Oil on Water

When Rufus returns to Irikefe, Zaq is lying on a mat under an acacia tree, recovering at the shrine but still cold and weak. Rufus brings two bottles of Johnnie Walker, one of which he gives to Zaq, who starts drinking it greedily. The priest is happy to see Rufus and hopes that he will take Zaq back to the city with him. He tells them “Nurse Gloria” will be attending to him once she returns from her trip to Port Harcourt, where she is buying more medicine. Rufus and Zaq go to the hut they will be sharing for their stay overnight and discuss the religion of the people at the shrine, which they are unsure about.

Rufus tells Zaq about his visit to the editor of the Star, the paper where Zaq works. Beke Johnson, the editor, knew Zaq from the time they were rookie reporters together. He told Rufus all about how Zaq has fallen from grace. Zaq had been one of the best and was assigned to the news desk with Beke, but he wanted to do human-interest stories and feature stories about everyday happenings instead of just fact-based news. One day, he quit and went to Bar Beach, where he befriended a number of sex workers.