by Petamber Persaud

‘When you see the Light’ by B. A. Eddie

(By way of introduction: Just as I was wrapping up the review on ‘Building Bridges’ by Philip Mohabir, another Christian-oriented book was delivered to me.)This book is a painful for a man to read and even more painful for a woman to read; that is the easier part of the book – the reading. It must have been doubly painful to write. It must have been a hundred times more painful for a woman to write it – the story of awful domestic violence/spousal abuse directed towards a woman. But generally, domestic violence is difficult to deal with from whichever angle.
This book, “When you see the Light” by B. A. Eddie, opens like a horror movie – peace and harmony existing with love in the air wafting through the lives of all related; a match made in heaven, they declared.
The protagonist Amy Hoyte “studied diligently at school, was smart and grew into a beautiful young woman. She was petite, with long, black, shimmering hair. Most of all Amy was dignified and well-mannered and her kindness drew the admiration of all who knew her.” She was on the way to realizing all her dreams when she fell in love and married the man she though cared for her.
The antagonist Archibald Phillips was “tall, well built, clean cut, not handsome but he doted on Amy and was very respectful to her parents. After dating nine months, Archie asked for her Amy’s hand in marriage…life seemed like a fairy tale.” But Archie was really evil, a menace to society, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Then like a horror movie all hell broke out. Four months into the marriage, just after Amy discovered she was pregnant, Archie cut to pieces Amy’s first maternity dress, leaving an appalling message on the heap of material. When Amy confronted Archie about the heinous act, he knocked out one of her front teeth and stopped her from attending university. The reader then learns that previous to that incident, the man always dictated what the woman must wear, even pressing the clothing himself. “Her life was planned and executed as if she was enlisted in the military.” Then the marriage went downhill, fast. Amy had to seek help; she tried calling on God, using Psalm 31:3 as a source of strength and hope. Then she returned to her foster parents with a boy child in arm. But there was no getting away from the beast. The Court allowed Archie visitation rights which led to a reconciliation of sorts but it was more like Amy signing a death warrant for herself and son. The abuse continued, taking different forms. Archie isolated Amy from her adopted parents and friends, dividing and ruling according to Archie.
Amy by this time was forced to run and hide, changing residences, covering her tracks but to no avail. Archie employed psychological warfare tactics. He started spying on and stalking Amy, leaving sinister messages and gifts on her steps.
Throughout the unfolding of the story, background information was grudgingly released like a mystery book. Amy and her nine siblings were adopted by various families after the death of the children’s parents. Amy was adopted by a couple in Linden, the mining township. It was in Linden where the story culminated, ending with the abuser being shot to death by his son, and where some of Amy’s siblings were reunited in an intriguing way.
The author declares this to be a work of fiction but it reads more like an autobiography wherein the writer made optimum use of all its attendant freedom in structure, point of view and characterization. There is too much telling and not enough showing as if the writer just wanted to get the story off her chest. However, the message is clear: domestic violence/spousal abuse is domestic violence/spousal abuse anywhere it is committed, even in Christian families, from Mocha on the East Bank of Demerara to Georgetown to Beterverwating on the East Coast of Demerara to Linden in Region 10, Guyana. The message is clear – domestic violence should not be tolerated – and the solution is there to follow in order to see the light.

(B. A. Eddie, born in Guyana, now resides in Brooklyn. Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com)