I Do Not Come to You by Chance

By: Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

Narrated by: Nene Nwoko

Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Being the opara of the family, Kingsley Ibe is entitled to certain privileges—a piece of meat in his egusi soup, a party to celebrate his graduation from university. But times are bad in Nigeria. Unable to find work, Kingsley cannot take on the duty of training his younger siblings, nor can he provide his parents with financial peace in their retirement. And then there is Ola. It does not seem to matter that he loves her deeply; he cannot afford her bride price.

For much of his young life, Kingsley believed that education was everything, that through wisdom, all things were possible. Now he worries that without a "long-leg"—someone who knows someone who can help him—his degrees will do nothing. And when a tragedy befalls his family, Kingsley learns the hardest lesson of all: education may be the language of success in Nigeria, but it's money that does the talking.

When Kingsley turns to his Uncle Boniface for help, he learns that charity may come with strings attached. Boniface—aka Cash Daddy—is an exuberant character who suffers from elephantiasis of the pocket. He's also rumored to run a successful empire of email scams. It's up to Kingsley now to reconcile his passion for knowledge with his hunger for money, and to fully assume his role of first son. But can he do it without being drawn into this outlandish milieu?

©2009 Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani (P)2022 Tantor

Good story, bad ending

The story was great, until the end. The moral? Although you may get some bad looks for a while, scamming people's life savings will make you rich and happy in the end. Just don't go into politics.