Chapter- 7 The Ghetto
Mr. Noble is one of those Nigerians who came to England in the late forties while Nigeria was being colonized. These Nigerians were well-educated and in the middle-class strata. The men thought it wise that Nigeria’s independence would open a lot of opportunities for them.
They thereby resigned from their jobs, got their pension, and travelled down to the United Kingdom for further education that could fetch them juicy positions in Nigerian society upon returning from England.
Like other men in the group, Mr. Noble left his family in Nigeria and travelled to the U.K to study Law. Unfortunately, he was unable to achieve his aim because; the pension money and gratuity he brought to the U.K were not enough for him to even see him through GCE. He kept failing the exams until the money was finished.
Mr. Noble was not discouraged despite this disappointment, he was determined to study and work. He became a liftman at a tube station which he was not so satisfied with. To cushion the effects, he frequently visited pubs and nightclubs to drink and crack jokes.
They turned him into a jester and commanded no respect, even among young men who were age-mates of his son.
He was once asked to remove his trousers to see whether Africans really had tails. He did for a pint of beer. It was on this ground that he was given the name “Noble,” because he could do anything he was asked to do.
Mr. Noble had a costly performance one afternoon when one of his mates told him to operate the lift without the electricity provided. He used to tell them that Africans were very strong. He stooped to shoulder the lift for a pint of beer. He was so unfortunate; his shoulder was trapped among the twisted metals that he gave an awful sound.
He was later rushed to the hospital. Eventually, his shoulder was permanently dislocated, and he appeared a one-handed man.
The incident was treated as an accident at work, so he was pensioned off by the railway authorities. By this time, the hope of becoming a lawyer was no more in his mind hence, he invested the money in buying an old terrace house on Willes Road. His target of a big profit from the house failed.
The house has three floors; the two top floors are occupied by two white sisters born in the house. Mr. Noble’s hope was that the sisters would move out when they knew that the new landlord was a black man. He was wrong because the sisters were controlled, tenants.
They refused to move out and Mr. Noble could not increase their rents which were less than a pound a week for the two floors and could not send them out of the house.
With these, Mr. Noble was in a dilemma, he stopped going to the pub, but got himself engaged with a lady named Sue. Sue blessed him with many children. Mr. Noble went back to the court again on his tenants but lost again.
He then decided to use psychological pressure on them, telling them that his mother was the greatest witch in the whole of black Africa and that he had reported them to her. He told them that his mother would kill them if they didn’t pack out of the house.
The tenant did not take him seriously because they did not believe in it. But Mr. Noble kept on telling the Africans around that he had reported the tenants to his dead mother.
The cold of 1962-1963 was so great that old people could not even come out to leave their empty bottles for the milkman. Mr. Noble’s house could not withstand the cold that it consumes the lives of the two sisters.
He then boasted that her mother was at work. This scared the forty- years old son that lived with them, he fled from the house. These incidents gave Mr. Noble undue popularity and the people believed that he could kill. This affected him in the long run because; nobody wanted to live in his house. It was too old for a white family to live in.
Francis and Adah know that Mr. Noble has a vacant room and they hear about his story and how filthy Sue his wife is. But they need the room urgently as Adah’s baby is due in a few months. Winter is approaching and the landlady will not change her mind about them.
Adah then decides to discuss it with her husband. She knows when to discuss with Francis so that he will listen to her. It is when Francis is pressed to have her.
It is three o’clock and she insists that until Francis answers whether they are going to see Mr. Noble or not, it is then she will give in. Francis answers quickly that they will go and see the Nobles the following day. After Adah is satisfied with Francis’ answer, she now gives in to him.
Francis and Adah set out to Willes Road as promised by Francis the house is very easy to locate as directed by Janet. It is the oldest house on the street. It sits between two houses owned by some Greeks.
Francis knocks on the door for a long time before Mr. Noble can hear the knock because loud music is blaring from the television. At last, Pa Noble appears and welcomes them in.
They are ushered into a disorganized sitting room where they meet Mrs. Noble, a Birmingham woman. She is young, pretty, lively, and friendly. She welcomes them and prepares seats for them.
She also serves them cups of tea. Mrs. Noble is aware that Adah is pregnant from her gestures toward Adah. She is also aware that they have other children. It is Mrs. Noble that is doing all the talking until she asks her husband whether he also ate fish and chips when he was young.
Pa Noble then goes down memory lane that he was born in a tree, that his mother breastfed him for almost twelve years before he was weaned to join the men-folk in the farm work.
He says he started enjoying it when he came to England and met Sue. Adah then asks jokingly why Pa Noble did not tell her wife that his father had tails. Pa Noble responds that Adah is inexperienced and Francis apologizes on her behalf. Adah is sure that they will get the room they come for.