#238 Tomorrow is Too Far- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Childhood tragedy brought on by resentment, favoritism and
fate; tragedy that looms over life never to fully clear. Children are very
sensitive to knowing they are not loved. When children try to assert themselves
in ways that end in accidents, the lesson they learn comes too late.
“His spirit would always hover here. He belonged to this
hard earth that had failed to absorb the shock of his fall. He belonged to the
trees here, one of which had let go of him.”
After the death of her cousin caused by her prodding, the
narrator’s life would never be that innocent, but perhaps that was for the
best. “…something had to happen to Nonso, so that you could survive. Even as
ten you knew that some people can take up too much space by simply being, that
by existing, some people can stifle others.”
The truth about the cause of death was never apparent, and
in the aftermath, this ambiguity tore the family apart. Once children played
together at grandma’s house, as a family. Now, nobody is close. That’s the
ultimate heartbreak, one that can only be lived with alone.
Notable Passage: “The snake she had in her yard was called
the ‘echi eteka,’ Tomorrow Is Too Far. One bite…and it’s all over in ten
minutes.”
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