While sitting in Lagos traffic, Obinze receives an email from his past lover from secondary school and college, Ifemelu. It has been years since they’d heard from one another­—Obinze was in England for a long time before moving back home to Nigeria, while Ifemelu had ventured off to the United States. Seeing her email makes Obinze’s heart stop. He’d gotten married, had a child, and found a stable and prosperous job, but the thought of Ifemelu makes him remember all that he still lacks. Once he arrives home, Obinze is greeted by his wife, Kosi, and their little daughter. The couple must attend a party that night being held by Chief, the boyfriend of Obinze’s sister and the man who helped Obinze get a job when he was deported from England. At the party, Obinze becomes aggravated at Kosi, who holds no unique opinions and dwells in conventional ideas; at the women who influence Kosi; and at Chief, who’s made a living off of greed. When he returns home, Obinze is further angered by his wife’s jealousy. Kosi had kicked their former housemaid out when she’d found that the woman owned condoms, Kosi’s fear being that the condoms were a sign that the woman planned to sleep with Obinze. Infuriated by Kosi’s ungrounded suspicions and lack of sympathy, Obinze finally sits down to answer Ifemelu’s email. After he sends it, he wonders if he’s unhappy. He goes outside, stands in the air, and realizes that he needs to let himself go, whatever that might mean.