Half of a Yellow Sun

---

'Lagos, capital of Nigeria,

'prepares to give the welcome of its life

to Queen Elizabeth II.

'Or, in its own language,

to Oba Oberin, the King-Lady.

'A million Nigerians

are here to greet her.

'Just seventeen hours

from the mists of London airport,

'the Queen's Argonaut comes to rest

in the sunshine of Ikeja,

'the airport of Lagos.

'The Guard of Honour is mounted

by the Nigeria Regiment,

'many of whom, like the Queen's

husband, wear the Burma Star. '

'Governor General Sir James Robertson

and Lady Robertson

'welcome the royal couple

as they leave the Argonaut.

'In a temperature around the 100 mark,

the queen still looks cool

'as the royal car makes

its 13-mile journey to the capital

'at a steady eight miles an hour.

'Every foot of the way

the road is packed with Nigerians.

'The welcome is as tremendous as

any Her Majesty has ever been given,

'and it's a proud welcome.

'For this is no longer a people

in colonial subjection,

'but a free nation with its feet already

firmly on the road to self-government. '

(MIRIAM MAKEBA:

"The Naughty Little Flea")

Where did the naughty little flea go?

Won't somebody tell me?

Where did the naughty little flea go?

Won't somebody tell me?

Tell me now,

where did the naughty little flea go?

Nobody know, nobody know

Tell me now,

where did the naughty little flea go?

Nobody know, nobody know

There was a naughty little flea

He climbed up

on the doggie's knee

He climbed some here,

he climbed some there

He was climbing everywhere

Tell me,

where did the naughty little flea go...

Happy Independence Day!

Are you going

to help dad get his contracts?

What do you mean?

Will you be spreading your legs

for the Right Honourable Minister

in exchange for daddy's contract?

What do you think?

Hurry up, you two.

His Excellency's here.

- We'll be right down, Mum.

- Help me with this, will you?

I hope you've thought about coming

to join us at the Ministry, Olanna.

We need first-class brains like yours.

How many people get offered jobs

personally from the Finance Minister?

I've decided to go to Nsukka.

I'll be leaving next week.

Is that right?

You have decided to move to Nsukka?

I applied for a job as a lecturer in

the Department of Sociology and I got it.

Oh?

So you'll be leaving Lagos?

Er... why don't you all come

to my house this weekend, eh?

If only to sample

my cook's fish pepper soup.

The chap is from Nembe,

he knows what to do with fresh fish.

Sounds wonderful, Honourable Minister.

I won't be here this weekend.

You won't be here?

I made plans to go to Kano

to see Uncle Mbaezi and the family.

I SEE.

And what about you, Kainene?

What about me, indeed?

I, too, will be putting my newly acquired

degree to good use.

I'm moving to Port Harcourt

to manage daddy's businesses there.

So Kainene will manage

the cement factory?

The cement factory,

the bottling company,

the sawmills and the freight carriers,

everything.

She'll oversee everything in the east.

Whoever said you lost out

by having twin daughters is a liar.

Thank you, Minister.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day.

- Are you all set?

- All set for what, Kainene?

It's Independence Day, Mummy.

There are 1001 soires

in Lagos tonight.

Good evening, Chief.

You realise, don't you, that you've

just cost daddy the contract?

It's not as if he'll get nothing.

Daddy will still give him

ten per cent after all.

Well, the ten per cent is standard,

so extras always help.

The other bidders probably

don't have a beautiful daughter.

That horrid little woman, Richard,

and right in my face too.

- Susan, I wasn't.

- I know you didn't mean to flirt.

- But you must understand...

- Susan, I wasn't flirting.

- Champagne, Madam?

- The gossip here is just vicious.

How are you, Olanna?

Happy Independence Day.

The Hausa in the north

are a dignified lot,

the Yoruba are rather jolly,

as well as being first-rate lickspittles.

- And the Igbo are...

- Surly and money-loving.

Hello, Graham.

Meet Kainene Ozobia,

Chief Ozobia's daughter.

Kainene is asumma cum laude

graduate of Yale

and an Oxford graduate to boot.

Kainene, this is Susan Grenville-Pitts,

from the British Council.

- How do you do?

- And this is...

- I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch...

- Richard. Richard Churchill.

Now, I want to speak to you.

Hello.

I'm no relation of Sir Winston's,

I'm afraid,

or I might've turned out

a little cleverer.

How funny.

Great music, don't you think?

It turns out Kainene and I have

a mutual friend in London.

How lovely. I'll let you two

catch up then. Back in a bit.

You just lied to your wife.

She's not my wife.

- Move out of the way, please.

- What?

There is a photographer behind you

who's keen to take a photo of me,

and particularly my necklace.

Thank you, Ma'am.

The necklace will be featured

in tomorrow's "Lagos Life".

That will be my way of contributing

to our newly independent country.

I'm giving fellow Nigerians

something to aspire to,

an incentive to work hard.

- It's a lovely necklace.

- Of course it's not lovely!

My father has obscene taste

in jewellery.

But it's his money.

I see my sister looking for me.

I should go.

Don't go... please.

Shall I introduce you?

Everybody wants to meet her.

I'd rather talk to you.

If you don't mind.

- Here comes the wife you denied.

- Darling?

- How lovely to meet you.

- How lovely to meet you.

Don't tell me you're interested in him.

- What if I was?

- What about Okafor?

You know that ended long ago.

Now we're just good friends.

- And lain with the dimples?

- No, it's over with lain.

- Robert?

- Robert is history.

No, he's here. Hello, Robert!

Ha-bloody-ha! You're not funny.

I just don't get what you see

in these English boys.

Watch out, though.

This one is married.

No. That's just a woman who doesn't

know when to cut her losses.

Did he say as much?

Operator?

For you, Ma'am.

Mr Churchill on the line.

Churchill?

Hello? Who is this?

It's me, Richard.

- We met last night at...

- 'Yes... '

The man who denied his wife.

Hello, Richard.

Did you come to Nigeria

to run away from something?

No.

I've always wanted to see Africa,

so I took leave from "The Spectator"

and a generous loan from my aunt and...

- And here you are.

- Here I am.

A modern-day explorer

of the "Dark Continent".

I've accepted an offer to join

the Faculty of English at Nsukka.

Splendid. My sister's there.

She'll introduce you to her revolutionary

lover and his band of drinkers.

And you can come visit me

in Port Harcourt.

Ah, I can't believe it's you.

You've come to help.

All right. Let's go to Aunt Ifeka's.

You have been on my mind.

I knew you would come

and see us soon.

Uncle, good afternoon.

And how is Lagos treating my sister?

- Lagos is treating mother well.

- And your sister and your father?

- How is your father?

- Daddy is well.

Kainene is well.

See who is here!

- Ah! Olanna!

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