What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky

Nwando gets in trouble after confronting her classmate Anita Okechukwu about her rules for her “Girl Club.” Anita claimed her father sent her expensive underclothing from London and forced all the Girl Club members to show her that they were wearing bras. In the middle of the playground, Nwando made Anita prove that she too was wearing a bra, but she wasn’t.

After dinner, Nwando plays chess with her father, who makes her explain her actions. They started playing chess together after Emmanuel, her father’s friend and usual chess partner, died by suicide. During the games, her father tells her war stories, sometimes as a lesson and sometimes because he’s lost in memories. Today, he repeats a story about losing his gun. He had put it behind himself while eating and believes that Lieutenant Ezejiaku took it to teach him a lesson. For three days, he was able to get by by borrowing a gun from a friend, but he was caught when all the units were called up for inspection. The lieutenant returned his gun, and Nwando’s father was flogged as punishment. He kept a close eye on his gun after that.

At school the next day, Nwando finds herself the leader of the Girl Army after having exposed Anita’s lie.