Caro, after leaving Beryl, had trekked very little and enjoyed much. For the first time in her life, she had five thousand naira all to herself, in no one's house and under nobody's supervision. It occurred to her to indulge herself a little, so she purchased sardines, corned beef, soft drinks and everything else that she had always looked forward to eating all her life.

Within a few days, she had broken several records and consumed things she never would have hoped to consume if she ...