Alexander Tetenta

Shalom Road Alexander Tetenta

As though an oracle had come to me, so also was the urge to write my story. I became aware that the nature of writing involved shall require some research into pre-historic African societies, with a view to relate to the towns and villages of Igboland and the Niger-Delta where my story took its root, even prior to my existence. Yet, the timing of this desire to write was such that peace seemed to have eluded me; following some set-backs which I described in the third part of my trilogy and parts of the post-script that followed. Whilst taking stock of my past and present condition in relation to my surroundings, the investigator soon became the investigated, prompting me to skip through pertinent aspects, episodes and narratives, in my quest to publish my first book seven years prior. In particular, the Afro-centric narratives contained in this story of our common humanity had to be told in a way that the author can be detached from the story, despite being the primary subject of investigation. As such, it became necessary to delve into some historical anecdotes, whilst also bringing to life the experience of living in Abayi, Aba; on a street called Shalom Road.