The Arrangers Of Marriage
Chinaza’s new husband, Ofodile, drives her from the airport in a taxi, carries her suitcase up a dim stairwell, and opens the door to a brownstone labeled “2B.” Inside, a beige couch dominates a hot, musty living‑room; the smaller bedroom contains a bare mattress, the larger a bed, dresser, and a phone on the carpet. The husband informs her they will buy more furniture, but the apartment feels cramped and uncomfortable. After a ten‑hour flight and a grueling customs inspection that confiscates her uziza seeds, Chinaza is exhausted. She collapses onto the bed, noting her husband’s offensive snoring and later his aggressive, mouth‑full kiss and rough sexual assault that leaves her bruised and bewildered.
Morning brings a phone call to her uncle and aunt in Nigeria; the call is costly, and she imagines their warm greetings that will never materialize. Her husband, now named “Dave,” explains how “Americans” change names for ease, insisting she use “Agatha Bell” on official forms. He shows her the Flatbush neighborhood, teaches her bus etiquette, and shames her for looking down. Together they shop at Key Food, where he critiques her choice of biscuits, mentions his future as an Attending physician, and describes the low pay of interns. He disparages other immigrants, especially a Spanish‑speaking mother and child, insisting they must fully adapt or remain stuck.
At a mall, Dave leads her through a food court where they eat thin, bland pancakes and then pizza. He boasts that American cooking preserves nutrients, while Chinaza compares it unfavorably to Nigerian over‑cooking. They visit Macy’s, ride a sliding staircase, and shop for a heavy coat, which Dave praises as a sale. At McDonald’s, Dave orders a large meal; Chinaza offers to cook at home, recalling Aunty Ada’s warning not to let a husband eat out too often. Later, Chinaza prepares coconut rice and pepper soup (missing uziza) for him; he brushes it off, takes a “All‑American” cookbook, and pressures her to abandon Nigerian flavors.
She meets neighbor Shirley, a white woman in a pink robe, who introduces herself as “Shirley from 3A.” Their brief interaction highlights cultural misunderstandings about greetings. Over time, Chinaza encounters Nia, a black American who has adopted an African name. Nia invites Chinaza for Diet Coke, offers help finding a job, and eventually reveals a past sexual encounter with Dave, casting doubt on his fidelity. Their conversations expose the power dynamics of the marriage, Dave’s secret prior paperwork marriage, and his desire for a light‑skinned wife. The chapter ends with Chinaza returning to a strained household, noting the ongoing cultural dislocation, her husband’s controlling demands (English only, name change, career ambitions), and her tentative search for solidarity among other immigrants.