Nanyoni

“Even listening in on their plans for me did not take the tomato seller off my mind. After searching for days, I traced her to the farmland on the edge of our village. When I saw her, courage failed me. My liver weakened and I could not bring myself to talk to her. I abandoned my fufu and stalked her, overjoyed to be breathing the air she was breathing. I saw every man she teased. A gasp escaped my lips every time she rolled her hips and jiggled the beads that adorned her waist. Sweat was dripping from my neck like rain from the awning. I can’t explain why but I wanted her for myself. I wanted to build a house for her and keep the key between my breasts. I wanted to dress her in the finest aso oke so she could parade herself for my delight alone. I wanted to lock her between my thighs.”
― Lola Shoneyin, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives

“They say the elder who soils the floor with shit immediately forgets, but the stench remains in the memory of the person who has to pack it. Some people are born to shit, and some, like Bolanle and me, are born to pack.”
― Lola Shoneyin, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives

“A real woman must always do the things she wants to do, and in her own time too. You must never allow yourself to be rushed into doing things you're not ready for.”
― Lola Shoneyin, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives

“My daughters were born with eyes in their stomachs so they are quick to digest all that they see.”
― Lola Shoneyin, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives