A Rough Diamond
Elizabeth Adeniyi
Author Bio
Elizabeth was born and grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. She lives with her husband and sons. An avid reader and a deep thinker who has the gift to see gold in the most terrible of life experiences and turn it into a message. She writes about real life experiences in a fiction story form. She was trained and had practiced as a stockbroker/Investment adviser for a number of years, but creates the time to write especially in the night period. According to Elizabeth, she believes that writing is a talent as she sometimes wakes up from sleep to pen down words that had gathered in her head, which otherwise would have been lost.
During her growing up years, she discovered that writing about her personal struggles assuaged her raging emotions; as a result, she has been able to build up a huge archive of memoirs and articles, which has grown over time. Her stories are inspired from her environment, life experiences of others, scenes from the past and personal experiences. She reads books on Christian fiction, health and diet, suspense, historical fiction, self-help and other genres that catch her fancy; but nothing profane.
According to Elizabeth, writing A Rough Diamond, her latest book healed her heart about the death of a friend who the story was centered upon.
Description
Sharon’s life was at its fullest or so it seemed. She had one of the best paying jobs, a high flyer; climbing the career ladder at a pace most people could only imagine. Blessed with toys typical of the fast-paced life, state of the art automobiles, jetting from one city to another on vacation, and courted by the most eligible bachelor at work. What more can a girl possibly ask for?
This was Sharon’s life until a sleeping beast from the past rose and dealt her an eternal wound. She lost all that was dear to her and sank in to the lowest ebb of anger and depression. Left alone by family and friends, she turned to the one who has the answers to the questions of life
A Rough Diamond brought out the frailty of human affections in the face of adversity, Sharon’s emotional battles with God who she held responsible for her woes and her emotional journey from sorrow to immeasurable joy and freedom. It answers certain life questions we asked when faced with a tragedy. Questions such as: Why me? Where were you Lord when it hurts the most? Why do bad things happen to good people?
In this story, we will get to see that death is not the end of human existence, but only a door to eternity.
We will see how a life can be beautifully remolded and transformed by tragedy; how good can spin out of a tragic event and how the human spirit through faith in God can rise above every conceivable challenge of life.
Emotional, gripping and deeply moving, this is a book that will obsess, possess and remain with you forever.
Follow me in this classic piece as I recount the story of Sharon Mathews…
Book excerpt
Tony sat by the cliff overlooking the sea and watched the waves broke and spread their waters swiftly over the shore. The waves fell, withdrew and fell again; like the thud of a great beast stamping. He loved watching the waves at dawn when they looked like mountain ranges tipped with gold as sunbeams slanted low under burgundy clouds.
Suddenly, he felt a faint touch on his shoulder and turned to see Sharon smiling at him. She looked so beautiful, ethereal and surreal. He reached to touch her, but she floated away from him, her face shone as the brightness of the sun.
‘’Sharon! Oh Sharon, how I have missed you. The kids long so much for you, Bella cries for you every day. I do not have answers to their questions; I am at a loss on how to handle this situation. Please come back home as life has been so drab since you left, please come back.’’ He pleaded as tears ran down his face like rivers of flowing waters.
Sharon looked at him with compassion and reached out to wipe away his tears.
‘’I have come to have a word with you Tony, please listen carefully.’’
‘’I need you to stop mourning my death; I need you to be happy again as this prolonged depression will only incapacitate and make you useless in the plan of God for your life. Put the past behind, move on and reach out for new things the Lord is drawing your attention to. The children need you to be strong as a father. I am happy where I am, I am fully restored as there is no disease in this place. I have never been this happy and look forward to see you at the fullness of time. But in the meantime, you are still very much alive and it is a must that you live your life to the full in honor of the father.’’
‘’Sharon, I tried to be happy, I tried, but the pain within is so unbearable. Many times, it felt like my heart will collapse from the intensity of the emotional turmoil ranging within me.”
‘’You have pushed everyone away and refused the ministry of comfort from the Holy Spirit.” She said. If you continue to wallow in sorrow, I am afraid; you will not be able to fulfill the glorious destiny ahead of you.’’ She stared deeply into his eyes.
Tony woke up with a start, yawned and rubbed his eyes. He looked around and was surprised to find himself in the living room. His eyes moved to see the clock sitting on a wooden handle neatly nailed on the wall. Sharon’s handwork. He thought. He was astonished to see the time. 3:15 am. He remembered patting Bella to sleep before retiring to the living room, alone with his thoughts. Ever since Sharon’s death nine months ago, he had become a kind of a recluse; all alone in his own world. Everyone tried to offer support and comfort to him, but he politely refused and remained in his dark and lonely world, his heart stricken and withered like grass.