The Thing Around Your Neck

A young Nigerian woman, Ukamaka, living in Princeton, New Jersey watches coverage of a Nigerian plane crash. Ukamaka has spent the day calling her family in Nigeria, watching news coverage, and wondering if she knew anyone on the flight. She is surprised when there is a knock on her door, as she is not expecting anyone. Her downstairs neighbor who is also Nigerian is at the door, and he asks if he could come in so that they can pray together about the plane crash. Ukamaka is slightly hesitant, particularly at the effusiveness of her neighbor’s prayers, but lets him in and prays with him. As his prayer goes on, Ukamaka begins to feel a shivering and wonders if it is God.

After he prays, Ukamaka’s neighbor introduces himself as Chinedu. He begins to tell Ukamaka about how he heard of the plane crash that morning. He also heard about the Nigerian First Lady dying that morning, and at first he didn’t realize that they were separate incidents. Ukamaka continues to worry about the plane crash, specifically if her ex-boyfriend Udenna was on it. Chinedu says the country of Nigeria is in God’s hands now. Ukamaka thinks about asking him to leave but does not, as he is giving her hope that Udenna is alive.