Eyes Like Diamond By Ejike Aneke
“A writer should not endeavor to create only the atmosphere familiar to
him. Any writer that does so as a rule is slave to the concrete reality of the
Earth”
Ejike
Aneke
The events of the book start with nine years old Mike in the company of
his friends in a mysterious river in the village. There was a challenge. Who
was going to dive inside the river, get to the riverbed, grab a handful of sand
there and come back up with the sand? Mike agreed to take the challenge. He
wants to prove he is indeed among the most capable swimmer in the village .Off
he dived. While on this aquatic descent Mike chose to undertake, he encountered
a female water spirit. In this extra-ordinary encounter in the river, Mike
could hear the voice and see the bright eyes of the spirit. Mike could not see
the remaining body part of the spirit. It was the same female spirit however,
that guided Mike underwater, away from the approaching snares of some evil
spirits in the water. As he swam back to safety, he kept wondering who the spirit
was and why she came to his aid. A panic-stricken Angelina, mother of Mike,
took him away from the village to avoid a possibility of her only son meeting
again with the water spirit.
Years along the line, he gained admission into the university. Mike
started out as a good boy on campus as he
intended to heed to his mother’s advice enjoining him to avoid bad
company, womanizing on campus. Angelina wants his son to focus only on
his education.
His resolve began to break down when he met Yewande, a woman of ethereal
beauty.
Mike’s focus shifted sharply away from his education to foster a
passionate
sexual relationship with Yewande that brought much dilemma, conflicts,
success,
regrets and failure to Mike and Yewande.
Structured in three parts of different chapters {Part 1: Chapter 1-4:
Part 2: Chapter 5-8: Part 3: Chapter 9-14, and an epilogue, Eyes Like Diamond makes an interesting read.
Though the author was not definite about the settings, we are given a hint that
the work’s settings was in Ibadan. When Mike was struck down with a
spiritual illness after his first sexual encounter with Yewande, he was taken
to University College Hospital, Ibadan. Ejike Aneke majorly explores the problem of
pre-marital sex, especially in our university campus. This theme is considered
very relevant and valuable considering the increasing rate of pre-marital sex,
unwanted pregnancy, abortion among our youths. The author also introduced the
spirituality associated with sex .I was so much impressed with the dialogue
between Mike and his intellectual friend, Jack
at the epilogue stage of the book. Very insightful, indeed!
Of note in Eyes like Diamond was the use of symbolism and the
exploration of the spirituality was very remarkable. The depiction of Truth,
Wisdom and Lie when Mike was on the spiritual highway after he was saved from
the enslavement of Scantra, princess of the Oceania was remarkable. In addition,
the author’s vivid imagination was helpful in implanting the imagery of the
Unseen world in one’s mind.
Eyes like
Diamond is a novella that I do wish was published in the form of a novel. I sense
it would be great if the author and its publisher,ABIC Books&Equip Ltd,Enugu,Nigeria would
release a work that would explore this interesting theme of sex and the
spirituality behind it.A story that would be imbued with more interesting and believable characters and an extensive plot that would grow out of these characters.
However, Eyes Like Diamond by
Ejike Aneke is highly recommended for an inspiring and insightful read.
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