“The Mechanics Of Yenagoa”: A Review By Oge Amarah
By: Oge Amarah
Michael Afenfia’s The Mechanics of Yenagoa took me on a never-ending rollercoaster ride of emotions through the tumultuous life of Ebinimi, the star mechanic of Kalaka Street, Yenagoa. I found myself going through a rinse-and-repeat cycle of laughter, distress, anxiety, and relief as the story touched on many subjects in the everyday life of an average Nigerian.
The plot centers on the talented but mischievous Ebinimi, who has a thing for cars as well as attracting trouble like a magnet. I journeyed with him through the pages of the book as he tried to maneuver his way out of sticky situations, some of which were consequences of his poor choices.
Ebinimi had great potential, but his unhealthy entanglement with women and involvement in dirty politics, which led him to betray his best friend, caused his downfall. Going against professional ethics by taking his second girlfriend for a joy ride in a customer’s car and blowing the cash he found in another customer’s car initiated a chain reaction of unfortunate events. After suffering the repercussions of his previous actions, I thought he would learn his lessons and make the right choices when life presented a new opportunity to do so. But he does not, and somehow he manages to find his way back to a different kind of trouble.
There is a saying that whatever happens in secret will someday be exposed. An important lesson I took away from the book is that time is of the essence when one makes a mistake. It is best to face your mistakes head-on and try to make amends while you still can; otherwise, the little lies you tell in order to cover them up will someday pile into an avalanche of lies, and you will be swept away in the momentum.
Thanks to my colleagues at Book O’clock UDUS, I believe I read this story at the right time—the so-called 'Fear Women' era. Through Ebiakpo, Blessing, and Agnes, we see how women can wield their power dangerously in relationships by weaponizing sex. Blessing and Agnes demanded love and respect from both their partners but, at the same time, used sex to exploit them financially. Ebiakpo was the most shocking for me. In the beginning, I presumed she was just a naive woman brainwashed by a miracle-working pastor, as is usually the case, but I was wrong. She was, in fact, the slyest.
The men had their own fair share of shenanigans. Ebinimi, who was committed to not being in a committed relationship; Aguero, the adulterer who nearly married his best friend’s side-chick; Ebizimor, the fraudulent man-of-God who engaged in atrocious acts with the female members of his congregation; and Benson, who married a younger woman under his wife’s nose (or so he thought).
However, in our society, outrage is usually one-sided. I was baffled when Benson’s relatives tried to make excuses for his marital infidelity. According to them, he is allowed to "try other women’s cooking and sometimes do the right thing by bringing the food home," but I bet they would not have the same reaction if Ebiakpo came clean about tasting other men and bringing home the products of her infidelity. There is a need to hold people accountable for their wrongdoings, regardless of their gender.
Afenfia’s work sheds light on the deep-rooted problems within our society. There are a few, which I will mention.
First is corruption among politicians, as portrayed by Aaron Barnabas-Treatment (ABT) and his counterparts, who use young people who should be part of Nigeria’s labor force as pawns in their dirty games. The security agencies are also at the beck and call of these corrupt men. It seems as though the government officials intentionally do not provide basic amenities, infrastructure, and jobs on purpose so that they can make use of idle young minds as tools for terror and thuggery against their rivals. Corruption has eaten so deeply into the system that people have to bribe the police to visit a loved one in jail or send them little tokens to "fuel" their vehicles in order for them to respond to distress calls.
The Nigerian education system is not left out. It is a shame that students have to stay longer than their expected date for graduation due to strikes and also settle their lecturers in cash or kind just so they can graduate without any obstacles.
Another serious issue highlighted in this story is the use of religion as a tool for control and exploitation. There are lots of Ebizimors out there taking advantage of the miserable condition of Nigerians to exploit them materially, financially, and sexually in exchange for a cure for illnesses, poverty, infertility, singleness, bad luck, death, etc.
On the subject of infertility, Ebiakpo’s husband, Benson, was infertile, but it seemed to appear that he was unaware, which was why it was easy for her to lie about her children’s paternity. This brings me to the fact that most of the time, when a couple is unable to conceive, it automatically becomes the woman’s fault. She is compelled to go from one place to another, prayer houses included, seeking solutions for her problem when there could in fact be a problem with the man’s reproductive system. Some men find it insulting when their fertility, which is often seen in society as a symbol of manhood, is questioned, so it is easier to let the woman carry the blame. We have seen this explored in other African books like The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola Shoneyin and Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo.
Lastly, we have failed to understand that the family is the primary place where the characters of individuals are shaped; thus, it is the foundation on which every society rests. The sacred institution of marriage was founded for the purpose of creating families. However, the institution has been desecrated and weakened by selfishness, deceit, domestic violence, adultery, and sexual immoralities. A typical example is the fraudulent marriage between Benson and Ebiakpo. When a marriage is riddled with lots of problems, it affects the children negatively. Also, children tend to follow in the footsteps of those around them, thus, we must be careful of the kind of behavior we exhibit in their presence.
The society bears the image of the families within it. Most of the relationships portrayed in this book were riddled with infidelity, so much so that it almost seemed like it was normal. It is disheartening that there are people who vehemently defend infidelity, especially towards a particular gender. If we cannot stay committed in relationships, how then can we stay committed in marriage?
Amidst the hustle and struggles of life, remember that life is short and fleeting. Thus when you find a Saka who can lift the mood by butchering lyrics of popular songs, hold on to him and never let go.
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Ogechukwu Amarah is an MSc student at the department of Biochemistry, Usmanu Danfodiyo University. She fell in love with books since Primary school and became interested in writing recently. Her dream is to hone her skills and publish her own work someday.
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