This child of mine is my favorite...

A quirky brainwave led by a shuddering lapse of concentration. Have I been fair or just been manipulated? I saw calamity in their eyes and pledged allegiance in love. From within though, was a sharp gasp of conceit! It is true then that we do have favorites. It is true then that out of many we will pick a few.
There is no dark shadow to dart beneath or a fissure below to seal off this weakness, for none is loved less but one is favored amongst many. Effortless is that which is given for the favorite. A heartily endeavor and sacrifice is made for others so that they are not forgotten. I am the shameless and passionate fan for in the favorite I see myself as I see them within me. Not to say otherwise for the others, it is just that this particular one remains a mystery.
So I plead my cause and at this junction I take furlough from thee, not to sully that which must come to pass. No one can say they do not have favorites. Nor can they guarantee that there is no exception to the rule as far as all are concerned. It is not based on what others see or how we are judged. It is quite simply just how we feel.
Dare I say then that in the context of oblivion it is also the will of our maker to give accordingly as he sees fit. He is in us as we are in him so why do we moan the good fortune of another. And so I plead my cause humbly in this new light continue to express gratitude in what you have received for know from within that you are favored amongst many…

Hard work can only get one so far...

As I sat in the airport and stared through the large windows I saw the impressive coned nose of large Boeing 747 come to halt right before me. My eyes could barely make out the pilots in the cockpit but the airport staff on the ground, were clearly visible as they rushed from many directions to attend to it. As it’s doors opened and passengers filtered out I noticed the staff begin loading luggage on the conveyor belts and I wondered if they ever allowed their spirits time to soar as freely as mine felt in that moment. We were all drawn into an insular world submerged in our jobs and the tolls we withstood without noticing the freedom that is available to us in the spirit. These people worked hard and efficiently to ensure that the luggage was on time and it dawned on me that it was almost impossible for us passengers to notice them unless we were halted for a while in our journey. This was the way of the world, we had paid for the service so what did it matter. In any event we were also subjected to the same treatment in one form or the other in life.
Half an hour before this I had entered a small boutique that had already been invaded by other travelers with similar intentions as mine. Only this time I was noticing something different, a thought that had crossed my mind several times over when I traveled. It was amazing how differently dressed people always were in the airports. It was as though our origins and destinations depicted the clothing we chose. Some of the people wore shorts, t-shirts dressed for the summer, while others wore suits as they left the office blocks or prepared for meetings. Then there were those that were on connection flights to international destinations in different attire based on the weather forecast of those places. To add to all of these there were the cultures of different people to take into consideration. What was visible to the naked eye was that we appeared to be held together by the shackles that we had created, a means of transport that could get us from one city to the next on a schedule that managed to put us in order. The fact remained that we were so different by our personalities now depicted in our clothing.
Sitting in front of the window and looking out at the airport staff made me realize that they were also fettered to perform a duty for a reward that had been designed by a system created by man. Like any of us in any of our occupations if we performed to the highest of our ability then we could rise up in the ranks and earn whatever man had designed this to be. However the fact remained that we were still so different in our spirits such that we could achieve anything that we desired and get beyond this means available to us. I had learned a long time ago that what was within us was greater than what was without and this was the perfect setting to see this in play. It looked like in life hard work could only get one so far but the true success for dreams and desires came from faith…

Beauty and Bands...

I like the looks I get because without them I won’t be the same. However I hate the feeling within because it makes me a spectacle of despair. I believe that I can be debonair at times but truly would love to be like everyone else so that I can mingle in the crowds, unseen and not heard. Perhaps it is naïve to think this way, as there is a price to pay when I’m walked over and passed by, despite my best efforts. What has been evident for some time now is that I am a hostage of my making for it is a tough job maintaining these looks. On the other hand what else can I do if this is all I know of who I am. In the mirror I am perfection with a razzmatazz following of victims that dance in the tail of my whirlwind. Little do they know that I am the victim of their wisdom if they turn their attention elsewhere.
Hello, my name is Beauty and I am trapped in mankind. My life began in roses and in their sheer fragrance of the summer light did I witness my inception. I evolved into landscapes, hills, valleys and mountains, traveling through galaxies as a spectrum of light reflected from the numerous stars at my disposal. Men once hailed me as the yellow evening light of the setting sun that disappeared slowly in the distant ocean. During these times I was more than just a vision, I was a feeling, a breath of fresh air that brought comfort, jubilation, and irrationality at my presence. It came as no surprise to me then that I made the best of friends as I entertained and gave hope and faith to many. I swamped hallways with music and the essence of life escaping to the furthest corners of the earth as I sought those who never knew I existed. Eventually time caught up with me and I was infested.
Today I am ashamed to say that I have become the obstacle that lies within the shades of darkness in the thoughts of men. I am the spectacle that is laughed at when all that is seen of me is the dead shell of an empty vessel without a home to lay my head at. Even my alliances are now cut short as I lie breathless in folly disowned by the brethren that once looked up to me. I once was a joy and friend to many and now I am trapped and used as an excuse for vanity. Atavism is my hope as I wish for my old days and the times when I once was free.
A very good friend once complained to me that wherever she went people stared at her. She said she did not mind this as long as they could see there was more to her than met the eye. I told her that she couldn’t have it both ways. Those who did not get the attention had to have something else to hang on to. Two days later she changed her appearance by dressing down than she was accustomed to, to see what would happen. Naturally she didn’t get as much attention as she’d normally get but felt she was taken more seriously. She told me later that what she had discovered about herself was that now she had the choice to be whoever she wanted to be…

Making your dream reality

believing in a dream

Believing that we are all called upon this earth to do something is one thing, however putting it into practice requires a level of commitment that very few of us are willing to put in.

As a child I read all the books I could get my hands on. I did not care about the subject or what it was about I just read. Mine was a hunger that needed to be fed and escape from my environment into another, time and again was much needed respite. Soon I was contemplating my dream. ‘If only’, was always a good place to start. I identified my weakness. I needed experience, I needed to understand the world I lived in. If only I could travel, if only I had been to the places I wished to write about, if only I had time to dedicate to my dream then nothing would stop me. I traveled, I gained experience, I learned a thing or two about the world, time was afforded me, I decided to write.

great expectations

Finding the story had never been the hard part for me as an author. It was always the fear of not succeeding in anything I endeavored to do. I demanded the best of myself whether it was in engineering, sales or management. Naturally it made sense that the fear of not succeeding as an author would spur me on. I expected and demanded more of myself. I had been to places, I had read numerous books. I took pride in my imagination and my gift of creativity as it had shone through my telecoms career. This meant writing about what I knew, what was at the core of my existence and what had carried me through all those years of traveling in my life. I turned to my faith. However faith is not about just what you know or your experience or where you’ve been. Primarily faith is about God and where you are going to end up! Perhaps we all think that we all have a small say in this. Do further research you’ll find that you agree with me!

qualifying expectations

By reading many books of different genre I had discovered that each author had their own identities. Some books were stronger in society than others for their time, their environment and the purpose they served. It wasn’t enough that I was creative and had a story to tell. I had to contemplate the time and the message I wished to get across to my readers. I had to qualify my dream if I wanted it to be a success! Talent or a gift does not serve the purpose it’s for on its own. It has to be channeled and directed to fulfill its existence. I was lucky here! God came through for me as he had done in the past. Qualifying my dream is in the response of the readers of my books. I have received handshakes, told by others that my book changed their lives. There has been some negative criticism but if looked into thoroughly, I expected it to come from those sources from the moment I typed the first words.

Creating Eli and what went into it....

Creating ELI – the novel

ELI means ‘My God’ and is taking from the Holy Bible in the words ‘ELI, ELI lama sabacthani’. ELI is a spiritual book and the second in a trilogy that begun with the book Divinity Dawns. It is partly an autobiography with the names of the characters in the book altered. It is set in Riyadh, Dublin, Bahrain, Brisbane, Sao Paolo, London, Lisbon, New York, Douala, Basel, Geneva and Shenzhen.

ELI is divided into three parts as listed below.

Part I – The Inheritance

Part one delves into the life of the hero Cephas as he discards his past and travels to the Middle East in pursuit of fulfillment and strengthening of his faith in God. He faces different tests physically, mentally and spiritually enabling him to come through better equipped with the strength and desire to fulfill his dream of writing about ELI. It is during his time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that he learns about the Muslim culture and the difference to that in the life of a Christian. He comes to terms with class and cultural segregation and the freedom that we all take for granted in the West. Cephas turns to camaraderie and the strength in friendship to understand survival in his new environment. While this is at the physical and mental level, Cephas experiences visions and an awakening that sets him on a path to go back to his past and understand his patrimony.  He must comprehend why he was chosen to write about ELI and divulge and interpret parts of the bible that he hasn’t seen interpreted anywhere else before.

Part II – The Beginning

Part two goes back to the late 19 and early 20^th centuries during the height of slavery in West Africa. It is about the life of Cephas’s great grand father Salem and his indoctrination into Christianity. It reveals the nature of the settling of the first Basel missionary from Switzerland in Cameroon. Salem’s life is espied from childhood through to adulthood and the shaping of his Christian faith up until the point at which he owns his own ministry. It is at this point that Cephas understands the meaning of his visions and the path he must follow.

Part III – ELI

Part three is the core of the novel and as absurd as this might sound was written first. It is mainly set in the streets of China and is a mystical investigation into the dialogue between man and spirit as Cephas divulges and interprets parts of the bible. Amidst a backdrop of activity Cephas manages to retain a level of communication and dialogue in spirit to reveal parts of the bible that have long been mistaken for years. He is not only aware of his surroundings, the pleasures of life, relationships and romance he is also determined to fulfill his ultimate goal of keeping his spirit in line to reveal the message that had been the course of the novel ELI.

Eli  Pacific Book Review by Gary Sorkin

Beautifully written in a first person format, Leslie Musoko brought me into the mind and thoughts of characters of immense spirituality seeking their destiny, in a masterpiece composition, ELI.  Revelations between reality and the spirit world conflict within their minds, as his novel brought me into the depths of human awareness. Skillfully written using multiple dimensions of thoughts, feelings and actions of his protagonist, combined with the minutia of detail Leslie Musoko amassed from his life experiences and research, he constructs a philosophical pulpit.  I felt transported into the mind of his character Cephas; seeing through his eyes, feeling through his touch, sensing all around him whilst listening to his thoughts, understanding his faith and witnessing first-hand his cognitive awareness. Kudos to Mr. Musoko for achieving such an artful literary feat.

I knew I was in for a treat from the very first page, during the Prelude, he writes, “Cry I say, cry I wish, yet there are no tears from me. I am all cried out, all dried up.” For those words written told me volumes about Leslie Musoko’s sensitivity and literary skills.  His pen scribes an acme of articulation, reminiscent of eternal quotes and commensurate as a Shakespearian coinage.  The introspective contemplative lamellate of his characters’ personality, juxtaposed against their logical layer, or public façade layer, divulges the depth of Musokos’ erudition of character development.  The quest to find his character’s sanctuary in faith brings us all closer to our own.  “Eli” translated meaning “My God” was exclaimed by Jesus Christ on the cross. “Eli, Eli lama sabathani,” said Jesus.  “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?”

Eli is the second of a trilogy series of writing about Cephas, a Christian put to tests of his faith through a series of challenging circumstances.  Achieving an advanced caliper of literary percipience, Leslie Musoko’s Eli is recommended to all readers with a cultivated appreciation of character development, epic storytelling, and faith based philosophy.  I found it to be challenging and stimulating.  One thought, written somewhere in the storyline, Musoko stated how odd it is for humans to have evolved to a point in their use of language where at times it is used to mislead or mask one’s innermost feelings. How absurd a culture would embrace such deceptive tactics, he pontificated.  Mr. Musoko leads no reader down a path of deception, nor does he fraudulently portray his thoughts.  Eli is communication at its highest level of veracity.

Eli - APEX REVIEWS by Josee Morgan

As Cephas continues his trek to Saudi Arabia in pursuit of his inheritance, he soon discovers that discarding his past will be a much more difficult task than he anticipated. With his personal life steeped in confusion and uncertainty, not to mention his spirit nearly broken, Cephas is forced to rely on little more than his faith to survive in an increasingly challenging world. Little does he know, though, his current trials and tribulations - no matter how formidable - are just the beginning...

Thoughtful, moving, and deeply introspective, Eli is an immensely rewarding read. Skillfully crafted by author Leslie Musoko, this second installment of a compelling new trilogy takes the reader deep into the mind and heart of a devout Christian struggling to reconcile his faith with the often hostile reality that surrounds him. Not only that, he must also contend with the internal forces threatening to cloud his judgment and distract him from the all-important spiritual quest for which he's been pre-anointed. As deep as it all may sound, Musoko does a commendable job of framing Cephas' physical and metaphorical journey in clear, accessible terms, fostering a profound empathy within the reader - regardless of your specific personal faith. In so doing, Eli serves as an invaluable guide for anyone who finds themselves similarly conflicted in the spirit; by following Cephas' brave example, we will find it much easier to handle the emergent spiritual tests that unexpectedly befall our everyday paths.

Equally riveting and profound, Eli is an instant storytelling classic. Be on the lookout for more compelling works from this promising new literary talent on the rise.