THE inter-tribal wars and rebellion in many African nations, the consequences thereof and religion, a global phenomenon, which has continued to influence the lives of people from all culture echoed in Bonded.Authored by Matthew Adetanthis, with 474 pages, published by Literamed Nigeria Limited.Timothy, the head of a blossoming family answered his nation's call to go to Liberia for a peace mission.Timothy's wife, Elizabeth, is denied information about her husband and the benefits accruing to him. She lamented to her friend, Florence, thus: 'But you know how things are in this country. It was one of those cases of top placed officers diverting salaries of soldiers on military assignment outside the country, especially the dead ones, to private accounts' (p 14). She was thus left to take care of three children, without a job.Presuming her husband was dead, Elizabeth is coerced to marry Austin, a wealthy businessman. In the course of the marriage, which was already flourishing, she became born again, spiritual rebirth and personal commitment to Jesus Christ as saviour. Her passionate embrace of this religious experience played vital roles in the events of her life thereafter.The first demonstration of Elizabeth's new spiritual experience was her meeting with her ever-trusted friend, Florence. The encounter on page 4 aptly illustrates this. Elizabeth: 'I saw Tim today;' Florence: 'Tim! Who is Tim'' Elizabeth: 'Tim, my former husband;' Florence: 'why the fuss' Yes, you ran into your former husband, so what'' Elizabeth: 'sister Florence, my authentic husband is alive.'From this point, the plot gradually revealed how faith and fate took turns to shape the destiny of 'Sister Elizabeth', as her fellow devotee fondly called her.Elizabeth is compelled by the Christian doctrine ''the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth (p. 30, quoting Romans 7:2-3). She eventually broke the news to her present husband, Austin, who could only responded: 'You mean God gave you the injunction to terminate our marriage! Is that what you are telling me' (p. 29).Elizabeth finally found her way to her first husband who did not understand her return to him despite being married to another man. He expressed this in a secret letter she wrote to Elizabeth before he died, he had marvelled: 'Although I, and undoubtedly many others like me, could never understand why you took the step you took by coming back to me'' (pp 468-469).It was not a smooth ride, as she needed to contend with a rival wife who arrived at Timothy's house just few weeks after Elisabeth made the landmark decision to go back to the same house.When Timothy eventually died from complication resulting from the HIV he contracted in Liberia during peacekeeping mission, Elizabeth was left without a husband or as a vagrant as her mother described it. Not wanting to return to Austin, she found refuge in the church. But faith has not ceased to deal with her as a widower, Jonathan, with the permission of Elizabeth's pastor and confidant, suddenly proposed marriage to her, in the midst of Austin's call to her to return to him and her children.Mathew Adeta revealed the pains and suffering some families face because of their breadwinner's decision to answer their nation's call to patriotism by participating at peacekeeping missions and how adherents of some religious beliefs held on tenaciously to the teachings their faith espouses in spite of discrimination and torment.
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