Story 11: Tomorrow Is Too Far

On today's story review of The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, we're looking at story 11 titled Tomorrow Is Too Far.

"He tells you, it did not occur to him to want, because what mattered was what you wanted."

Guyyyyyys.

The way I screamed when I read that line because who says that? Who writes that? Mehn, Chimamanda writesssssss

This story was unsettling in the quietest way possible. It follows a young girl who grows up in the shadow of her older brother, Nonso. He is loved by everyone, admired by everyone, and treated like the center of the universe. Meanwhile, she is left craving the attention and affection that seem to come so naturally to him.

At first, I thought this was just another story about sibling rivalry, but it wasn't.

The narrator admits that she planned it. She dared Nonso into climbing the tall tree in their grandmother's compound because she wanted something to happen to him. But not death, never death, she simply wanted him to get hurt. To maybe sprain an ankle, to be a little less perfect.

Then, while he was up there, she tells him she sees a snake. Not just any snake, but one their grandmother calls "Tomorrow Is Too Far" because it is believed to kill instantly.

Nonso falls, and dies!

What broke my heart wasn't just what happened. It was knowing that the punishment far exceeded the crime. A child acting out of jealousy and neglect suddenly finds herself carrying the weight of a tragedy she never intended.

And the cruelest part?

Even after Nonso dies, she still doesn't get the affection she craved.

This story left me thinking about neglect and the quiet ways it shapes people. How unseen does a child have to feel before they begin to resent the people who are seen?

A heartbreaking read.

@favvy_Okwans🖤.