The Thing Around Your Neck: Imitation Summary & Analysis

Nkem stares at the Benin mask on her mantel as she listens to her friend tell her that her husband, Obiora, has a girlfriend who lives in Nkem and Obiora's house in Nigeria. When she hangs up the phone, Nkem pours herself a glass of water and continues to study the Benin mask. She imagines it being carved and remembers Obiora's story of how the mask was used. Obiora always said that the custodians of the mask were also tasked with bringing fresh human heads to bury with the king, and Nkem imagines that the custodians didn't want to behead strangers.

The story jumps backwards in time to when Nkem first came to America, pregnant with her first child. The house was fresh and her neighbors were helpful. Obiora called the neighbors "plastic," but both of them wanted their children to be like the American children, who refused to eat food that had fallen on the ground.

Obiora stayed with Nkem for a few months. After that, Nkem explained to her curious neighbors that Obiora lived in America and Nigeria. Obiora only laughed at the neighbors' curiosity, and Nkem didn't say anything even though she knew of Nigerian couples who lived together year-round.

Back in the present, Nkem touches the Benin mask and remembers what Obiora has said about it: the masks were called "war booty" by the British, who seized the masks in the 19th century. Nkem thinks about how Obiora makes the masks come to life when he tells her about their history, and Nkem listens quietly because Obiora speaks so passionately, even though she wonders if his facts are truly correct.

Nkem wonders what Obiora will bring when he returns to her next week. She checks the time and sees that she has an hour before she has to pick up her children. She surveys her living room and thinks about a deliveryman who came the other day and complimented her on her home. Nkem thinks that she loves that in America, people unreasonably believe that they can better themselves.

When Nkem first came to America, she was excited to join the club of wives whose rich Nigerian husbands sent them to have babies in America. Obiora soon bought their house in America, and she liked being a part of the league of wives whose husbands owned property in America. Nkem stayed home with the babies and took computer courses in between her first and second child, because "Obiora said it was a good idea." Obiora enrolled the children in school, and Nkem said nothing because she never thought her children would go to school with rich white children.

For the first two years, Obiora visited monthly and Nkem and the children went to Nigeria for Christmas. When Obiora got government contracts for work, he started visiting only in the summer. Nkem runs her hand through her hair and thinks about how she wants to have it touched up and styled like Obiora likes before he arrives, and thinks about waxing her pubic hair like he prefers as well. She walks through the house and thinks about walking through the house in Lagos. She remembers getting a suspicious call on Christmas Eve and telling herself that it was certainly a wrong number.

Nkem walks upstairs to the bathroom and studies herself in the mirror. She thinks about how Obiora calls her eyes "mermaid eyes." Nkem starts cutting her hair and as she does, she remembers meeting a Nigerian woman at a wedding in Delaware. The woman spoke about their husbands' habit of leaving them in America with the children, cars, and big houses, and only visiting occasionally. The woman had said that their husbands won't move to America because America doesn't recognize or respect "Big Men." Nkem had asked the woman if she was going to move back to Nigeria, and the woman said that she's not the same anymore, and her children wouldn't blend in.

Nkem calls her housegirl Amaechi to clean up the hair. Amaechi is distraught that Nkem cut her hair, and Nkem snaps at her. Nkem thinks that the "madam/housegirl" line is becoming blurred, and that America forces you to be egalitarian and become friends with your housegirl. Nkem apologizes to Amaechi.

Later that night, Obiora calls. He asks Nkem about the children and then has to hang up to take a call from the minister's personal assistant. Nkem tries to think of her husband and wonders if he's alone or with his girlfriend. She wonders what this girl is like and thinks about her own experiences dating married men. They'd helped her family with medical bills, but none of them had proposed because she'd only completed secretarial school and was still a "bush girl."

Obiora, though, took Nkem to dinner and told her she'd learn to love the wine. She made herself like it. Obiora enrolled Nkem's siblings in school, introduced her to his friends, and moved her into a flat in Ikeja. She thinks that when he asked her to marry him, she would've been perfectly happy if he'd just told her to marry him. Nkem feels possessive of her husband and goes to Walgreens to buy texturizer for her hair.

Nkem sits in the kitchen and watches Amaechi slice potatoes. Amaechi laughs that her mother used to rub yam peel on her skin as punishment, and Nkem thinks that it's hard to find real yams at the African grocery in America. She thinks about how similar her own childhood was to Amaechi's, and how poor her family was. Amaechi asks Nkem her preference on an ingredient for dinner, and Nkem tells her to use what she'd like to, thinking that Amaechi is better in the kitchen than she is anyway.

Nkem thinks about Amaechi's arrival in America. She tells Amaechi that Obiora has a girlfriend in Lagos. Amaechi is shocked and asks how Nkem knows. Nkem explains the phone call from her friend and thinks that she knows her friend is right. Nkem thinks that it's strange to think of the Lagos house as home, as this house in Philadelphia is truly her home now.

Amaechi says that Nkem will discuss the matter with Obiora, and he'll ask his girlfriend to move out. She continues, saying that Nkem will forgive him, because "men are like that." Nkem asks if Amaechi thinks Obiora has always had girlfriends, but Amaechi refuses to say. At Nkem's prodding, Amaechi tells Nkem that Nkem certainly knows deep inside that Obiora has always had girlfriends, but it's better to ignore it because Obiora is a good man. Nkem wants to agree, but only tells Amaechi to check the potatoes.

After Nkem puts the children to bed, she dials the house in Lagos. A new houseboy answers the phone and insists that only the steward and cook are at home. Nkem hangs up, and Amaechi asks Nkem if she'd like a "small drink." Nkem explains to the reader that their tradition of a "small drink" began years ago to celebrate the arrival of Nkem's green card. Nkem thinks that she misses Nigeria, but her life is in America. She instructs Amaechi to grab wine and glasses.

As Nkem and the children drive to the airport, she thinks that she hasn't waxed her pubic hair. The children are quiet. At the airport, the children hug Obiora. Obiora comments that Nkem has cut her hair.

That night, Nkem studies the first original piece of art Obiora has ever brought. He's excited about it, and Nkem asks Obiora if the people who had to kill to get human heads to bury the king were happy doing what they did. Obiora is confused and asks why she cut her hair. He asks if it's the newest trend in America, and begins to undress for a shower. Nkem notices how round his belly is getting and tries to remember if the married men she dated had bellies like that. She can't remember where her life went.

Obiora says that long hair is better on a Big Man's wife. Nkem watches him stretch and thinks about how she used to shower with him and perform oral sex in the shower. She asks if they can fit their marriage into two months in the summer and three weeks at Christmas. Obiora asks Nkem to shower with him. She tries to ignore him, but finally joins him.

In the shower, Nkem says that they need to find a school for the children in Lagos. Obiora stares at her as she says that they're moving back. She wonders if Obiora liked her because she never speaks up like this. Obiora asks why, and Nkem answers that she wants to know when Obiora hires a new houseboy in her home. Obiora says they'll talk about it.