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    Ghostroots

    by Aguda, ‘Pemi
    “Ghostroots” by ‘Pemi Aguda is a debut short story collection set in Lagos, Nigeria, blending the mundane with the supernatural. The twelve stories explore themes of inheritance, maternal lineage, and haunting legacies, often focusing on women grappling with familial and societal burdens. Aguda’s prose weaves unsettling yet deeply human narratives, where everyday life intersects with spectral presences. Notable stories include “Breastmilk,” which delves into generational trauma. The collection has been praised for its elegant voice and was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction, marking Aguda as a significant new voice in contemporary literature.
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    Ghostroots

    The Dusk Market

    by Aguda, ‘Pemi

    The chap­ter intro­duces the enig­mat­ic Dusk Mar­ket, a hid­den mar­ket­place that emerges at twi­light, filled with sen­so­ry richness—smoky stock­fish, buzzing flies, siz­zling agbara pans, and the cacoph­o­ny of bar­ter­ing voic­es. The mar­ket is pre­ced­ed by flick­er­ing kerosene lanterns, guid­ing the way for those who belong. Ordi­nary pedes­tri­ans and dri­vers avoid the inter­sec­tion instinc­tive­ly, though chil­dren occa­sion­al­ly glimpse sur­re­al sights like head-hop­ping men or wink­ing birds, which adults dis­miss or ignore. The mar­ket women, though unfa­mil­iar, bear uncan­ny resem­blances to peo­ple one might know, their man­ner­isms and appear­ances eeri­ly famil­iar yet oth­er­world­ly.

    Sale­wa, a lone­ly ogogoro sell­er, stum­bles upon the mar­ket after dulling her inhi­bi­tions with alco­hol. Her slow, mean­der­ing walk leads her to the inter­sec­tion where the Dusk Mar­ket mate­ri­al­izes before her eyes—lanterns, vibrant stalls, and bustling women in col­or­ful ankara. The warmth and cama­raderie of the mar­ket stir a deep long­ing in her, but the vision van­ish­es as sud­den­ly as it appears, leav­ing her dis­ori­ent­ed. The expe­ri­ence lingers in her mind, blur­ring the line between dream and real­i­ty, and she becomes dis­tract­ed the next day, unable to shake the mem­o­ry of the market’s fleet­ing embrace.

    The Dusk Mar­ket exists in a lim­i­nal space, vis­i­ble only to those invit­ed or those who, like Sale­wa, slip through “slip­pery moments” of per­cep­tion. Children’s inno­cent obser­va­tions and adults’ periph­er­al glimpses hint at its super­nat­ur­al nature, but most dis­miss these signs. Salewa’s encounter, how­ev­er, is transformative—the market’s warmth con­trasts stark­ly with her iso­lat­ed life, hint­ing at a deep­er yearn­ing for con­nec­tion. Her vul­ner­a­bil­i­ty and intox­i­ca­tion allow her to see what oth­ers can­not, but the market’s ephemer­al nature leaves her ques­tion­ing its real­i­ty.

    The chap­ter blends mag­i­cal real­ism with poignant social com­men­tary, con­trast­ing the vibran­cy of the Dusk Mar­ket with Salewa’s grim exis­tence. The mar­ket sym­bol­izes com­mu­ni­ty and belong­ing, a stark con­trast to the alien­ation of urban life. Salewa’s fleet­ing glimpse of this hid­den world under­scores the human desire for con­nec­tion, even as it remains tan­ta­liz­ing­ly out of reach. The nar­ra­tive leaves read­ers ques­tion­ing the bound­aries between real­i­ty and illu­sion, much like Sale­wa her­self.

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    FAQs

    • 1. How does the author establish the supernatural nature of the dusk market through sensory details in the opening paragraphs?

      Answer:
      The author uses vivid sensory imagery to create an otherworldly atmosphere. Visual descriptions like “flicker of flames within rusting kerosene lanterns” and “bokeh of yellow light” establish an eerie glow, while auditory details (“ringing of tiny bells,” “thrum of voices”) suggest a space out of time. Olfactory cues like “smoky smell of dried stockfish” and tactile elements like “singeing heat from the agbada” create hyper-reality that contrasts with the market’s elusive nature. Most tellingly, the text notes pedestrians instinctively avoid the area and children see impossible things like “hopping heads” or “winking herons,” signaling supernatural phenomena that ordinary perception filters out.

      2. Analyze how Salewa’s character and personal history make her particularly susceptible to perceiving the dusk market.

      Answer:
      Salewa’s loneliness and alcohol use lower her psychological defenses, making her receptive to the market’s magic. As a 36-year-old woman with “sagging breasts” living in poor conditions, her marginalized status mirrors the market’s hidden nature. Her twenty-one years of hardship since arriving Lagos “on the back of a ram-transporting truck” have forged resilience but also deep isolation - the market’s warmth and communal energy (“women embracing”) directly appeal to her unmet needs. The ogogoro (local gin) dulls her survival instincts that would normally make her avoid the supernatural, allowing her to “see more than is otherwise available.” Her vulnerability becomes a conduit for perception.

      3. What symbolic significance might the dusk market hold in relation to Lagosian urban experience?

      Answer:
      The dusk market functions as a liminal space representing both the hidden magic and harsh realities of Lagos. Like the city itself, it’s vibrant yet unsettling - full of commerce (“sung invitations by sellers”) but requiring survival instincts (“drivers speed past”). The market women’s resemblance to ordinary people (“not women you know, but they could be”) suggests an alternative reality coexisting with daily struggles. For Salewa, it represents fleeting connection in an isolating city, appearing when daylight “thins out” like hope diminishing. The market’s ephemeral nature (“blinks and the empty street returns”) mirrors how urban opportunities vanish before the marginalized can grasp them.

      4. How does the chapter use contrast to heighten the supernatural elements of the story?

      Answer:
      The text employs stark contrasts between mundane and magical to amplify the uncanny. Ordinary market elements (yam frying, bartering) appear alongside impossible visions (dogs dancing like humans). The women seem familiar (“same smile as your landlord’s wife”) yet manifest supernaturally (“come out of nowhere”). Daylight’s rationality (“pedestrians stall at this intersection”) opposes dusk’s permeability (“when the light of the day thins out”). Salewa’s gritty reality (“dirt-crusted slippers”) clashes with her transcendent experience (“goo in her heart”). These juxtapositions make the supernatural feel both startling and inevitable - a hidden layer of reality that briefly surfaces when conditions align.

      5. What narrative purpose does the market’s selective visibility serve in developing the story’s themes?

      Answer:
      The market’s elusive visibility underscores themes of perception and belonging. Only certain people (children, the intoxicated, the desperately lonely) can perceive it, suggesting reality is filtered by circumstance and consciousness. This selectivity comments on urban invisibility - how society overlooks both magical possibilities and marginalized people like Salewa. The requirement for invitation (“you don’t see the dusk market if you are not invited”) mirrors social exclusion, while its warm communal energy contrasts with Salewa’s isolation. By making the market vanish when directly acknowledged, the narrative suggests that magic and connection are fragile, requiring both openness and luck to perceive in an indifferent city.

    Quotes

    • 1. “But before all of this, it is the flicker of flames within rusting kerosene lanterns that will show you the way to the dusk market.”

      This opening line establishes the mystical atmosphere of the dusk market, introducing its otherworldly nature through sensory details. It sets the tone for the chapter by hinting at the market’s elusive quality that will later become central to Salewa’s experience.

      2. “No, these market women are not women you know, but they could be.”

      This pivotal statement captures the uncanny duality of the market women - simultaneously familiar and strange. It represents the chapter’s exploration of how the supernatural intersects with the mundane, preparing readers for the market’s liminal nature.

      3. “You don’t see the dusk market if you are not invited to the dusk market, but there are slippery moments, slits, frissons.”

      This quote explains the fundamental rule governing visibility of the supernatural market. It introduces the concept of threshold moments when the veil between worlds thins, which becomes crucial when Salewa later glimpses the market.

      4. “Salewa is a lonely woman, an alone woman who knows her survival is based on hiding this fact.”

      This insight into Salewa’s character explains why she might be particularly susceptible to the market’s allure. The poignant description of her isolation foreshadows why the vision of community in the dusk market affects her so deeply.

      This climactic moment captures both the market’s enchanting power and its ephemeral nature. The visceral description of Salewa’s emotional response highlights the market’s symbolic meaning as a fleeting vision of belonging and warmth that contrasts with her harsh reality.

    Quotes

    1. “But before all of this, it is the flicker of flames within rusting kerosene lanterns that will show you the way to the dusk market.”

    This opening line establishes the mystical atmosphere of the dusk market, introducing its otherworldly nature through sensory details. It sets the tone for the chapter by hinting at the market’s elusive quality that will later become central to Salewa’s experience.

    2. “No, these market women are not women you know, but they could be.”

    This pivotal statement captures the uncanny duality of the market women - simultaneously familiar and strange. It represents the chapter’s exploration of how the supernatural intersects with the mundane, preparing readers for the market’s liminal nature.

    3. “You don’t see the dusk market if you are not invited to the dusk market, but there are slippery moments, slits, frissons.”

    This quote explains the fundamental rule governing visibility of the supernatural market. It introduces the concept of threshold moments when the veil between worlds thins, which becomes crucial when Salewa later glimpses the market.

    4. “Salewa is a lonely woman, an alone woman who knows her survival is based on hiding this fact.”

    This insight into Salewa’s character explains why she might be particularly susceptible to the market’s allure. The poignant description of her isolation foreshadows why the vision of community in the dusk market affects her so deeply.

    This climactic moment captures both the market’s enchanting power and its ephemeral nature. The visceral description of Salewa’s emotional response highlights the market’s symbolic meaning as a fleeting vision of belonging and warmth that contrasts with her harsh reality.

    FAQs

    1. How does the author establish the supernatural nature of the dusk market through sensory details in the opening paragraphs?

    Answer:
    The author uses vivid sensory imagery to create an otherworldly atmosphere. Visual descriptions like “flicker of flames within rusting kerosene lanterns” and “bokeh of yellow light” establish an eerie glow, while auditory details (“ringing of tiny bells,” “thrum of voices”) suggest a space out of time. Olfactory cues like “smoky smell of dried stockfish” and tactile elements like “singeing heat from the agbada” create hyper-reality that contrasts with the market’s elusive nature. Most tellingly, the text notes pedestrians instinctively avoid the area and children see impossible things like “hopping heads” or “winking herons,” signaling supernatural phenomena that ordinary perception filters out.

    2. Analyze how Salewa’s character and personal history make her particularly susceptible to perceiving the dusk market.

    Answer:
    Salewa’s loneliness and alcohol use lower her psychological defenses, making her receptive to the market’s magic. As a 36-year-old woman with “sagging breasts” living in poor conditions, her marginalized status mirrors the market’s hidden nature. Her twenty-one years of hardship since arriving Lagos “on the back of a ram-transporting truck” have forged resilience but also deep isolation - the market’s warmth and communal energy (“women embracing”) directly appeal to her unmet needs. The ogogoro (local gin) dulls her survival instincts that would normally make her avoid the supernatural, allowing her to “see more than is otherwise available.” Her vulnerability becomes a conduit for perception.

    3. What symbolic significance might the dusk market hold in relation to Lagosian urban experience?

    Answer:
    The dusk market functions as a liminal space representing both the hidden magic and harsh realities of Lagos. Like the city itself, it’s vibrant yet unsettling - full of commerce (“sung invitations by sellers”) but requiring survival instincts (“drivers speed past”). The market women’s resemblance to ordinary people (“not women you know, but they could be”) suggests an alternative reality coexisting with daily struggles. For Salewa, it represents fleeting connection in an isolating city, appearing when daylight “thins out” like hope diminishing. The market’s ephemeral nature (“blinks and the empty street returns”) mirrors how urban opportunities vanish before the marginalized can grasp them.

    4. How does the chapter use contrast to heighten the supernatural elements of the story?

    Answer:
    The text employs stark contrasts between mundane and magical to amplify the uncanny. Ordinary market elements (yam frying, bartering) appear alongside impossible visions (dogs dancing like humans). The women seem familiar (“same smile as your landlord’s wife”) yet manifest supernaturally (“come out of nowhere”). Daylight’s rationality (“pedestrians stall at this intersection”) opposes dusk’s permeability (“when the light of the day thins out”). Salewa’s gritty reality (“dirt-crusted slippers”) clashes with her transcendent experience (“goo in her heart”). These juxtapositions make the supernatural feel both startling and inevitable - a hidden layer of reality that briefly surfaces when conditions align.

    5. What narrative purpose does the market’s selective visibility serve in developing the story’s themes?

    Answer:
    The market’s elusive visibility underscores themes of perception and belonging. Only certain people (children, the intoxicated, the desperately lonely) can perceive it, suggesting reality is filtered by circumstance and consciousness. This selectivity comments on urban invisibility - how society overlooks both magical possibilities and marginalized people like Salewa. The requirement for invitation (“you don’t see the dusk market if you are not invited”) mirrors social exclusion, while its warm communal energy contrasts with Salewa’s isolation. By making the market vanish when directly acknowledged, the narrative suggests that magic and connection are fragile, requiring both openness and luck to perceive in an indifferent city.

    Note