Lagos

13 January 1958

Dear Norah,

Thanks for your letter. Indeed we are a happy family. What we have been dreaming and wishing has at last come true. This is certainly a place where one can build up moral and mental reserves.

I don't know if I told you in my last letter that I wrote the 1st half of my autobiography when I was in S.A. and finished the 2nd half here. I sent Faber & Faber in Britain the 1st half and they were most interested. They will certainly publish it. I've dispatched this and I am breathlessly waiting.

Yes, I should tackle the tragedy. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity of reading Ritter although I was most impressed by the reviews it had. If you sent it by ordinary book post, it will take about 3 weeks, but that doesn't matter. I've given myself 3 years within which to rework, expand & augment the thesis into something for publication.

Rebecca joins me in my best wishes for abundant health.

Love,

Ezekiel

Yaba, Nigeria

30 June 1958

Dear Norah,

Many, many apologies for not writing for such a long time. Reason was that Faber & Faber sent me back the last 2 chapters of my book to expand and then to bring the story as far as the Nigerian period. So I have been engrossed in this task and haven't been able to attend to my correspondence.

We're all doing very well here, barring torrential rains which have just begun. The rain comes down interminably, day and night, and the humidity often gets us down and we become chesty. Still, it is not unduly hard on us, and the children are wonderfully fit. Teresa, the middle one, is the cutest in the family at picking up Yoruba. In 6 months she has learnt a number of words, phrases and sentences.

Bantu Education hasn't done them any good. After 2 years of it we realize how much they have still to do to catch up with syllabuses here. So Rebecca and I share home lessons with them. Progress is good.