Americanah

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“I know we could accept the things we can’t be for each other, and even turn it into the poetic tragedy of our lives. Or we could act. I want to act. I want this to happen. Kosi is a good woman and my marriage was a kind of floating-along contentment, but I should never have married her. I always knew that something was missing. I want to raise Buchi, I want to see her every day. But I’ve been pretending all these months and one day she’ll be old enough to know I’m pretending. I moved out of the house today. I’ll stay in my flat in Parkview for now and I hope to see Buchi every day if I can. I know it’s taken me too long and I know you’re moving on and I completely understand if you are ambivalent and need time.” He paused, shifted. “Ifem, I’m chasing you. I’m going to chase you until you give this a chance.” For a long time she stared at him. He was saying what she wanted to hear and yet she stared at him. “Ceiling,” she said, finally. “Come in.”