Whenever Chimamanda Ngọzi Adichie is trending, I remember what she did with the Kainene character in Half of a Yellow Sun.
Only a rare deep mind full of intelligence is capable of such artistic creation.
Kainene was neither the favorite of her parents nor the favorite of her own man. Madu who saw her as his favorite couldn’t really have him. When she had the best opportunity to make the most out of life, by leaving with her parents when the war just broke out, she turned it down.
She became one of the biggest backbones of the suffering Biafra. Thousands could feed and manage to stay alive, all thanks to her.
Her skinny, masculine, and almost obvious ugly stature, coupled with her melancholic disposure and crude embrace with reality, ensured that not just but most Biafran refugees survived.
Just as the war was about to end, Kainene went for Afia Attack with the contraband currency so that the thousands under her care can feed. Immediately she left, the war ended but she didn’t come back.
The Master Stroke from Chimamanda was when she refused to confirm whether Kainene was killed or not. She made it worse by Olanna’s resolve to never stop until she finds her. “I will find my sister” she concluded.
Kainene’s death or return would have meant that the Biafran story had ended. But with the way Chimamanda left her readers at the round about, wondering what later happened to Kainene, signifies the way everything about Biafra is at the roundabout, wondering what happened to Biafra
Like Olanna, there are many who heaved a sigh of relief but with resolve, “we will find Biafra”.
Like Odenigbo, who is picking up his life thrown into pieces, including his PhD thesis, there are people who are focused on getting their lives back on track, partially giving up, and hoping that someday, Kainene (will be found).
Then there are others like Ugwu, who chose to tell the true story of how “The World was silent when we died”, and willing to move on to discover a new life.
But will Kainene be found?
Another adhoc search party for Kainene has just be dealt with and dispassed.
There will be more search parties. Will they find Kainene?
When they find her, what would be left of her? Ka anyị na ene!
Isn’t Chimamanda too Brilliant?
The name of her character was designed to fit her significance.
Ka anyị na ene- let’s watch and see, let’s keep looking/searching, let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Kainene!