Colonialism in Africa came with it a number of inanities and disturbing socio-political tendencies that distorted the normal flow of the lives of the natives. But the height of it came in a form of a marriage between one of the foremost colonial masters named Percy and a local girl called Abigail. The story took place in a society called Karibu. And the book, Night of Content, opens with the story of Abigail Menuno who just returned from England where she studied Home Economics Education. With a diploma in Education, she headed to the Queen’s College where she was about the only black lady teacher in the school. There she was revered, respected, adored and cherished by the local people.
However, Abigail, like most been-to ladies of her time was confused. With many suitors on her trail, she preferred to wait to catch the best, the most suited and almost an impeccable young man as a husband. Most of all her exposure in England did not allow her to see life from the point of view of her people. For her, not colonialism, but love, true and pure love, free from racial acrimony should be the basis of her choice of a husband.
There was a colonialist lawyer, a British prosecutor, living near her house in the city. Her attention was quickly drawn to him. Even as her people lined up men after men to curry for her attention, Abigail secretly kept visiting Percy in his home. The parents, when discovered this became worried. Yet she was deep into the relationship, such that her love or interest in the local eligible men became wobbly, more in doubt. As arrangements were made for her marriage to one of the suitors, Abigail was neck deep into an amorous affair with this British prosecutor. Before long, they had had an affair.
On the morning of her marriage to her betrothed, it was discovered that Abigail was pregnant. Pregnant for whom? Yes she was pregnant for the white man who seduced her in his boat on the sea. More out of shame than love, she sprang to her feet. Her destination was Percy’s house where in her wedding veil and all, she finally submitted herself to him. The local wedding was called off and in the interim Percy took her to a priest who conducted a wedding ceremony between the two of them. This was regardless of other local demands of tradition and customs and all. The people of Karibu were enraged. An abomination had taken place. Still Abigail did not care, for to her love has no local or international boundaries. She did not find any of her local people worthy or eligible of her love. Or to her, they are incapable of true love where a woman is made to be special and well-catered for, in and out of season.
From that moment onwards, the trouble set in. As the people kept on the heat to liberate themselves from the clutches of colonial warlords spearheaded by Percy and his cronies, the marriage now seen as an aberration faced more tedious hurdles. In the middle of it all, were David Menuno, Abigail’s father, rich, educated and outspoken. He has his son, Simon, a lawyer and also well-exposed to face the foibles of the white man. The game henceforth became more troubling for all the people involved in the Night of Content.
From one hurdle to the other Abigail traversed between her love for her white lover and her respect and obedience to the people of Karibu. The war of clash of cultures became increasingly intense, with non-compliance from Percy. Percy did not want to see the need to comply with the local people’s cultural norms and demands on him. R. C. Ofodile, the author, uses the occasion of the book to trace backwards the genesis of colonialism. He compares it with fascism, socialism and mostly coercion. What do you say in Europe where you condemned fascism and here in Africa you force yourself on the local people, tramping on their rights? You deprived them of their freedom, force them to obey you and all that. It is a deep survey of those lugubrious issues that further made colonialism an anathema. With the confusing signals embedded deeper and deeper into the operational tendencies of the white people, the book took its shape.
The people themselves kept gathering non-stop to discuss their situation. The people who boldly stood against such subjugation were hounded in prison. The author uses the narratives to open up the views of the people; their total objection against colonialism and all its other myriad of evils. At a point, David Menuno was also arrested for being too vocal, for being the cynosure of eyes for his beloved people. While his son Simon stood toe to toe against the white man in several court appearances, the people themselves rose in unison to query the continued presence of such people like Percy in Karibu land. The situation was indeed precarious.
But how do you define the place of love in a matter of this caliber? Where does Abigail’s loyalty lie? Who should be her people – British or Karibuians? As her man refused to yield to the local traditions of marriage and its other attendant needs, the conflicts continued to yield and festa. Thus, Abigail was seen as a traitor – a collaborator of sorts and should be treated as a pariah. So on and on the issues of marriage and colonialism and clash of cultures dominated the narrative. It is a clear case of imposition on the people by the people who felt they were superior and irrepressible.
From the book, a reader is made to learn and improve on his vocabularies. Ofodile made sure his level of grammatical expressions are a bit above the ordinary. This may be deliberate so as to conform with the class issues for which the book is obviously noted. But it is a book to read; it is a special literary offering in its own class.
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