By Oyindamola
Face Me I Face You is a satirical trilogy of poems that reflects on the reality of people living in affordable shared housing in Nigeria where everyone knows everything about everyone. Oyindamola does us the honour of taking us on a three-part journey as we get acquainted with the narrator. In Palava, the author explores the family dynamic of the narrator and how she navigates their different personalities, from a Bible-thumping aunt with a philandering husband to a divorced aunt who minds everyone’s marital status over her own to a love-thirsty cousin.
The narrator voices her opinion and shares with the reader what goes on behind closed doors and that there is more than what meets the eye. This chapter sheds light on how family drama can mould a person and create traumas that will manifest in adulthood
We see it in Sade, with her philandering father and staunch Christian mother, she seeks love in anything with a heartbeat. My favourite poem from this section is Baba Sade’s Jalopy, I found it very witty and encapsulates the soul of a typical African man.
Face Me I Face You presents the reality of living in a shared complex in present Nigeria when the narrator of Palava moves out of her mother’s house. We are introduced to four new characters, who we get to know from the narrator’s biased perspective. Delilah, a fashionista and sex worker, is confident and aware of the power she possesses. Broda Samson, a prayer warrior riddled with lust over Delilah. Bimpe, a single lady with a list as tall as the men she is after and Iya Basira, who cooks the best beans and fried yam. The narrator shares her opinions about her neighbours, who do not seem to be close with but know every intricate detail about them thanks to the thin walls.
Water and Garri happen to be the last part of the trilogy and by far my favourite. We are finally introduced to our narrator, Folake. We see how her fear of falling in love holds her back as she seems ill-equipped in that department. Folake struggles to open up to her lover who is smitten and will do anything to prove that he is serious about her. The author shows how Folake mirrors love and how she has seen it at home and in the complex. She understands love as materialistic, the same way Delilah and Bimpe view it. And then as she thaws, she explains what love looked like growing up, for example, her mother would ask her if she had eaten rather than be affectionate or say the actual words. She tells her lover that when she asks if he has eaten, she is also communicating her love for him. She also reveals how much she needs reassurance and why he should be patient with her. I found this to be very powerful because when we are introduced to the narrator, she is telling us about other people but we only get to know more about her when she is communicating with her lover. It shows that she opens up to those who take time to love, appreciate and reassure her.
Being someone who mostly reads prose, it was refreshing reading poetry that is enjoyable and funny. It’s short, sweet and satirical, relatable and exciting. Oyindamola’s writing is accomodating, descriptive and entertaining. It will certainly get you out of a reading slump. Highly recommend!
The book will be available via :
- Selar.co/FMIFY (EBook)
- RovingHeights Bookstore (Paperback in Nigeria)
- Amazon (Paperback Abroad)
- Use the code Rudo25 to get a 25% discount, valid until September 15!
This article was written by Rudo Manyere, Author and African Lit Reviewer. You can find her other reviews on YouTube: What’s Rudo Reading?