Chimamanda returns to social media after mum’s demise

By Ekaete Bassey

Prolific writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, popularly called Chimamanda Adiche has returned to social media nearly two months after her mother’s death to pay a touching tribute.

The renowned author, who was described in “The Times Literary Supplement” as “the most prominent” of a “procession of critically acclaimed young anglophone authors, lost her 78-year-old mother, Grace Ifeoma Adichie, on March 1, 2021.

Mrs. Adichie’s death happened on the day that would have been her late husband’s 89th birthday.

She died 8 months after her husband, Prof. James Adichie, who passed on after a brief illness in June 2020.

Since her mother’s death, Chimamanda has stayed off social media.

She returned on April 28 to post a tribute to her mother.

The Half of a Yellow Sun author shared photos of her and her mother, including one she took with her mother on her wedding day. “How does a heart break twice?” Chimamanda captioned the post.

Narrating how her mother died, Chimamanda began by eulogizing her.

She proceeded to state Mrs. Adichie, who was the first ever female registrar of the University of Nigeria and also a permanent board member at Anambra State Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), had gone to work at ASUBEB in Awka on Friday, Feb 26 but her assistant said she looked a bit tired.

From work, she went to church for the Stations of the Cross since it was Lent.

On Saturday, Feb 27, she spent time in a shop outside their house, watching the cars and people pass by.

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On Sunday, Feb 28, she went for Mass, but by Sunday evening, she felt unwell and was taken to a private hospital.

Chimamanda said she spoke with her mother that night and told her they all love her.

The next morning, being Monday, on her late husband’s posthumous birthday, the doctor sent an update that she was feeling better.

Moments later, he suddenly decided to transfer her to the Teaching Hospital since they have better facilities.

“Two hours after she arrived at the Teaching Hospital, she died,” Chimamanda wrote.

The “Purple Hibiscus” author recalled that before her parents’ death, there was so much laughter, companionship, tales of stories however, all that is now gone and replaced with shock.

She went further to ask a rhetorical question. She asked, “How does a heart break twice?”

She ended her narration answering her question.

She said: “This is how a heart break twice, this feeling of being utterly lost.”