ACivilPeacebyChinuaAchebe

JonathanIwegbucountedhimselfextraordinarilylucky.'Happysurvival!'meantso
muchmoretohimthanjustacurrentfashionofgreetingoldfriendsinthefirsthazy
daysofpeace.Itwentdeeptohisheart.Hehadcomeoutofthewarwithfive
inestimableblessingshishead,hiswifeMaria'sheadandtheheadsofthreeoutof
theirfourchildren.Asabonushealsohadhisoldbicycleamiracletoobutnaturally
nottobecomparedtothesafetyoffivehumanheads.Thebicyclehadalittlehistoryof
itsown.Onedayattheheightofthewaritwascommandeered'forurgentmilitary
action'.Hardasitslosswouldhavebeentohimhewouldstillhaveletitgowithouta
thoughthadhenothadsomedoubtsaboutthegenuinenessoftheofficer.Itwasn'this
disreputablerags,northetoespeepingoutofoneblueandonebrowncanvasshoe,
noryetthetwostarsofhisrankdoneobviouslyinahurryinbiro,thattroubled
Jonathanmanygoodandheroicsoldierslookedthesameorworse.Itwasrathera
certainlackofgripandfirmnessinhismanner.SoJonathan,suspectinghemightbe
amenabletoinfluence,rummagedinhisraffiabagandproducedthetwopoundswith
whichhehadbeengoingtobuyfirewoodwhichhiswife,Maria,retailedtocampofficials
forextrastockfishandcornmeal,andgothisbicycleback.Thatnightheburieditinthe
littleclearinginthebushwherethedeadofthecamp,includinghisownyoungestson,
wereburied.Whenhedugitupagainayearlaterafterthesurrenderallitneededwasa
littlepalmoilgreasing.'NothingpuzzlesGod,'hesaidinwonder.Heputittoimmediate
useasataxiandaccumulatedasmallpileofBiafranmoneyferryingcampofficialsand
theirfamiliesacrossthefourmilestretchtothenearesttarredroad.Hisstandard
chargepertripwassixpoundsandthosewhohadthemoneywereonlygladtoberidof
someofitinthisway.Attheendofafortnighthehadmadeasmallfortuneofone
hundredandfifteenpounds.ThenhemadethejourneytoEnuguandfoundanother
miraclewaitingforhim.Itwasunbelievable.Herubbedhiseyesandlookedagainandit
wasstillstandingtherebeforehim.But,needlesstosay,eventhatmonumental
blessingmustbeaccountedalsototallyinferiortothefiveheadsinthefamily.This
newestmiraclewashislittlehouseinOguiOverside.IndeednothingpuzzlesGod!Only
twohousesawayahugeconcreteedificesomewealthycontractorhadputupjust
beforethewarwasamountainofrubble.AndherewasJonathan'slittlezinchouseof
noregretsbuiltwithmudblocksquiteintact!Ofcoursethedoorsandwindowswere
missingandfivesheetsofftheroof.Butwhatwasthat?Andanyhowhehadreturnedto
Enuguearlyenoughtopickupbitsofoldzincandwoodandsoggysheetsofcardboard
lyingaroundtheneighbourhoodbeforethousandsmorecameoutoftheirforestholes
lookingforthesamethings.Hegotadestitutecarpenterwithoneoldhammer,ablunt
planeandafewbentandrustynailsinhistoolbagtoturnthisassortmentofwood,
paperandmetalintodoorandwindowshuttersforfiveNigerianshillingsorfiftyBiafran
pounds.Hepaidthepounds,andmovedinwithhisoverjoyedfamilycarryingfiveheads
ontheirshoulders.Hischildrenpickedmangoesnearthemilitarycemeteryandsold
themtosoldiers'wivesforafewpenniesrealpenniesthistimeandhiswifestarted

makingbreakfastakaraballsforneighboursinahurrytostartlifeagain.Withhisfamily
earningshetookhisbicycletothevillagesaroundandboughtfreshpalmwinewhichhe
mixedgenerouslyinhisroomswiththewaterwhichhadrecentlystartedrunningagain
inthepublictapdowntheroad,andopenedupabarforsoldiersandotherluckypeople
withgoodmoney.Atfirsthewentdaily,theneveryotherdayandfinallyonceaweek,to
theofficesoftheCoalCorporationwhereheusedtobeaminer,tofindoutwhatwas
what.Theonlythinghedidfindoutintheendwasthatthatlittlehouseofhiswaseven
agreaterblessingthanhehadthought.Someofhisfellowexminerswhohadnowhere
toreturnattheendoftheday'swaitingjust'sleptoutsidethedoorsoftheofficesand
cookedwhatmealtheycouldscroungetogetherinBournvitatins.Astheweeks
lengthenedandstillnobodycouldsaywhatwaswhatJonathandiscontinuedhisweekly
visitsaltogetherandfacedhispalmwinebar.

ButnothingpuzzlesGod.Camethedayofthewindfallwhenafterfivedaysofendless

scufflesinqueuesandcounterqueuesinthesunoutsidetheTreasuryhehadtwenty
poundscountedintohispalmsasexgratiaawardfortherebelmoneyhehadturnedin.
ItwaslikeChristmasforhimandformanyotherslikehimwhenthepaymentsbegan.
Theycalledit(sincefewcouldmanageitsproperofficialname)eggrasher.Assoonas
thepoundnoteswereplacedinhispalmJonathansimplyclosedittightoverthemand
buriedfistandmoneyinsidehistrouserpocket.Hehadtobeextracarefulbecausehe
hadseenamanacoupleofdaysearliercollapseintonearmadnessinaninstant
beforethatoceaniccrowdbecausenosoonerhadhegothistwentypoundsthansome
heartlessruffianpickeditoffhim.Thoughitwasnotrightthatamaninsuchan
extremityofagonyshouldbeblamedyetmanyinthequeuesthatdaywereableto
remarkquietlyatthevictim'scarelessness,especiallyafterhepulledouttheinnardsof
hispocketandrevealedaholeinitbigenoughtopassathief'shead.Butofcoursehe
hadinsistedthatthemoneyhadbeenintheotherpocket,pullingitouttootoshowits
comparativewholeness.Soonehadtobecareful.Jonathansoontransferredthe
moneytohislefthandandpocketsoastoleavehisrightfreeforshakinghandsshould
theneedarise,thoughbyfixinghisgazeatsuchanelevationastomissallapproaching
humanfaceshemadesurethattheneeddidnotarise,untilhegothome.Hewas
normallyaheavysleeperbutthatnightheheardalltheneighbourhoodnoisesdiedown
oneafteranother.Eventhenightwatchmanwhoknockedthehouronsomemetal
somewhereinthedistancehadfallensilentafterknockingoneo'clock'Thatmusthave
beenthelastthoughtinJonathan'smindbeforehewasfinallycarriedawayhimself.He
couldn'thavebeengoneforlong,though,whenhewasviolentlyawakenedagain.'Who
isknocking?'whisperedhiswifelyingbesidehimonthefloor.'Idon'tknow,'he
whisperedbackbreathlessly.Thesecondtimetheknockingcameitwassoloudand
imperiousthatthericketyolddoorcouldhavefallendown.'Whoisknocking?'heasked
them,hisvoiceparchedandtrembling.'Natiefmanandhimpeople,'camethecool
reply.'Makeyouhopendedoor.'Thiswasfollowedbytheheaviestknockingofall.
Mariawasthefirsttoraisethealarm,thenhefollowedandalltheirchildren.'Policeo!
Thieveso!Neighbourso!Policeo!Wearelost!Wearedead!Neighbours,areyou
asleep?Wakeup!Policeo!'
Thiswentonforalongtimeandthenstoppedsuddenly.Perhapstheyhadscaredthe
thiefaway.Therewastotalsilence.Butonlyforashortwhile.
'Youdonefinish?'askedthevoiceoutside.'Makewehelpyousmall.Oya,everybody!'
'Policeo!Tiefmanso!Neighbourso!wedonelosso!Policeo!...'
Therewereatleastfiveothervoicesbesidestheleader's.
Jonathanandhisfamilywerenowcompletelyparalysedbyterror.Mariaandthe
childrensobbedinaudiblylikelostsouls.Jonathangroanedcontinuously.
Thesilencethatfollowedthethieves'alarmvibratedhorribly.Jonathanallbutbegged
theirleadertospeakagainandbedonewithit.

'Myfrien,'saidheatlonglast,'wedontryourbestforcalldembutItinksaydemall
donesleepo...Sowetinwegodonow?Sometaimyouwancallsoja?Oryouwan
makewecalldemfor

you?Sojabetterpasspolice.Nobeso?'

'Naso!'repliedhismen.Jonathanthoughtheheardevenmorevoicesnowthanbefore
andgroanedheavily.Hislegsweresaggingunderhimandhisthroatfeltlike
sandpaper.
'Myfrien,whyyounodetalkagain.Ideaskyousayyouwanmakewecallsoja?'
'No'.
'Awrighto.Nowmakewetalkbusiness.Wenobebadfief.Wenolikeformaketrouble.
Troubledonefinish.Wardonefinishandallthekatakataweydeforinside.NoCivilWar
again.ThistimenaCivilPeace.Nobeso?'
'Naso!'answeredthehorriblechorus.
'Whatdoyouwantfromme?Iamapoorman.EverythingIhadwentwiththiswar.Why
doyoucometome?Youknowpeoplewhohavemoney.We...'
'Awright!Weknowsayyounogetplentymoney.Butwesefnogetevenanini.So
dereforemakeyouopendiswindowandgiveusonehundredpoundandwego
commot.Orderwisewedecomeforinsidenowtoshowyouguitarboylikedis...'
Avolleyofautomaticfirerangthroughthesky.Mariaandthechildrenbegantoweep
aloudagain.
'Ah,missisidecryagain.Noneedfordat.Wedonetalksaywenagoodtief.Wejust
takeoursmallmoneyandgonwayorly.Nomolest.Abiwedemolest?'
'Atall!'sangthechorus.
'Myfriends,'beganJonathanhoarsely.'IhearwhatyousayandIthankyou.IfIhadone
hundredpounds...'
'Lookiamyfrien,nobeplaywecomeplayforyourhouse.Ifwemakemistakeandstep
forinsideyounogolikeamo.Soderefore...
'ToGodwhomademeifyoucomeinsideandfindonehundredpounds,takeitand
shootmeandshootmywifeandchildren.IsweartoGod.TheonlymoneyIhaveinthis
lifeisthistwentypoundseggrashertheygavemetoday...'
'Ok.Timedego.Makeyouopendiswindowandbringthetwentypound.Wego
manageamlikedat.'
Therewerenowloudmurmursofdissentamongthechorus:'Naliedemandeliee
getplentymoney...Makewegoinsideandsearchproperlywell...Wetinbetwenty
pound?...'
'Shurrup!'rangtheleader'svoicelikealoneshotintheskyandsilencedthemurmuring
atonce.'Areyoudere?Bringthemoneyquick!'

'Iamcoming,'saidJonathanfumblinginthedarknesswiththekeyofthesmallwooden

boxhekeptbyhissideonthemat.
Atthefirstsignoflightasneighboursandothersassembledtocommiseratewithhimhe
wasalreadystrappinghisfivegallondemijohntohisbicyclecarrierandhiswife,
sweatingintheopenfire,wasturningoverakaraballsinawideclaybowlofboilingoil.
Inthecornerhiseldestsonwasrinsingoutdregsofyesterday'spalmwinefromold
beerbottles.
'Icountitasnothing,'hetoldhissympathizers,hiseyesontheropehewastying.'What
iseggrasher?DidIdependonitlastweek?Orisitgreaterthanotherthingsthatwent
withthewar?Isay,leteggrasherperishintheflames!Letitgowhereeverythingelse
hasgone.NothingpuzzlesGod.'