This Motherless Land

Over the past several years, Funke has continued to “date” Toks while having sex with Bola whenever he is in town. She gets engaged to Toks, realizing how perfect their situation is. However, Bola continues to ask her to move to Scotland and is frustrated that they can’t have a relationship. When he finds out about her engagement, he gets angry, accusing Funke of not being able to commit to anything. She realizes that he is right, as she has not even bought a bed for her own house that she has been in for years. Bola gives her an ultimatum: Break off her engagement and come to Scotland, or he is done seeing her.

After Bola leaves, Funke cries, then becomes angry. She decides that Bola is right about her house, so she makes plans to spend the week buying things that will make it feel more like a home.

At the airport in Lagos, the man who stamps Liv’s passport is friendly. However, she is harassed by three soldiers at the exit, who insist she pay a bribe. She is saved by the passport man, who escorts her outside where she finds Kunle.

Liv learns that Lola is staying at the Bensons—the family of her godmother. Kunle begins to second-guess whether bringing Liv there was a good idea, but Liv insists that everything will be fine.

Liv and Kunle stay with Kunle’s sister, Folusho. Liv is surprised by the gate and metal bars over the home’s windows, but Folusho has a large home, lots of service staff, and Liv is finally comfortable once she gets inside. Liv suggests that she wants to see Lagos the next day while Folusho and Kunle are working. She suggests that she go to the Ikoyi Club instead. Liv asks about places that Kate used to talk about—like LUTH and Tarkwa Bay—so Folusho says she will try to get Bia-Bia, her brother’s fiancée, to be her guide. Liv is confused, as Kunle’s only brother, Toks, is gay, but Kunle tells her that it’s better not to ask.

The next day, Folusho has her driver take Liv around Lagos. However, Kunle insists that she stay in the car and be careful. They go to LUTH, but she is unable to find Kate’s home. They then go to Iyoki Cemetery, and Liv tries in vain to find Kate’s grave. When she notices that many are dug up, the driver tells her that it is bandits stealing body parts. She thinks of how she had hoped Lagos would “bring her closer to Kate,” but instead it is “having the opposite effect” (287), so she asks to go home.

At the Iyoki Club, Funke and Oyinkan care for Lola. Funke thinks of how proud she is of Oyinkan for going to London and helping Kunle, her cousin, care for his daughter after his wife died. As she watches Lola, she is reminded of her time at the club when she and Oyinkan were kids.

Funke and Oyinkan discuss Kunle’s girlfriend, with Funke still unaware that it is Liv. They are all going to meet her on Saturday, but Funke is disappointed she can’t come because she has to visit her father.

Funke goes to the market and is unable to find any art for her home. She sees a crowd gathering at the barber shop, with the children chanting about an “oyinbo.” Funke tries to see who’s there, but can only see a white woman’s hair, a color that reminds her of Liv. Thinking of Liv makes Funke remember all her birthday cards, which she decides to hang up in her apartment.

Liv asks the driver to show her around Lagos, as he knows it. They go to the market and, despite the driver’s protests, she gets out and walks around. Children gather around her, singing a song about her being an “oyinbo,” and Liv joins them. They follow her around the market, as the driver tries to get the children to leave her alone. Liv insists that they are fine, then finds a type of sweet that Kate used to talk about and gives some to the children.

The next day, Kunle takes Liv to meet his mother, Professor Tinuke Soyege. Kunle is nervous, insistent that his mother is worse than Liv’s. Liv makes the mistake of calling her “Tinuke,” as she demands that Liv call her Professor Soyege. She then pulls Kunle into the other room, leaving Liv alone to think about how shocked she is that Kunle’s mom is judging her so harshly.

Throughout lunch, Professor Soyege quizzes Liv about her life, judging her for not going to university and for working in a daycare. Liv is relieved when she begins complaining about Kunle’s life instead and his decision to stay in London.

Funke goes to her father’s house. She visits him once a month, even though she doesn’t enjoy it, as he is the only family she has left. Surprisingly, she has grown to really like Bisi, who is “honest and kind” (303). However, when Funke gets there, her father is at the university due to some emergency. Funke decides to go to the beach instead with Oyinkan to meet Kunle and his girlfriend.

As Liv continues to worry about Kunle’s mother, she is relieved when the rest of his family treats her well. They go to Tarkwa Bay, and Liv remembers everything Kate said about it. They have a picnic on the shore.

Liv talks with Folusho about her mother. She is worried about how much “damage” that families can do, but Folusho insists that Prof (the term she uses for her mother) does not like anyone. She tells Liv that families only do damage “if you let them” (307), and it’s best if they just ignore her.

Liv falls asleep on the shore and wakes up to the sound of a boat and Lola yelling excitedly. A woman steps off the boat and Lola calls her “Funke,” then Liv hears Kate’s laugh. She runs down the shore and realizes that it is Kate, excitedly yelling her name. However, Funke responds angrily, asking if “this [is] some kind of sick joke” (309). Liv faints, falling to the sand.

Funke watches as Liv falls to the ground, almost laughing because it is so clearly fake. Kunle insists that Funke help her, and Funke sees Liv’s pearl necklace. She considers grabbing it, but instead turns and runs to the boat, returning back to the Boat Club.

Back at home, Funke shuts herself up in her bedroom and stares at Liv’s drawings on the wall. She hears Liv knocking on her door, then rattling the bars on her windows. Thinking that Liv is gone, Funke goes outside, but finds Liv still standing there. Liv tells her she “deserve[s] an explanation for what [Funke] put her through,” which enrages Funke (314). She demands her necklace back, and Liv immediately gives it to her. When Liv asks why Funke would pretend she died, Funke thinks that Liv is putting on an act and doing a good job feigning surprise.

Liv repeatedly calls Funke “Kate,” with Funke demanding each time that she stop. Liv tells Funke that she thought she left her because she was mad about the accident, while Funke insists that she knows nothing about being drugged and had assumed that Liv remembered the accident. Slowly, they begin to realize that they each do not know everything. They stay up for hours, talking over what happened 12 years ago and trying to figure out who is responsible for their confusion.

The next day, Liv and Funke go to see Funke’s father. On the way there, Funke is nervous that her father was somehow responsible for what happened. However, as he greets Liv—hugging her and comparing her kindness to Lizzie’s—Funke realizes that Margot was entirely responsible. They have lunch with Funke’s dad and Bisi, as Liv is excited to have real Nigerian food for the first time. They talk about what happened, with Funke’s dad telling them about how Margot demanded Funke return to Nigeria with £10,000 inheritance.

After they leave, Liv tells Funke that her inheritance should have been £50,000. She expects Funke to go back to London with her so they can confront Margot about everything. However, Funke insists that Nigeria is her true home, and they ride the rest of the way in silence.

Liv flies back to England. She has several new messages from her mother, so she calls her back. She pretends not to be upset, telling Margot that things were fine in Nigeria and that she will visit her soon. At the end of the conversation, Margot tells her that she is appointing a new lawyer for Grandma to make guardianship decisions for her.

Liv goes to The Ring, where the family lawyer, Derek, has been caring for Grandma. Liv tells him what happened in Nigeria, that Kate is still alive, and how she only got £10,000 pounds. She also tells him about Margot taking out a mortgage on Grandma’s home and Dominic forging her signature. Derek is shocked to learn that Kate is alive. According to Grandpa’s will, Margot and Lizzie—and now, since Lizzie has died, Kate—would split the estate upon Grandma’s death. Since he thought the letter was from Kate’s father, and how “different” things are done in Nigeria, he never looked into Kate’s death.

The next morning, Derek comes back with Grandpa’s will. He confirms everything he told Liv. He also explains that, with the mortgage and the money she stole from Kate’s inheritance, it’s likely that Kate would be entitled to Grandma’s entire estate. Liv explains that Kate is refusing to come back to London, but she thinks that Grandma can help convince her to return.

Funke returns to work and picks up extra shifts, trying to forget about Liv and The Ring, but she is unable to do so. When she gets home, Oyinkan is there with a package from Liv. Inside it are some foods from England that Funke loves, like tomato soup and sweets, as well as Liv’s sketchbook which has pages of drawings of The Ring and of Funke. There is also a photo album with pictures of Kate’s family, including her and Femi as babies, which brings her to tears. She also finds a note from Liv, begging her to come back to England to “save Grandma” (329), along with a copy of Grandpa’s will.

When Funke finishes looking at everything, she tells Oyinkan that it doesn’t matter, she will not go back to London. Oyinkan yells at her, insisting that it is not “their” money, but hers, that she is rightfully owed due to her mother’s inheritance. She forces Funke to begin packing for London.

Funke arrives in London. Liv meets her at the airport, and they drive immediately to Derek’s office. She signs an affidavit asserting that she is alive. Then, they go to The Ring, where Grandma is standing outside waiting for them. Funke hugs her as she begins to cry.

The day before Funke arrives, Liv goes downstairs to find Kunle sitting at the kitchen table. She is afraid that he is going to break up with her—fed up with the crazy things in her life—but instead, he asks her to marry him. She agrees, deciding that she has “paid the price” for the “terrible thing” she did and deserves to be happy (334).

On Monday, Funke, Liv, and Kunle go to a diner and wait for their meeting. They invited Derek to meet them at Margot’s home, having told Margot nothing. However, a few minutes before, Funke begins to hyperventilate, and Liv feels guilty for making her go to the meeting. Instead, she lets her stay in a café nearby with Kunle, realizing that she has been through enough.

Derek confronts Margot with everything as Liv watches. Margot begins to cry, accusing Liv of choosing Grandma over her, but Liv insists that she is doing it for Funke. Margot then tells Liv that “everyone” chooses Lizzie over her. Liv realizes that her mother is truly “unlovable,” destroyed by “resentment and bitterness,” and actually feels sorry for her (336). She leaves her mother sobbing with Derek and returns to Funke and Kunle.

Liv and Kunle get married at The Ring, as the estate flourishes around them. They are living there now, with arrangements for Margot to remain in her flat for the rest of her life and even receive a stipend. However, Margot was not invited to the wedding, and neither was Kunle’s mother.

Toks attends the wedding with his boyfriend, as they are open about their relationship in London but still pretend to be roommates in Lagos. Funke is engaged to Bola, who plans to return to Nigeria in a year so that he and Funke can open their own medical practice together. They are going to be married a year from now, also at The Ring, as Funke realizes that Nigeria and The Ring—where her family is—are both her home.