Who Fears Death

The group departs for the West. Binta poisons her father just before leaving, making Onye believe that she is, after all, prepared for the trip and what it will entail; Luyu is mildly frustrated that they are not taking camels, as the journey will take much longer on foot. Each of the group members had said their goodbyes with varying levels of difficulty—Fanasi’s and Luyu’s parents had threatened beatings and banishments; Onye had, too, struggled, but both she and her mother knew that her departure was inevitable.

Two days after leaving, Onye’s migraines become so intolerable that they must stop and rest. When her headaches recede, she realizes that she hasn’t eaten since they stopped the day before, and that her hunger helps make the world around her particularly clear. “The clarity I was experiencing made the world so crisp and clear. Every sound outside seemed right against my ear. I could hear a desert fox barking nearby and a hawk screeching. I could almost hear Mwita thinking as he came in” (170).

Later that night, she and Mwita discuss the possibility of intercourse. Onye argues against it because of Aro’s warnings; however, Mwita counters that she already knows how her journey ends, and that it is not with the death of a town.