Better Never Than Late (Chika Unigwe) — Itohowo Ekerete
All the stories except two have their anchor on two main characters and their friends. Both have different worries about their new home, what to make of it and the constant need to name at home.
It has the emotions associated with longing for home, acceptance, grief, loss of a child, business, self and the want of a child, wickedness, sacrifice and bond knitted from the stories and experiences shared because of our origin and where we find ourselves per time. It is written beautifully with an equal blend of Nigerian and Belgium culture, language and realities.
Thank you for the insight into some of the battles Nigerians in the diaspora overcome, manage and learn to cope with.
HEART IS WHERE THE HOME IS.
In her hunger to feel at home, she took her Mom away from home. Now she has the responsibility of sending her home because she has found that all she needs to feel at home in her new home is the company of a close friend.
BECOMING PROSPEROUS
Accepting change and making the most of it in a foreign land, takes a toll on your self-esteem. When the person you made a sacrifice for takes it for granted, you love them with contempt consciously or not. Prosperous has come to a place of self-realisation, and the fire to achieve and be more has been lighted by a single piece of news from home. The one she feels better than is following her dreams and she has no idea who she is anymore.
EVERYONE DESERVES GRACE
He figured out that pride had eaten deep into his heart and filtered into his relationship, by extension, his wife. He wants grace, but his wife has endured so much.
Will she grant him grace?
Pride births anger, entitlement, violence, and physical and psychological abuse, and the ones who decide to stay through it do.
CUNNY MAN DIE, CUNNY MAN BURY AM.
A classic tale that shows you that you can't have your cake and eat it too. She has been two steps ahead of him and was courteous enough to give her new sister a heads-up of her knowledge of how things are.
CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF
A little girl has distorted dreams of her identity, because of the reality her father's location provided. His pride and ego take a back seat to allowing his child to dream the right way, including relinquishing his right to sole parenting. Such a mature thing to do.
BETTER NEVER, THAN LATE
This story highlights the reality of assumption and the violence with which a lie can be confessed as the truth. It is wickedness on the part of the 'cousin' to accuse an innocent teenager because of the goodness her madam shows her. Envious that the 'cousin' is not as successful as her and the air of religiosity is used as a tool of wickedness. Between the maid and cousin, the 'cousin' is the 'witch' because, how inhumane can you be to subject a child to such torture?
LOVE OF A FAT WOMAN.
What started as a contract to earn a legitimate stay in Belgium, has transformed into admiration and love all because his grandmother accepted her. Maybe she'll change her mind about how she feels about the marriage.
HOW TO SURVIVE A HEAT WAVE
Being a different-skinned person in a different world can expose you to things you will feel immune to. Maybe she's still hiding from being deported hence, the only people she can open up to are her sisters. The prompt is the death of a colleague in the university who killed herself because of the backlash she got after the story of her abuse became viral. ' But it's finished because I'm too wise.'- Nina Simone
Other short stories by Cassava Republic
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