IT was a Tuesday. The last day of the year (December 31, 2013), I was in Abba, Dunukofia Local Government Area. My mission was simple: visit the village and interview Chimamada Ngozi Adichie, whose book, Americanah has just been voted as one of the Top 10 Books of 2013 by New York Times, The Guardian (London) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
On getting to the house, I was ushered in by a lady who could not answer my questions before Prof (Mrs) Adichie appeared. She laughed when I introduced myself but led me in and never resurfaced till I left the house. The compound is modest and devoid of the avalanche of security apparatus. Her younger brother ‘K’ who looks like a Briton came to find out if I was on appointment but I said my office did. K apologized to me that her sister couldn’t remember having any appointment with me or any journalist. I understood the game but I applied the tactics of “nothing but a story from the source and nothing else.’ So, I pleaded that I was directed by my editor to get just answers to three questions.
The long wait
K went up and down then later said she has accepted to give answers to the three questions. I was happy and adjusted for her to appear but he added she was a bit indisposed and was making her hair but will be down in 30 minutes. Smarting from the Golden Jubilee of their parents’ wedding which was attended by the high and might in the society including Governor Peter Obi, K informed that there was enough to drink and eat. However, I wasn’t in the mood. I observed that apart from the young girl at the gate who probably has nothing to do with the family other five girls around during my visit were very respectful, a product of their good upbringing.
Genuine bachelors and would not miss that wonderful encounter which distracted me for a while. But my concern was on what Adichie’s reaction would be when she eventually surfaces. By the time one hour was over; at exactly 2:30 pm, one of the ladies came and apologized that the writer was tidying up things to come down. Thirty minutes later lunch was served, but I was not in the mood for any of that.
I looked at the family picture; a lovely family: Three girls, three boys. A request for water brought out another side of the girls. The bottled water was no more and she does not know how to say it until I interjected and she was relieved. She brought the sachet water. Chioma, a cousin to Chimamanda made our day with her lively discourse to kill boredom.
But by 4:30 pm and three solid hours of waiting, a delectable figure emerged with an aura never to be mistaken by anyone with the eye for the news. She was fresh but a bit stressed probably for hours sitting plaiting one of the African best hair styles and her posture and slight apology expressed all to me. I could write a book about that chanced encounter. But again her hair took my attention and I thought aloud, “You look dazzling in this our African hair style…..”. She smiled and thanked me. It reminded of the strand of stories in her award winning book. Adichie and hair, I thought.
I didn’t like the way she kept me waiting for long but I couldn’t have done anything either had she said no interview. The news was important to my medium, and to write I must but what would I write?
Grace of the father
She was not happy I was there in her father’s compound for an interview without invitation and appointment. She expressed that and asked to know why I did not book an interview with her manager. I went some extra mile explaining to her, all I could remember, but I was convinced she wanted to speak with me; hence she was still trying to emphasise on booking appointment and meeting with her manager. I impressed it on her that she is now an international figure and situations like this would always come since she is my “Sister.” She reminded me that she was giving me the opportunity because I was in her father’s compound. I thanked her.
She took her time and was looking amazingly fresh and demanded that I stick to my three questions. She speaks very low and I had wanted to ask her to speak up but she is more than a celebrity and needed not to be provoked.
I fired my first question on how she feels about the award giving to her by the New York Times. She said, “Well, I felt happy. I didn’t expect it now. It came at a time…, especially the New York Times Award because it’s a prestigious award to young writers. I am pleasantly surprised. I didn’t even check for who was listed because I wasn’t thinking about that and I wasn’t interested in checking who the paper listed.
“I didn’t expect it at all, it was my editor that called me and was shouting and told me this and I was happy. I feel very grateful but for me the most important thing is that people read my work and it was always a good thing for people to appreciate what you have done.
“I was happy but after a while I forgot about that and faced some other things as a normal person. I don’t focus my interest on honours but on my work because without the awards I will still be an author. I don’t wake up every morning and feel that I am the top writer of the New York Times. In fact, I don’t even always remember …”
Talking about her place in the world literary circle, the writer said,” I am not the right person to answer that. But what I do know is that I am a writer. I don’t know but am a writer, I sit down, what I do is to write. I don’t sit down and wonder where am I in the World Literary map, that’s not why I write. Am very fortunate that my writings has gone a while, that people are reading my books all over the world.
“If that has not happened may be I will be in my father’s house still writing and making my contribution to the world and probably still writing a good book that somebody would read and keep it in his shelf.”
Out of questions
At this juncture, my questions have been exhausted and I wanted to get a story for another day and equally find out her true identity behind the celebrity flank. I asked about her concern for the art of writing, “The project is a dream and is still a dream and it is not just for people who want to become writers. I want to do it not only in Anambra State but each and every part of the country. I think our educational system is failing many young people, if I read what young people write, I think it is not encouraging…
“People write letters as if they are writing text messages, they do write ‘u’ instead of ‘you’ and you can’t compete in the world, if you write like that, whether you want to be a writer or a doctor. So, that is the kind of thing am interested in. When I talk about Literary Village, I don’t know if I may work for that, I will like a Literary Centre, a centre that is about literacy and a centre that would be about writing which are two different things. For now it is a dream.”
I deviated to her family life. I wanted to know something about her husband Dr. Ivara Esege, a medical doctor, who she has been married to for some years without many knowing.
No go areas
And I asked how her marriage affects her writing due to circumstances surrounding family affairs but with a prefix ‘now that you are married’; she fired back,” I don’t talk about my personal life. If I were a man will you ask me that? This is kind of question you ask women and I don’t like it. I want to talk about my book because you are not talking to me as a person who is married or not. The reason you are talking to me is because I wrote a book that has been acknowledged and loved by the world. Whether I am married or not is not relevant.”
She spoke of assumptions reporters allude to female writers on marriage related issues demanding to know whether the assumption that she has been married may somehow change her writing life; adding that it is also an assumption that it will make it great because is a female.
She concluded, “So, what I want from you is to ask me a question you ask a writer.”
The she fired again, “What information do you think you have when you say now that I am married? The reason you are talking about me is because I am a writer, You are not here because I am a woman. There are many women different from the assumption reporters have about women. I don’t talk about my personal life. I DON’T. …”
She then advised me to stop provoking my interviewer if I want to get something tangible from the person as a good reporter.
But I was not done yet. I asked her again about her family even when I saw she has been provoked. Then she did what I had expected by apologising that she has no comment to that and added that it appears that I have finished my mission.
Then I asked her what she understood by feminism because of her stance appeared to me that of a Feminist? She fired back demanding that I explain Feminism to her. And I said women fighting for equal rights…. And further asked her to give me her own version, she concluded, “You can’t ask me a question and want me to define it for you so what do you mean by Feminism?”
At that point I allowed the sleeping dogs lie.
Change of roles
Perhaps because of my question she asked me too: “What do you think the young people in Anambra State need? Young people who are interested in reading and writing?”
We have changed roles. She is now interviewing me. I gave her my honest answers and that made her to look at me twice. She then realized I was just myself and not out to embarrass her or be unappreciative of the golden opportunity she gave me to talk to her.
I thanked her for that privilege she offered me despite not going through her managers. I appealed to to her to allow me take her pictures but she declined again, that was before my friend who accompanied me pleaded for her to allow him take a shot with her, this she obliged. I cashed in and started directing the best position and when she was showed the pictures it looked good despite that she was looking a bit dull and wanted to get some drugs at a Pharmacy nearby. She, however, gave approval for the use of the pictures.
We exchanged the last pleasantries and complimentary cards although her contact is to be through her managers. She was happy at last and gave me a new name “Odogwu-na-enye nsogbu”— (Odogwu the trouble maker). She speaks spotless Igbo and English Languages probably some others I don’t know. She is indeed an African woman with her sense of originality and boundaries as a woman in midst of ‘tormenting’ men.
But before I left, she hinted that she has a lot on her shoulders and would not like to leak her next plan to the public. She, however, said she is embarking on a cultural/ historical expose about Eri kingdom having heard I am from Amanuke in Awka North. She demanded to know if Amanuke Community in Awka North local government area of the state, South-Eastern Nigeria had any relationship with Nri and I said yes. She nodded.
Maybe the new book would be “Jews in our backyard”? What a wonderful encounter I had.
