This Motherless Land

Content Warning: This section of the text depicts racism, drug and alcohol dependency, suicidal ideation, and sexual harassment and assault.

In the hospital, Liv remembers little from the accident. She wakes up to find Margot there, comforting her, and is shocked that she is not angry with her. She decides that Kate must not have told Margot the truth and decides to remain quiet about it.

Liv writes Kate a note, thinking she is in Bristol, and puts it with her real birthday card. She thanks Kate for not telling anyone the truth.

Kate continues to refuse to adjust to life in Nigeria. She calls her father’s new wife “aunt,” can’t bring herself to call her dad’s son Femi, and does not even unpack. She convinces herself that she will only be there briefly until Liv tells the truth and sorts things out. However, she does go into town and has her hair done in braids like Bimpe used to do, telling the hairdresser that her name is “Funke.”

The next day, Kate wakes up and is sick. Bisi takes her temperature and tells Kate she must have malaria from going out at night. Kate realizes that she may have the same allergic reaction to quinine as her mother, but she takes the pills from Bisi anyway.