War

"Civil Peace" takes place in the year after the Nigerian civil war has ended. Nigerians such as Jonathan feel fortunate simply to still be alive, as evidenced by the "current fashion" of greeting people with the words "Happy survival!" Now they face the monumental task of rebuilding both their country and their lives. Their difficulties are described throughout the story, both through the plight of Jonathan's family and that of his neighbors and acquaintances. A wealthy neighbor's home has been reduced to a "mountain of rubble," and many other poor Nigerians are also rendered homeless. The tools of the "destitute" carpenter who Jonathan hires consist merely of "one old hammer, a blunt plane and a few bent and rusty nails." The coal mine in Enugu does not reopen, leaving many men with no means of support. Meanwhile, in the midst of this economic chaos, bands of thieves roam...