Sarah Ladipo Manyika

o serve younger British men who knew so little yet felt naturally entitled to power.

Uncle Kayode was a big man in Lagos, recently returned from abroad as a senior army officer. Maids cooked for him, and large fans hung from the ceilings, whirling at high speed to keep the house cool. Tayo had never seen anything like it before.

The tutors look more distinguished, but many are surprisingly ignorant about Africa.

The independence celebrations (three years of independence now!) were quite fantastic.

always remember that you are an Ajayi man. Don’t forget the Ajayi motto – In all things moderation, with exception of study.

Mr and Mrs Barker

ayo felt disappointed that they had to mingle outside rather than inside where it was warmer, but it seemed to Tayo that this was the British way. People spent all day talking about the weather, complaining about how cold, damp and miserable it was until the sun poked its head around the clouds and then everyone cheered up and started talking about lovely weather.

September 1963

One could begin with the dust, the heat and the purple bougainvillea. One might even begin with the smell of rotting mangos tossed by the side of the road where flies hummed and green-bellied lizards bobbed their orange heads while loitering in the sun. But why start there when Tayo walked in silence, oblivious to his surroundings. With a smile on his face he thought of the night before when he had dared to run a hand beneath the folds of Modupe’s wrapper. Miraculously, without him even asking, Modupe had loosened the cloth around her

Vanessa cursed herself as she and her friends left the pub. A wet October night was not the time to have worn, of all silly things, a strapless dress with summer sandals. And what on earth was she doing splashing through rain and stubbing her toes on paving stones as she ran towards Balliol? Who was this person that everyone was talking about as though he were a god? Supposedly good

looking, from an aristocratic family, captain of boats at Balliol, and a million other marvellous things, none of which meant much to her. Certainly not the aristocratic bit, but she had to keep going because it was late and too dark to walk back to college alone, even though she still felt tempted to try.

When Vanessa and her friends arrived at the party, someone was thoughtful enough to lend her a towel. She