The Gentle Way
by
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Ten days later, James and Harriet said their final farewells to all their friends at the office. His head throbbed its constant reminder that last night’s party had been a real humdinger. He walked into each office separately and shook hands with good friends and respected colleagues. Everybody reciprocated. Harriet hugged them all – she had been the site darling, pretty, vivacious and great fun, full of typical American openness and generosity of spirit. A little bit of sunshine was leaving Fort Portal. They left the final office – Neil’s. “I’d come with you to the car, but I think there a few more folk who want to say ‘goodbye’, so I’ll leave you in peace. Once again, thanks for all your efforts and I look forward to hearing all your news.” He gave Harriet a huge hug and waved them off. They walked down the stone steps, into the car park where they saw Gideon buffing the vehicle in readiness for its important passengers. Then they caught sight of the others – all the African staff were waiting at the other end of the car park. Edward had been on lookout. He emerged from his small office. “Bwana, we wish to say farewell. Please come with me.” He led the pair towards the small group who immediately began to sing. James did not understand the words. It was an ancient tribal chant; sung now in an unfamiliar dialect of Swahili. But he sensed its meaning, closing his eyes and living the song in his imagination, visualising a time long passed when rhythmic, pulsing masculine tones had carried over still evening air, gracefully and slowly across villages, borne only on the lazily swirling blue smoke of open fires: “Today, this night, a great leader leaves the land of his brothers. As the winds blow the last smoke from the dying fire, As the evening sun falls into the earth And sinks into its place of sleep within the heart of the world, A brave man starts his own journey to a place that is unknown. Some call this place Death. He goes to meet his ancestors. He goes to prepare the place so that his brothers may follow. He goes in honour, for he is mighty of spirit.” Tears welled into James’ eyes. The song died away but they continued to hum, softly, deeply, continuing to reflect the essence of Africa. Azenzio moved quietly from the group, swinging slowly on his crutches, and stood by his side. They laid their arms on each other’s shoulders. Azenzio spoke aloud, “They are saying farewell to a mighty spirit. It is you, my brother James. You leave us now, but we will all meet again one day, in a good place.” “I know. I absorbed every word of the song. I did not know the words, but I understood each one. To me, it was a common language, that of love. Harriet and I want you all to know that our love for you will never die. The vibrations of your song entered every cell of my body and they
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About the Book
The Gentle Way is a novel with a message for the world of business. This astonishing tale takes you gracefully into a world of relationships, through sadness and pain, yet always it leaves a place for hope and joy. Through the magic of storytelling, and using the interplay between horses and humans, it offers an alternative, more gentle way, epitomised by Chelsea and James, the two main characters. Both begin life as free, pure spirits but are soon crushed by established views and the compulsion to conform. When they experience love and inspiration, and the removal of fear, their spirits are once again set free to achieve wonders beyond imagination.
Written beautifully with heart warming prose, this book will appeal to leaders, horse lovers and spiritual souls.
About the Author
Aidan Duff is a coach, facilitator and writer. Born in Uganda, Aidan spent his formative years in East Africa. After completing his education in the U.K. at St Andrews University, he was determined to return to Africa and the people he loved. He joined a firm of consulting civil engineers, working first in Zambia and then South Africa. He witnessed a different Africa to that he knew as a child with one nation struggling to find its feet after independence and the other beset with apartheid. Even in the midst of such tumultuous change, he witnessed the human spirit in both these nations.
A dislike of engineering prompted a change of career and a return to the UK, where he worked as a writer and trainer in the world of I.T. But something was missing. The same human spirit did not seem to flourish in the paternalistic world of engineering and the more exploitative world of I.T. So he decided to set up his own business, with his wife Beth, realising that there must be more to life than the autocratic and materialistic attitudes that seemed to prevail in British work culture.
In 1994 Aidan and Beth relocated their home and business to the peace and tranquillity of Aberdeenshire. From here, they developed their consultancy business, gentle leadership ltd, a personal development company committed to introducing values-centred leadership concepts to their clients.
Aidan and Beth love horses. Twelve years ago they purchased Chelsea and have transformed the mare from being unpredictable and suspicious of humans into a magnificent creature who is bursting with generosity of spirit and determination to repay kindness. Inspired by Chelsea, they offer a programme of experiential learning called the red horse speaks where horses join them to teach their human friends about leadership and communication