*Full Chapter By Chapter Summary Of
Independence [JAMB Recommended Novel
For UTME] By Sarah Ladipo Mayinka*
_CHAPTER 1_
Tayo is the first Nigeria to receive a
scholarship to study at Balliol College,
Oxford. He visits his relatives in the village of
Ibadan before travelling the next day to
uncle kayode's house, another
relative in Lagos.
On the day he sets to sail, his parents,
headmaster, some of his teachers and other
Lagos-based relatives stands at the Lagos
port to bid him
goodbye.
_CHAPTER 2_
Tayo describes his journey through the seas
and the warm reception he gets at England
in a letter to his
father. He mentions his new friends at the
college and explains in details his perception
of things in his new environment.
His father replies promptly, giving him
precise report on the state of affairs in the
family and the
country.
_CHAPTER 3_
Mr. and Mrs. Barker, Tayo's older friends
invites Tayo and Africans for a drink party in
their home. There he formally meet Christine
Arinze with whom he develops a casual
relationship.
_CHAPTER 4_
Vanessa attends a party with her friends.
There, she meets Charlie and Mehul. She gets
drunk and wakes up the next morning with
a splitting
headache. Vanessa takes up her pen to
write an article for the school magazine but
changes her mind to write to her friend
Jane instead.
_COMPUTER 5_
In attendance for the West Africa Society
meeting is Tayo, his friends and other
college students. After
the meeting, he introduce himself to
Vanessa Richardson who is also in
attendance.
Inspite of being a trifle jealous of Tayo and
Vanessa's chit, Christine invites him over to
her place. She tells him about how she is
struggling to maintain her academic
excellence amongst other things. He console
her and assures her that she will excel like
she's always done.
_COMPUTER 6_
Tayo and Vanessa goes for a walk in the
direction of the meadows. They talk on
various issues ranging from Malcolm X's visit
to oxford to Tayo's
father's duties during colonial admission as
well as Vanessa's father and grandfather's
involvement in colonial services.
They outrun each other to a country pub
where they bought drinks. They leave early
because two men spill their drinks and
Vanessa declines Tayo's offer of another
one.
_CHAPTER 7_
Vanessa goes back home for the Christmas
holiday. She receive a not so warm welcome
from her family as the atmosphere between
her parents is strangely cold. At dinner, she
has a
misunderstanding with her father about his
inviting apartheid friend to the Christmas
party her African friends will also attend
_CHAPTER 8_
Tayo arrives Aberleigh, Vanessa's home in
London for the Christmas party. Aside from
being mistaken for a servant by one of mr.
Richardson's friend, everything else goes
smoothly.
Vanessa visit Tayo in the room he is
spending the night in. They talk briefly on
the demeanor of her parents and Tayo
discuss his mother at Vanessa's prompting
_CHAPTER 9_
Tayo and Vanessa spend everyday of the
week together and on Friday, she bring him
daffodils to brighten up his room. Tayo
shares one of his family
photograph with Vanessa and the latter
makes assessment of each member herself.
Vanessa on the other hand shares her
worries about being on African
correspondent considering her
British lineage. Tayo reassures her that
Africa needs good journalist; British or
African can then pull her
close for a dance.
_CHAPTER 10_
Tayo and Vanessa spends Easter in Paris'
with Simon and Nima. Tayo gets his first
writing journal from Vanessa where he
documents their stay in Paris from the first
day. There, they live the Bohemian life - all
four of them. A day before the completion of
their holiday, Tayo gets a telegram
that Christine is dead. While Tayo grieves for
her, he also blames himself for not being
sensitive enough to her needs as a friend.
_CHAPTER 11_
Vanessa and her family visits France to the
Bastille holiday. Jane, Uncle Anthony, Mr and
Mrs. Murdoch joins them in France. They
engage in conflicting talks considering Uncle
Anthony and Mr.
Richardson's ever opposing views. Later
that night, Jane confess to sleeping with
Uncle Tony on their
way home from the train station and
Venessa also tells Jane about her
relationship with Tayo.
_CHAPTER 12_
Vanessa writes to Tayo describing the
weather in France and expresses her
opinion on the margery Perham's review he
is working on. Tayo replies and fondly
relates his experience so far in Bradford
with. his cousine Tunde where those who
aren't on
scholarship like him have to work long
hours to make end meet.
_CHAPTER 13_
At Tunde's house in Brandford, London.
Tunde and Yusuf decides to hold a party in
honour of Gambia's independence. Yusuf
and Tayo discuss the marriageability of
either British or African women. The party is
in full swing when Tayo finds himself
pressing a lady to the wall. Suddenly he
takes a punch to his jaw and a fight
ensures.
A policeman arrives and takes them to the
station for questioning.
_CHAPTER 14_
Tayo decides against telling Vanessa the
truth about his chpped tooth which he gets
as a result of the fight in Bradford. He
attends Yusuf's wedding with Joy, where
Vanessa later joins him. On their way back,
Vanessa accuses Tayo of lying about his
relationship with the late Christone. Tayo
tries to cajole her from her outburst but
Vanessa wouldn't have none of it, so he
leaves her in the carriage
_CHAPTER 15_
After their fight, Vanessa suggests they
spend Christmas apart which Tayo promptly
agrees to. He sets himself on a strict
schedule and manages to survive alone until
New Years Eve when he decides to make
chicken stew. Vanessa walks in during his
lousy attempt at cooking. They eventually
settle their differences and spend the rest of
the holiday together.
_CHAPTER 16_
The New Year brings Tayo's uncle, Kayode to
England. Vanessa gets to meet one of his
family members and they get on so well.
They discuss various topics ranging from
Tayo's sporting prowess to Annais Nin, a
writer of erotica. Vanessa concludes that
she'll love to meet the rest of Tayo's family
with Uncle as loving as that.
_CHAPTER 17_
With a first-class degree and a graduate
scholarship, Tayo gets a chance to speak at
Bellamy Boy's School where Mr. Richardson
works
as a headmaster. His lecture is solely on
Nigeria and it makes a big hit in the school.
Mr. Richardson invites Tayo to his office
after his lecture and tells him on clear terms
his views on Tayo's relationship with his
daughter. Tayo returns to college sullen and
Vanessa asks him what the matter is. He tells
her father is not in support of their
relationship to which Vanessa asks him to
fight for them if he truely loves her
_CHAPTER 18_
Tayo is back in Ibadan, Nigeria due to his
father's critical illness. He tries unsuccessfully
to write to Vanessa due to his incessant
pleading for more details of Englad. While
ruminating on what to tell Vanessa in his
letter, Tayo is called outside his
room to hear the news of unsuccessful coup
to kill Ironsi.
This leads to unrest in some parts of the
country but Tayo reassures the people,
telling them not to panic.
_CHAPTER 19_
Tayo sends Vanessa a letter after a long
while apologising for his long silence. He
attributes it to his father's second heart
attach, the coup d' etat
and the civil war.
Vanessa leaves for Lagos after her exams,
ignoring Tayo's telegram telling her not to
visit yet.
After their loving reunion and Vanessa
getting familliarized with the Lagos, Tayo
tells Vanessa
another woman is carrying his child.
Vanessa, devastated, leaves.
_CHAPTER 20_
1970 at Dakar, Semegal, Vanessa now works
as a correspondent for Reuters. She makes
friend with
Salamatou a Senegalese who braids her hair
and teaches her the local language, Wolof.
Salamatou asks her about her love life. She
touches
briefly on Tayo, explaining to her that she's
since move on.
_CHAPTER 21_
In 1984, Tayo is a husband to Miriam and a
father to Kemi. He is also an accomplished
writer and a professor. One Sunday a
month, they have lunch
with friends at Yelwa club. There, they
discuss various issues concerning the
country and universities. After Lunch, Yusuf
advises Tayo to limit the way he criticizes
the government and Tayo tells him there's
nothing to worry about.
_CHAPTER 22_
Tayo recalls how nhe ends up with Marriam
and Flips through Vanessa's diary that he
keeps in his drawer. Kemi, his daughter
catches him unawares and chides him that
he works too hard. Eventually, father tells
daughter a story and they are joined by
Mariam before they all go to bed.
_CHAPTER 23_
For the summer holiday, Tayo and his family
decides to spend three weeks, Uncle
Kayode's in Lagos his mother and other
relatives in Ibadan. Despite Miriam's
objection, Tayo visits an old man who serves
Lord Lugard during his reign in Nigeria,
instead of visting his mother in Ibadan. On
his return, he learns that his mother dies in
a
fatal accident while coming to Lagos to visit
him and his family.
_CHAPTER 24_
Six months after the death of Tayo's mother,
the coup to overthrow the democratic rulers
by the millitary takes place successfully. The
people's optimism quickly dies out when the
millitary administration proves to be the as
corrupt as the
preceding rulers and this leads to lots of
unrest and protests.
Admist the unrest, Miriam advises that they
leaves Nigeria for England but Tayo objects
claiming his loyalty to his country and
wouldn't let him.
_CHAPTER 25_
In 1990, Tayo's hopes for improved
educational system is dashed when a
foundation that promises to help provides
only second-hand books and old software
programmes that can't be used due to lack
of computers. Miriam and Kemi leave for
England the previous year.
_CHAPTER 26_
In 1994, Tayo on his way back from his
office meets soldiers who has mount up
road blocks in order to inspect citizens or
collect bribes. Tayo is surprised they do not
ask him for money but instead they take him
to the barracks for questioning. He is
severely beaten and ask to stop his critical
writing against the government.
_CHAPTER 27_
Tayo meets vanessa for the first time after
their break up, during his tour of England
while promoting his new book on Lord
Lugard. After the seminar, they both catch
up on each other's lives. At the end of the
evening, Tayo asks if he would kiss her but
she politely declines, saying she would miss
her train.
_CHAPTER 28_
Vanessa sits at Broadwell Park reminiscing
on her meeting with Tayo during his book
tour. She revisit the past and dwells mostly
on how she finds herself marrying Edward
Barker, Tayo's friend in Oxford. Later that
evening, Vanessa receives Mandelo's 'Long
walk To Freedom' as a wedding present
from her husband.
_CHAPTER 29_
Tayo writes to Vanessa where he expresses
himself freely like the old times. He shares
his opinion on the role of artists in his letter.
Vanessa earnestly implores him in her reply
to be careful in his fall prey to the hands of
military rulers. Tayo replies to her complaints
about her failures as a mother by reasuring
her she is a good mum and also tells her
about his imperfections as a father and a
husband.
_CHAPTER 30_
Vanessa drives Suleiman to the airport
where he leaves for Senegal, his home
country. Vanessa is heartbroken with the
way they part and worries about him
constantly. She bares her heart in a letter to
Tayo, expressing her sadness and longing
for what could have being. Eventually, she
decided not to send it.
_CHAPTER 31_
Vanessa visits her father, Mr. Richardson,
who is now old and lives in the Carrington
Home for the Elderly. With her father is
murdoch and Mrs. Halliday. After the brief
visit, she buys a fitting skirt in preparation
to meet Tayo at the airport the next day.
Unfortunately, Tayo is not on the list of
those on the expected plane.
_CHAPTER 32_
On Tayo's way to the airport, his plan to visit
Englad for a long while fails as he is involved
in a ghasly accident orchestrated by the
Nigerian military.
_CHAPTER 33_
After Tayo's survival of the accident that lost
the life of his driver, Abdou, he resorts to
living at Kemi's apartment in San Francisco.
There she works as a nanny to fund her
artistic pursuits.
Kemi sensing her father's depression
suggest that he sees a therapist. Tayo
promptly refuses, saying he doesn't need
one. This outburst dregs up the ugly past
making father and daughter exchange
harsh words. Later that night, they
apologize to one another.
_CHAPTER 34_
Vanessa, after the death of her father, tries
to publish his manuscript. She finds out
interesting news on the period of their stay
in Nigeria as a
family. She speculates on different twists to
what leads to her mother's early departure
from Nigeria.
She reconciles with Suleiman, her son, who
on his return to England promptly
apologizes and resolves
to start up a business.
_CHAPTER 35_
Tayo gets the opportunity to teach, which
he does not appreciate initially but soon
seems to enjoy. His legs heal completely,
given to his long walks. He later recives a
letter from the Nigerian president that states
that he has being awarded a honoraby
degree from oxford
_CHAPTER 36_
Family and friends gather for the occasion in
the Sheldonian, England. Tayo, after
receiving his award joins his family while
Kemi introduces herself, miriam and some
other family members to Vanessa and her
son. Tayo and Vanessa later steals away
from the party to have an alone time.
Posts
