Chapter XIII: Eniiyi’s Departure and the Seeds of Future Change
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Eniiyi packs for the UK the same night she decides to leave, feeling claustrophobic in her family home and desperate to put distance between herself and Zubby. She fears that staying in Nigeria would force her to give in to him – if he even wants her back. At the gate, her mother, grandmother Sango, and Osagie (called Oba) stand awkwardly. She hugs them all, kisses Sango’s head, and insists on taking an Uber despite her mother’s offer to drive. The farewell is tearful: her mother apologises for how things turned out and wishes Eniiyi well. As Eniiyi looks back at the house, the narrator reveals she does not yet know that within a day Sango the Immortal will die peacefully in his sleep, that Oba will propose to her mother and be accepted, that Ebun will move out taking Grandma East with her – leaving only ghosts in the Falodun house. Nor can she foresee that seven years later, in a Lagos restaurant, she and Zubby will lock eyes and be unable to look away.
Key Events
- Eniiyi decides to leave for the UK the same night, driven by claustrophobia and a need to escape Zubby.
- She says goodbye to her mother, grandmother Sango, and Osagie (Oba) at the gate.
- She insists on taking an Uber instead of letting her mother drive her to the airport.
- She hugs each family member and kisses Sango’s head.
- Her mother apologises for the outcome of events and hopes Eniiyi finds happiness in her next chapter.
- Eniiyi looks back at the house as she leaves.
- The narrator discloses future events: Sango’s peaceful death within 24 hours, Oba’s proposal to Eniiyi’s mother, Ebun’s move with Grandma East, and the house becoming a place of ghosts.
- A final foreshadowing: seven years later, Eniiyi and Zubby will meet again in a Lagos restaurant, both unable to look away.
Character Development
Eniiyi makes a decisive, independent choice to leave her family and country, showing growth from earlier indecision. She rejects her mother’s offer of a ride, asserting autonomy. The emotional farewell reveals her capacity for love and sorrow, while the narrator’s hints of her future reunion with Zubby suggest her story is far from over.
Eniiyi’s mother expresses regret for “the way things turned out,” indicating self-awareness and a desire for reconciliation. Her apology shows a softening of earlier tensions.
Sango appears briefly but is marked for death; her quiet presence and Eniiyi’s kiss imply a deep bond.
Osagie (Oba) is only mentioned in the narrator’s future vision as proposing to Eniiyi’s mother, hinting at an unexpected romantic development.
Zubby, though absent, remains the magnetic force driving Eniiyi away and eventually pulling her back. The final image of their locked eyes suggests unresolved connection.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Departure and claustrophobia – The house that once felt like home becomes suffocating, symbolising Eniiyi’s need to escape emotional entanglement with Zubby and perhaps the weight of family expectations.
Fate and foreshadowing – The narrator explicitly lists events Eniiyi cannot know: Sango’s death, Oba’s proposal, Ebun’s move, the seven-year-later meeting. This device creates dramatic irony and suggests that forces beyond her control are already at work.
Ghosts and legacy – The image of the Falodun house being left only with “the ghosts” literalises the lingering presence of the past. Even after everyone leaves, the memories and choices made there will haunt the place.
Reunion and inevitability – The final sentence implies that Eniiyi and Zubby’s connection is inescapable. No matter how far she runs, their paths will cross again.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks a major turning point: Eniiyi physically leaves Nigeria, choosing exile over capitulation. At the same time, the narrator’s forward-looking revelations transform the story from a linear departure into a tale of cyclical returns. Sango’s impending death, her mother’s remarriage, and the eventual Eniiyi–Zubby reunion all set up future plot developments. The chapter closes the Falodun family saga (the house becomes a ghost) while opening a window into Eniiyi’s longer arc. It also deepens the novel’s meditation on fate: no matter how deliberately Eniiyi tries to break free, the story promises she will be pulled back.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Eniiyi insist on taking an Uber rather than letting her mother drive her to the airport?
She asserts her independence and tries to emotionally detach from her family. Accepting a ride would prolong the goodbye and make the departure feel less like a clean break. The Uber represents her control over her own exit.
2. How does the narrator’s foreshadowing affect the reader’s understanding of this farewell scene?
The reader knows that Sango will die within 24 hours, that Eniiyi will not return for seven years, and that she and Zubby will reunite. This creates an emotional overlay of sadness and inevitability; the goodbye becomes heavier because we see the permanence that Eniiyi herself cannot see.
3. What does the phrase “all that would remain of the Falodun house were the ghosts” suggest about the family’s legacy?
It implies that the physical house will be emptied of its living members, but the memories, secrets, and unresolved emotions will linger like spirits. The word “ghosts” also echoes the novel’s supernatural undertones (Sango the Immortal) and suggests that the family’s past cannot be erased—it haunts the space even after they depart.