No Longer at Ease

Obi has to pay for his car insurance. The amount is much higher than he has in his bank account. He remembers that he has lent 30 shillings to Charles, a messenger in Obi’s work, who has not paid him back. Obi asks for the money but Charles cannot repay him yet. Obi thinks his only solution is to ask for an overdraft. He considers his economic situation, as he also pays for his mother’s treatment in the hospital. He thinks if he had accepted the four-month delay in repaying his debt to the Union, things would be easier. He understands he should not be ungrateful to the Union men. Since Obi is now in a European post, they have to keep him into the “shining élite” lifestyle.

Obi takes a bank loan to pay his insurance but later finds the electricity bill, too. Miss Tomlinson says they charge far less in England, but Obi thinks of his difficult financial situation. He starts reducing expenses, telling his steward to buy less food, and he takes cold baths. One evening, he argues with Clara as she asks him why he has not told her about the overdraft.

Back home, Obi tries to read poetry. In a book, he finds an old poem he had written in London. It’s called “Nigeria” and shows his hopes for his country.

As Obi and Miss Tomlinson become closer, they talk a lot about Mr. Green. She notes his racist remarks about “educated Africans” but that he also pays the school fees of his steward’s sons. Mr. Green is a devout Christian. Despite not liking him, Obi admires his devotion and sense of duty. He knows that Mr. Green loves Africa but only the colonial one. For Obi, his sense of duty derives from the idea of bringing civilization “to the heart of darkness” (55).

Obi receives a parcel from Clara, with 50 pounds and a note telling him to cancel the overdraft. He wonders how Clara found so much money and wants to make her take it back. Back home, Clara tells him to stop behaving like “a small boy” (57). She tells him to return the money if he does not want it and that she is sorry to intervene. Later, they go for drinks with Obi’s friend, Christopher, and his girlfriend, Bisi. Obi leaves Clara’s money in the car. When they return, the money is gone as they realize they forgot to lock one door. Obi is panicky and starts trembling.

Obi receives a letter from his father saying that his mother is in the hospital again. He asks him when he could visit the family to discuss something urgent. Obi thinks he knows about Clara. Obi had told his father that he is interested in a woman but nothing about Clara’s status as an osu. As Mr. Green recites a letter to Miss Tomlinson, he tells Obi that he cannot understand “the mentality of the so-called educated Nigerian” (61). Mr. Green thinks the government makes it too easy for Nigerians to get an education.

Obi and Christopher arrange a tennis match with two young teachers, Irish women, from a Catholic convent. They dance at dinner and Obi kisses one of them. Tennis dates with the women continue, until one day Obi and Christopher visit them in the convent. They have an awkward encounter with the Mother and sit to have tea with the women. Obi and Christopher suggest a tennis game, but the women say the Mother confronted them about going out with African men. The women tell them to not visit them again in the convent. The men blame the missionaries.

Obi tells Christopher about Elsie Mark. He learned that she eventually got the scholarship. Christopher tells Obi he was foolish, as the girl’s offer to sleep with him is not bribery. Obi replies that it is wrong to take advantage of a young girl in need. Christopher suggests that Elsie is not an innocent girl and probably slept with other board members. He remarks that she probably thought Obi was “impotent” (64). Arguing about bribery, Christopher suggests that getting money makes somebody poorer, but sleeping with a girl does no harm.

At night, Obi thinks again about his father’s letter.