be useful.

First of all, the word humble is one of the overused vocabularies in my father's dictionary. "...remain humble" that is one of the phrases with which he finishes his advices which I carry around in my heart always. I don't know for how long he has been saying that to me but it must be for a long time because for me, being humble is the way to go. But the truth is, I never really understood the meaning of being humble in my father's terms until one day...

I had just completed high school and as it was bound to happen,' I started feeling on top of the world'. A good number of my friends had completed high school too and it was thus easy to form a 'clique'. I remember before I found something really useful to do, I would sit with my legs on the table eating one thing after the other (I wonder why I did not become obese) and I would tell anyone who interfered with my movies(with the exception of my parents, of course!)that, from that day henceforth, order in that house was going to be defined by I, Daisy Nandeche alone! I must have looked so stupid at the time. Thank God it passed. Anyway, other 'real stuff' came up and if there is something I will eternally be grateful for, is the chance to live  away from home. You should see me to appreciate this!

So in the middle of all that 'nonsense', I met Rose.

Were it not for that life-changing encounter, I would have called it an ordinary Sunday but for the single fact that I met Rose, it becomes a special Sunday. I had gone to church as usual; my home church which I still think is the best in the globe. As usual again, I was running through my bible as the day's announcements went on because I would read the bulletin anyway. But the visitor who graced us that day made me sit up and take notice. She was about my age. Maybe three or four years older. Well, she wasn't wearing anything expensive at all! As she walked to the podium, I noted that she had on some really 'lousy' attire with shoes I can't place. They were not torn but still, I couldn't place them. Her hair was short; not styled or relaxed in one way or another, simply short! She wasn't wearing any earing, bangle and so on and I can even swear that she did not have make up on.

After she was given the microphone, the interpreter sat down. He did not expect her to speak English and so did I.Then the girl started talking! Excellent English and what's more? She had just been posted to a neighboring school after graduating from Moi University... She went on to give us a few inspirational verses and honestly, the shock was too much!

Rose brought me back to my senses in a hurry! Can you imagine?  I didn't even know how I had performed in my final exams yet I was already playing mother-hen all over! Rose reminded me that I had seen nothing yet in life and that was how I stopped putting my legs on the table and I don't see myself ever doing that no matter the circumstance.

Post Script: I have encountered many other similar people and that is why I am always hesitant about settling on the first impression I have of somebody. To begin with, the first impression I give is hardly ever the real me, it simply depends with who I am meeting, where, why and other such stuffs so I suggest that we all be cautious about this first impression saga because short of losing a life time opportunity, only great lose could befall us. I read somewhere that, we are all blind and honestly, I believe that statement. There are so many things we fail to see or notice just because we were blinded by the so called first impression.

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING...

...that was the title of the story that gave me permission to read 'Parents Magazine'. My mother read a lot of these magazines when I was young and they were really 'all over' the house. But I never read them. I never saw any of my sisters reading them either; it was just my mother and rarely my father. So that simply told me that, as the title suggested, the magazine was meant for parents. It was really no big deal because I had my own books to read, the New Progressive Primary English story books series was just kicking off and I had a good number of those books to satiate my thirst for the written word.

So one day, my mother asked me to arrange the Parents Magazines for her because she was beginning to lose them due to the disorderly manner in which they were kept. She sat on one side of the study table watching me as I did this and my first thought was that, she did not want me to look inside them and that is why she was there to supervise. But I later learnt that her mind was so far away from what I was doing. Anyway, I continued doing my assignment but not without reading a few words on the cover and that was when I came across that proverb; EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING.

I was in class eight then and I am guessing you know that at that point in life, the more the number of proverbs in your composition, the more likely you were to score high marks. So I blurted out. "Mom, our English teacher uses this proverb a lot..." I can't remember the other words I said. I can't remember the exact words mother said either. But I know she told me that, every reading material is important and I had no reason to discriminate. "If they were not good for you, they wouldn't be lying 'all over' the house." I remember those words.

But I still had my reservations. Parents was still too gigantic a word for me and I told mother as much. She pulled one of the magazines and asked me to move to where she was. Then she showed me two columns. One was the youth column and the other was from the pulpit. She told me that the two were very good reads for me and I should always make an effort and read them every month. She also showed me other columns; It happened to me and Real life experience which she said would widen my view of life and issues.

So, I made it a habit. I started reading the magazines with her and I would wait for their delivery more eagerly than she did especially after I fell in love with The Youth column. I found the column so interactive and basic. When I went to secondary school, I would identify with most of the things the writer talked about and slowly by slowly, the column became more than an education piece for me. It opened new windows and doors in my view of the art of writing. It made writing as an art cease being a threateningly deep and complex art; it became something I could recognize, see and even feel. I told my school friends some of the stories I read in this column and since I could not carry the entire magazine to school, those who could came to our house to read some of these stories and at some point, we all concluded that the author of this column was our classmate. She seemed to know everything that happened in our school and our class! Or maybe she was a ghost *wink*.

Then somewhere a long the line, I decided that I was going to be a writer like that columnist. I had to meet her although I did not know what I would tell her when I met her. I had no idea what she looked like but that did not stop me from imagining how she looked, walked, talked... When I was in school, I would write stories about my classmates the way I would imagine she did and I couldn't wait to get home when schools closed to compare my writing with hers and see how similar our school terms had been. I was that mad! When my mates were rushing home to eat home food and see their 'boyfriends', I was rushing home to compare notes with an imaginary classmate. One of my friends who had concluded that I was obsessed with that writer suggested that I write her a letter through her editor because there was no other contact of hers. I did this but I got no reply. Poor me! But 'as they say', if you plot and the plan fails, you plot again.

I finished high school without seeing her and I almost gave up when I did not see anymore stories written by her in that magazine. I honestly stopped reading the entire magazine. But I met her again and we actually met... and this was not a dream as one of my sisters keeps insinuating, " Who doesn't know Daisy has met everyone she wants to meet... in her dreams..." She likes saying that and one of these days I will chop off her mouth! Jokes aside. I truly met her... not in my dreams or visions or imaginations or fantasies... but in the physical. And by the way it was not an accidental meeting. It was well planned. Details of our first meeting will come up in a whole post but I can give you an idea of how it was for me. I was jittery all through!  

Truly, dreams come true. 

(A PRELUDE OF THINGS TO COME)
Dear Carol,

One day,  you will look around and not see me. That will be because I will have taken a journey into the unknown world called fiction. Many go on this journey knowing they will trip and fall like Chimamanda says but they still go. So when the time comes, I will go. But I will be thankful to you always for giving me the most important thing any one who wants to write needs. The permission to write.

Always pray for me,

Much adoration,

Daisy.

THAT WAS MY AWAKENING

I once watched a movie called awakening. The film is non-African and although I cannot remember the name of the producer, director, main cast and other such things, I remember the story was being told to a young lady- 22 or 23 who was in a comma. The doctor figured out that the cause of the prolonged comma would be the young woman's lack of understanding of the real world and he begun telling her stories about the world; why things are the way they are and other such things. The girl eventually became conscious and smiled knowingly... "I can see again." She said. That was about four years ago.

In August this year, I attended a film festival and among the films that were screened, one was titled awakening once again. I almost thought it was the same film but it wasn't. I did the mistake of not keeping the name of the producer or director again but I can tell you it was a matter of "same script different cast". There was another girl trying to understanding herself and her world.

In both these two movies, these girls looked intelligent and well schooled but they still needed an awakening... I prayed and anxiously waited for my awakening... and it came.

That morning, I wouldn't have guessed that something strange had happened to me had I not for the first time realized that things are just the way they are. I have always had an issue with being female... really, it has nothing to do with hormones and as a matter of fact, I have learnt to fight with them. There is just something that makes me wish I could cross over to the other gender. Maybe it is the daring nerve in me that attracts exploration...

But when that morning I realized that the feeling was no where within me, I was sure something remarkable had happened to me. So I looked once again and I discovered that I was more tolerant with facts the way they are. I had stopped asking myself what the world would be like if grass was blue and not green. I have accepted that grass is green because it is not blue... It was one of the best feelings I've ever had; I believe better than falling in love, which I hope will not be part of my awakening. 

My awakening didn't stop there. I 'woke up' to so many other things. Today for example, I spent virtually the whole day on Chimamanda's website. My perception of her is that one of a woman whose only part of the body that works is her brains... I know she is normally dressed, her hair is normally made but I have never imagined her making hair or dressing up! She is supposed to be reading and writing throughout, right? Not so.

So today as I browsed her site, I came across a piece, a very short one at that in the GUARDIAN'S column; WHAT I SEE IN THE MIRROR. I wonder why I had never read it yet she wrote it in early 2010. What drew my attention was that word...'mirror'. What would Chimamanda be doing with a mirror? Wasn't she supposed to be reading and writing? Then a consolation came. Maybe it was symbolic. Or maybe she was writing about it in connection to The Nigerian Biafran war. But shock on me. Chimamanda was writing about a real mirror. She was looking at herself in the mirror; she actually knew the exact color of her skin. She even says that "...sometimes when my hormones are out of sync, I have no interest in the mirror..." she writes and that was another reality check for me. So Chimamanda actually has hormones?! Call me stupid if you want but truth is, I had never thought of her that way. Then the 'final blow' came when she wrote that..."my greatest vanity is my skin..." It was not books again?

But I understand now. I am totally 'awake'. I am beginning to understand that, before anything else, we all are human beings.

I posted something on my facebook wall several hours ago... "Buy me a rose and I will be yours forever... you hold the keys to my happiness..." courtesy of a film I watched some months back and the first comment which was backed my some others was that "...So Daisy can actually fall in love..." That was another awakening and another story... I think I need to research and work on this last part for it to make sense.

So my dear awakening, is tomorrow coming or has it passed? I sound confused, right? You bet!

WHEN WE CHOOSE TO 'SLEEP', A LOT GOES ON

Now I'm convinced that I should be harsher with myself than I am already.

 About two weeks ago, I read a story in a major newspaper in this country; the title was SINNERS AND LITERARY THEORIES and I exhaled heavily after reading it. The article was about how far away the minds of Kenyan youths are from books. My eyes grew wider and wider in disbelief as I moved from sentence to sentence of that unbelieving tale. Not reading on its own is a mistake enough but doing other mistakes on top of that is suicidal. The reason I exhaled heavily after reading that story was because I was thankful that I read.

That story came shortly after I read one in pulse, a pull out that is normally distributed with the Friday Standard Newspaper titled CAMPUS HALLS OF SLEAZE, a story about some of the dirty stuff campus students do. Once again, I exhaled because really I'm not so bad after all.

I have been in my comfort zone these past few days 'seeing no evil and doing no evil'. But I was jolted by several things in the past...8 hours. First, it was a phone conversation with Sheilla. Sheilla is... I don't know what to call her and if I knew a word that is bigger and better than a friend, I would use it. But for now, let's just say she is my friend, a good one at that from high school. Sheila knew me better than I did and she still does; our doing different courses in campus hasn't changed anything.

So I spoke to Sheila and as I busied myself telling her how hard it had been for me to get through some tasks, Sheila said, "Daisy you are a special person and you can get everything you set out to get if you put your mind to it..." We continued with our conversation and as much as I tried to veer the conversation to other things, those words still stuck within. We talked for another hour about things we liked and valued; how important it was that we all worked hard to achieve all the dreams we had in high school.

"We'll catch up as soon as I'm back in town..." She said and I agreed knowing fully well that it would be nothing short of a business lunch; business in the sense that whatever we will discuss will be serious matters only and if laughter will arise, then it will be because of memories. I know Sheilla.

So eventually when I put my phone down, I realized that, no matter what direction the world takes, I already set my personal standards and people are watching... No one expects me to smoke bhang so the fact that I don't smoke bhang is not an achievement at all; it doesn't matter how many other people are doing it. People expect me to soar high up in the skies academically, spiritually and professionally and that is what they are looking at. If my academics are not up there no matter who is not up there with me, it will be considered a disappointment. The world is harsh and the bar seems to be moving eternally higher.

So after a while, I resigned myself to the fact that 'business-as-usual-complacency' will never be my way.

After a little more meditation, I signed in to one of the social networks I'm a member of and on impulse, I decided to run through the inbox messages. They are numerous. But the last conversation I had with Sochima mythically arrested my attention. Sochima graduated recently and she is moving first... she has talent and she has ability but above all, she has the breastplate of salvation and not even hard economic times is standing on her way. I like chatting with her whenever I have time and she has time too.

The message from Sochi that drew me more is this;

"Never u join the bandwagon, put God first in all that u do, always aim for the best and of course, u will survive all that. i spent 4years in the university and i never for one day went for clubbing... not that its bad, but i knew why i never did...dat did not stop my department from giving me an award as 'the most beautiful'...my point is that u can be anything u want to be without being influenced by the crowd...dont worry swèetheart, u will excel!"

I read that message twice or thrice before I logged out to rethink. If I know Sochi well, then I know she wasn't joking; she has her priorities right. I took sometime to think and I discovered that, in as much as a lot of people want the best for me, only ME can make it happen. I should be incharge, do what I can maximumly and forget others especially those who do not share my vision because all said and put aside, we have different destinies.

After that, I picked a book and decided to read one or two things but nemesis was not through with me yet. I needed to find out something about Petina Gappah's An Elegy for Easterly and as such, I logged on to her blog(The world according to Gappah). But something else caught my eyes; there was a blog post titled YOUNG, GIFTED AND NIGERIAN: MEET CHIBUNDU ONUZO. I followed that link immediately and I met the 21year old author of THE SPIDER KING'S DAUGHTER and the blog authorsoundsbetterthanwriter and I was awed!!

 There are real people out there who are making 'things' happen and if we choose to be lazy because everyone around us seems to be doing worse, then we will be shocked one day when we look up and discover that a lot has happened in our 'absence'.

I am sure at this point I needed no sooth-sayer or prophet to decipher the fact that life is not a game as most of us have been led to believe. It is a journey that follows the path you lead it on...and this is my humble submission. I will work towards my goals without looking at the side tracks; even my competitor will meet with me only after we cross the finish line. First or last, makes no difference as long as I have done my best.

EID MUBARAK

On the list of my close friends, Muslims have a fair number. I don't know how I ended up loving them so but I think it has something to do with the fact that my parents' home is very close to a mosque and the first people I interacted with were well groomed and dressed Muslim girls. I remember Makkah. She was a classmate in primary school and the daughter of the mosque's Imam. We were not so 'tight' but she took me to their house one day... no, actually, we needed to do an assignment together and for some reason, we went to their house to do it.

 I remember  seeing no chair until we got to the study table: The house felt so strange. His brothers, Habib and Aziz were in one of the rooms praying... at about four in the afternoon, Makkah was asked to lead me to another room for a meal. I was sure my mother would kill me if she learnt that I ate in people's houses.Then I thought of how enclosed the house was and I decided that there was no way mother would know. So I went to eat.

I sat on the carpet with folded legs next to Makkah and her mom brought the food. There were things that looked like chapati...I have forgotten the name. But they had a distant taste of  lemon and were white in color. Then another shock. There was only one bowl of stew from which everybody was supposed to eat! I cannot say that I did not eat because I ate, albeit with a twisted face. So that was a culture shock I am glad I dealt with it when I was young.

But something else troubled me. Farida, a close friend of mine had been a Muslim but their house had chairs and apart from the hijaab, nothing else would tell you that she was a muslim. I did my inquiries and I discovered that Farida's family belonged to the soonu muslims while the Makkah's family were shia muslims. So I began to appreciate both of them differently. Makka's family moved to Iran following her father's transfer in working stations and I have never been able to get in touch with them.

So that is it. I have made a lot of muslim friends and I interact with them so freely and if I were to have reservations, then it wouldn't be because we belong to different faiths.

Touching Heaven, Changing Earth with lyrics

I thought of someone very special just as I prepared to go to bed. My spiritual dad. I can almost hear his voice in that song and Lord it has been long! You see why I will always fight with time? He likes Hillsong United... Let me see if he has changed.

CHRISTIANITY AND TRADITION; CAN THERE BE A POINT OF CONTACT?

As far back as I can remember, the theme of religion in Ngugi wa Thiong'o's The River Between was very special to my English teacher. But he seemed to always have something against the white man's religion; just like Ngugi I should say. But hey, Ngugi is a good writer and I take a bow. But I will do the praise-singing later. So what was I saying? Mr. Indoshi, our English teacher seemed to have a personal conflict with Joshua, the symbol of Christianity in the book. Let me see if I remember what he taught us about the conflict between 'converts and conservatives' in the book.

Religion in The River Between has been  cast in two ways; there is the traditional worship of Murungu on Mt. Kerinyaga and the worship of the white man's God who had a son called Jesus who died in order to give life.

Religion in the book touches on virtually everything that goes on in the novel; it is to say the least the source of the major conflict in the book. The traditional worship has been portrayed as the best religion, a religion that connects people to their humanity and purpose, a religion that gives life to people. On the other side, Christianity has been portrayed as a negative religion, a religion of deprivation, a religion that denies one life, a religion through which people lose themselves in order to have it...

Joshua stands for Makuyu, one of the ridges that also claim the identity of Christ a people who are destined for the new Jerusalem. And in accepting Christianity, Joshua denounces everything traditional because the white man says it is pagan worship. So Joshua embraces the white man's religion as the white man puts it not as the bible says and this becomes his major weakness. Joshua tags his entire family into his new belief and since he controls his family with an iron hand, no one dares complain loudly. But one of his daughters, Muthoni does the unimaginable.

Although we do not interact with Muthoni a lot at the beginning, the very first time we meet her in the book we get the idea that she is the kind of person who will stand anywhere to defend what she believes in; on a cactus or on a velvety surface. It is easy to empathize with her. Muthoni's heart beats for the land, the ridges and the traditions of the people. Hers is not a solid rebellion against the white man's God but a plea to be understood first as a human being before any other things are imposed on her including the new religion. She believes that for religion to exist, she must first have life. Muthoni seems to know fully well that religion in and for itself is nothing. She says that she is a Christian and she has no intention of abandoning the faith. But she knows too well that her life is inseparably bound to the tribe and that Christianity cannot be meaningful to her if it attempts to meet her outside her tribe.

On the day she plans to escape and go to her auntie's place in Kameno in order to get circumcised she tells her sister Nyambura;

Why! are we fools?... Father and mother are circumcised. Are they not Christians? Circumcision did not prevent them from being Christians. I too have embraced the white man's faith. However, I know it is beautiful, oh so beautiful to be initiated into womanhood. You learn the ways of the tribe. Yes, the white man's God doesn't quite satisfy me. I want, I need something more. My life and your life are here, in the hills, that you and I know.  page 25

In this circle, there is Waiyaki as well. Waiyaki is the protagonist in the novel. There is a tale about an ancient prophecy that declared Waiyaki the leader of his people. Waiyaki is as a result expected to maintain the sanctity of the tribe and this includes not violating the ancient ways with anything; not even the white man's religion... But there is a problem; Waiyaki is so attached to the daughters of Joshua, a convert! So is there hope for his 'throne'? Will he succeed in leading his people or will he join the list of rejected 'messiahs'?

But we can also tell through his character that Waiyaki is troubled. He believes there are good to be picked from either side and there is also bad that has to be rejected from both sides. Here, the challenges of reconciliation begin to hit him.  His thoughts are streamed as follows;

But the religion, the faith needed washing, cleansing away all the dirt and leaving only the eternal. And that eternal that was the truth had to be reconciled to the traditions of the people. A people's traditions couldn't be swept away overnight. That way, lay disintegration. Such a tribe would have  no roots for a people's roots were in their traditions, going back to the past, the very beginning, Gikuyu and Mumbi. A religion that did not recognize spots of beauty and truths in their way of life was useless. It would not satisfy. It would not be a living experience, a source of life and vitality. It would only maim a man's soul, making him cling to whatever promised security, otherwise he would be lost. Perhaps that was what was wrong with Joshua.

Waiyaki like Muthoni believes that his life is dependent on the tribe; there is nothing wrong with a religion except when it denies a person the very essence of being who they are, what they are. Muthoni eventually runs away from home to go to Kameno and be circumcised because she believes in it. But Joshua thinks it is the most unforgivable sin and she ceases to exist in his mind from that day henceforth.

From that day, Muthoni ceased to exist for him, in his heart. She had brought an everlasting disgrace to him and his house which he had meant to be an example of what a Christian home should grow into.
Alright, let her go back to Egypt. Yes. Let her go back. He, Joshua, would travel on, on to the new Jerusalem.  page 35
 Joshua's religion as depicted in the book is slightly unrealistic. The white man says it is wrong to marry many wives yet he himself has a lot of women in Siriana who are said to be his wives. And even then, Joshua can recall some old testament people who used to walk with God and angels and yet they had more than one wife. Joshua as a man, as an individual doesn't seem to have fully understood what his new religion is about nor what he stands to gain except the elusive promise of going to heaven.

It is this lack of a grounding that disintegrates Joshua's family. After the death of Muthoni, Nyambura discovers that she too is in love with the forbidden_ Waiyaki. The love feeling is so intense and totally beyond her and for the first time, she contemplates disobeying her father.

Day by day she was becoming weary of Joshua's religion. Was she too becoming a rebel? No, she wouldn't do as her sister had done. She knew however, that she had to have a God who would give her a fulness of life, a God who would still a restless soul, so she clung to Christ because he had died on the tree, love for all people blazing out of his sad eyes.

Joshua's religion is not bad in itself; but there is something that makes it fail to speak to the people; to satisfy them fully and keep them from going back and forth in search of something to appease themselves.

 (All quoted texts are from The River Between) 
 So I actually remember something after all these years? I wasn't as daft as my maths teacher used to suggest after all. But really, the contact point between a people's ancient beliefs and Christianity have always been a source of discomfort. But the book itself is an interesting read. It has twists and turns that will rivet you; the anxiety it creates is almost touchable... Grab your copy now!