Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a renowned Nigerian novelist, writer, and public speaker. She was born on September 15, 1977, in Enugu, Nigeria, and has gained widespread recognition for her literary works, which focus on themes of gender, identity, race, and the Nigerian experience. Chimamanda is considered one of the most influential writers of our time and has become a powerful voice in the global conversation on feminism and social justice.

Chimamanda first gained international recognition with her debut novel, “Purple Hibiscus,” which was published in 2003. The book, which was set in Nigeria, explored the themes of domestic violence, patriarchy, and religious intolerance. It won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book in 2005 and was also shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction.

Chimamanda’s second novel, “Half of a Yellow Sun,” published in 2006, is set during the Nigerian Civil War and follows the lives of three individuals who are caught up in the conflict. The book won the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction and was also shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Chimamanda’s third novel, “Americanah,” published in 2013, is set in Nigeria, the United States, and the United Kingdom and explores the experiences of a young Nigerian woman who moves to the United States to attend university. The book won the 2013 National Book Critics Circle Fiction award and was also named one of The New York Times’ 10 Best Books of the Year.

Chimamanda is also a renowned public speaker and has delivered several TED Talks that have been viewed millions of times. Her TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” which explores the power of storytelling to shape our perceptions of the world, has been viewed over 20 million times and has been translated into over 30 languages.

Chimamanda’s work has been transformative, particularly for African women, as it has challenged patriarchal and sexist societal norms. Her writing has given voice to African women and highlighted their struggles, dreams, and aspirations. Through her novels, Chimamanda has highlighted the complexity and diversity of African culture and identity, which has been essential in challenging the stereotypes that have long defined African literature. Furthermore, Chimamanda has been a vocal advocate for gender equality and has used her platform to promote feminist principles. Her TED Talk, “We Should All Be Feminists,” has been widely shared and has become a rallying cry for gender equality. She has also launched a feminist workshop series called “The Purple Hibiscus Trust” and has been actively involved in promoting women’s rights in Nigeria and beyond.

Chimamanda’s literary works, public speaking, and advocacy have had a significant impact on African literature, feminism, and social justice. Her writing has given voice to African women and challenged societal norms that have oppressed them for generations. Chimamanda has become a powerful voice in the global conversation on feminism and social justice, and her work has inspired millions of people around the world.

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If love was a person

Angel spent days crying. Life was getting hard, she felt empty inside, and her mind was numb… She thought that her story was unfinished.

All she wanted was someone to hold her hand and tell her everything would be okay.

Missing John sickened her until it didn’t until she realized that if love was a person, John would have been hers for all seven lives.

Yet, stubborn as hearts can be, hers misses him again sometimes. When it does, she hears from its beat that she doesn’t miss him more. Instead, she loves him more.

But ‘more’ was quite a confusing word. Perhaps Angel also loved John more when she first flirted with the stranger in him. It was three years ago. She was fresh out of college. One morning she got a text and wouldn’t care less after checking the sender’s profile picture.

“Who on earth wears this hat and a long-sleeved shirt?” She laughed with disregard. “I swear his name is John something”. Angel was totally blind to the light that suddenly sparkled in her eyes.

Three minutes later, Angel realized her eyes had been fixed on the picture on the screen.
She had no idea what was going on with her. She was forever lost in his staring eyes.
She texted a “hi” back. She obsessively held her phone, waiting for it to beep again. She was bothered when he kept her waiting.

“Hola! Can I come over?” Her phone chimed. It was John.

“Do you know where I live?” She typed fast as her face formed a smile. But she deleted the text before hitting ‘Send’. He didn’t; he was just making a conversation. But the “Can I come over” thing blew her mind. She wanted him to come over right away so she could see the person who was shaking her thoughts up.

They chatted for hours, but it took Angel just three minutes to know that she was in love with this stranger. That night she played games and watched anime to force herself to sleep.

The following day, her stomach felt weird, and she couldn’t tell if she was excited or nervous.
Last night he had made sure she would text him first in the morning. She did. Angel was hitting on him hard.

“Good morning, handsome.”

“Morning, sexy!” He replied.

She sent him another message.

“You’re not the first to call me sexy.”

He responded with a single emoji.

“You’ll never know how much that means to me,” She said.

He showed up in a white T-shirt with black butterflies that hugged his body perfectly. Angel wondered if she could take advantage and steal a better view of his abs. She then noticed that she hadn’t introduced herself.

“Hey handsome, it’s nice to finally meet you. I wanted to see what the hell you looked like.” She said with a soft giggle.

John’s cheeks turned pink. She found it adorable.

“Sorry about that,” he said. Angel thought he was blushing.
She was trying to hide her nervous laughter, but she couldn’t. She told him that he looked cute, but he denied it and joked:

“You should know that’s not the reason I’m blushing, but you’re a little shit.”

“Aw! Are you embarrassed to have called me sexy?”

He blushed harder and shook his head. “No.”

“Well, then why are you blushing?”

John was silent and didn’t say anything back. Angel could swear that he was blushing. He always told her that he was shy with girls, but she didn’t believe him. John hugged Angel tightly, squeezed and spun her around. In that madness, her lips mouthed a “WTF”, which he heard. That’s when he whispered “Ndagukunda” in her ear.

Her head was pounding like a drum, and his words felt like a dagger in her heart. She couldn’t believe what she had heard. Angel thought she was dreaming because it took decades for him to tell her “Ndagukunda”.

The sky was on her side, considering how it rained suddenly; only then would they spend a little more time together.

On the other side of the road was a hotel. They ran there, holding hands like love birds waiting for each other for a long time. After checking in, the couple went to the room upstairs and made love.

On her way home, all she could think of was that kiss. It changed her whole life. It was more meaningful than any kiss she’d ever given someone, and it filled her soul with bliss.

She was already thinking about how to give him a proper ‘hello’ on the next hookup when her mobile rang. She was confused at first. The voice was unfamiliar, and the traffic noise in the background didn’t make it easy for her. But she heard that it was an ambulance nurse on the other phone. So she stayed on the line only to listen to the sirens turn into a whisper and die.

Angel knew she had to rush. She reached home and grabbed a quick shower. Then, she put on a pair of grey slacks, a shirt and a leather jacket.

As she ascended in the elevator, it hit her how stupid her decision was. She had no idea which room John was in. She should have asked the nurse about the location. At the reception, she was asking everybody where John was. Nobody knew John.

A doctor came to her. She was not supposed to disturb John because he was resting. But those were the last words Angel wanted to hear. Thank God the doctor didn’t say them.

Seeing him lying in hospebed pierced her heart until he smiled.
His smile, like a sudden beam of sunlight illuminating the darkest corners of the room, also illuminates her heart. Angel was weak in voice, so she went close to John and murmured,

“I know God does things in mysterious ways. I know bad things happen for a reason. But I am having a bad time finding no reason for this.”

John smiled again and said to her,

“Life is so much more beautiful when you know you can die,” He paused and grabbed her hand. “Every blue sky, every potion of love and every kiss feels so much more precious when you realize it could be your last.”

Angel’s felt heavy. He lifted her hand close to his mouth as she stared at him. He kissed her hand and laid down to rest.

By Ingabire Gisele

Instagram: @Xandagiselle

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