ISKA. By Cyprian Ekwensi

 

"There is something in your life which moves - like wind.  Blows across everything. Like wind. Shifts, like sand ... You have to be careful ..."

 A Mallam, on the fate of Filia 

 The story of the life of a young woman, Filia, a girl brought up in a convent, with some tragedies in her life. Initially she is in love with a young man, Dan Kaybi. In fact they are very briefly married.

 Filia is meretriciously strict in relationships, it is not easy for her to fall for just any man. As she says:

 "I like men who are modern. I like men who do things. I like men who are elegant and civilised, not just those who think their money can buy me"

 But it is not easy to identify with her ideals, or the men she chooses, or her general mien, especially when she begins to live and blossom in Lagos. Like how she suddenly succumbs to Rayimi, who is quite bluntly a cheap, callow irritating thug. It is a brief improbable affair, but as they are together, we are startled to suddenly read:

 "She slipped on a rubber girdle and sat for a moment smoking. She smoked fifteen cigarettes and drank half a bottle of brandy...". Is this the same convent girl still relatively fresh in Lagos? OK, ex-convent girl then!

 We are startled again when Filia suddenly goes to the much older Gadson’s office to seduce him. There is nothing earlier on to suggest that she even likes him. And yet again she says to him:

 "Gadson, you know I love you. And I know you love me. It is useless fighting your desires". Incredible.

When we are introduced to Dapo Ladele, we come across a shockingly disgusting, twisted character. Dapo first comes across as a somewhat charismatic young journalist - a shameless hack really - but soon we learn fully what he is all about. As he himself admits: "I work for money, Filia.Not for conscience. Why must I be the one to show conscience?"

But the tragedy of Dapo the young man is the tragedy of Nigeria and Africa as a whole. The paucity of young men of integrity and positive values. And yes, hordes of women continue to fall for such worthless ‘gentlemen’.

The finale of the book is sad and haunting as our Filia dies very young; yet it is far from convincing.  Is it necessary that Filia should die do young?  It is almost as if the author wants to force her demise on us to fit in with the "Iska" theme and title of this work.

 On the whole, a very readable book written by one of Africa's outstanding writers.