Everything Is Fine Here by Iryn Tushabe

The narrative of Everything Is Fine Here follows the coming-of-age journey of Aine Kamara, a Senior Six student in Uganda, as she navigates family tragedy, the complexities of queer identity within a conservative society, and the burgeoning realization of her own voice as a writer. The story is told through Aine’s perspective, moving between her strict boarding school, her village home in Bigodi, and the vibrant, often hidden queer spaces of Kampala.

Anticipation and Arrivals at Pike Girls’ Boarding School

The book opens with Aine waiting at the front steps of Pike Girls’ Boarding School in Fort Portal. She is anticipating the arrival of her older sister, Mbabazi, a distinguished alumna who has been invited to give the Careers Day commencement speech. Mbabazi has recently returned to Uganda after several years in Canada, where she completed a medical specialization in gynaecologic reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Aine, who has not seen her sister in over two years, feels a deep, obsessive love for her.

When Mbabazi finally arrives, she is accompanied by a woman named Achen, whom she introduces as her “roommate”. Aine immediately perceives a “strange electricity” between the two women and recognizes that they are lovers, despite their attempt to hide behind the roommate ruse. Mbabazi has undergone physical changes, such as perming her hair, which Aine finds slightly jarring. The group stays at the house of the headmistress, Madame Kyaligonza, nicknamed “the Copper” for her stern, policewoman-like demeanor.

During their stay, Aine discovers that Mbabazi has brought Achen to this school setting specifically so Aine could meet her, away from the scrutiny of their parents. Despite her initial jealousy and confusion, Aine finds herself drawn to Achen’s intellect and her skill as a storyteller and podcaster. At Madame’s house, they discuss art, specifically the technique of chiaroscuro in the paintings belonging to the late Mr. Kyaligonza, which helps Aine see the “Copper” in a more human light.

Secret Histories and Careers Day

The narrative delves into the sisters’ past, revealing that Mbabazi’s sexuality has long been a source of tension within the family. As a teenager, Mbabazi was subjected to “The Sessions” private, intrusive conversations with Reverend Erasmus intended to “fix” her lesbianism. Mbabazi eventually rebelled, telling their mother, Lydia, that she would not suffer for something that couldn’t be changed. This led to a traumatic departure from home years prior, which Aine still remembers through nightmares.

On Careers Day, Mbabazi’s keynote speech is radical and departures from traditional platitudes. She speaks about the sexual advances she faced from male medical clinic managers during job interviews and calls for women to resist systems of oppression that demand their silence. Her speech captivates the students but creates an awkward atmosphere with Madame Kyaligonza, who advocates for abstinence and orthodox Christian values.

Achen also contributes to the day by leading a seminar on journalism and storytelling. She reveals her own history of clinical depression and suicidality, explaining how stories “saved” her after she was abandoned by her mother at a church orphanage as a toddler. She shares with Aine the physical and functional changes in her brain caused by this early trauma, evidenced by a menacing scar on her arm from a past suicide attempt.

Aine also meets Elia, Madame Kyaligonza’s handsome and talented son, who is a university student and actor. Elia and Aine share a dance to the song “Adia,” which ignites a strong attraction in Aine. As Mbabazi and Achen prepare to leave, Mbabazi swears Aine to secrecy, warning that their lives depend on their parents never knowing the truth about her relationship.

Homecoming and the D in Geography

Aine returns home to Bigodi for the school break, picked up by her father, Papa. Papa is a tour driver and a man of science and ideas, often listening to the BBC and discussing the “teenage brain” with Aine. He is late, as usual, but their relationship is defined by intellectual rigor and mutual affection.

At home, tension arises when Aine reveals her mock exam results: she received an A in Literature and a B in History, but a D in Geography. Her mother, Lydia (Mama), is a devout Pentecostal who runs “Lydia’s Convenience” and constantly compares Aine to Mbabazi, who was a straight-A student. Mama decrees that Aine must spend the entire break studying and forbids her from continuing her unpaid apprenticeship as a birding guide at the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary.

Aine struggles with this isolation, finding solace in fiction and solo walks to the swamp to test the binoculars Mbabazi left for her as a homecoming gift. She spends time with her friend Kemi, a hairdresser and single mother who is dating “Jackfruit Dan,” a game ranger. Through these interactions, Aine contemplates romance and the “trick nature plays on us” regarding sex and procreation.

Tragedy in Dura

The narrative takes a dark turn during Aine’s final UACE (A-level) briefing at school. Her Uncle Nshuti arrives with devastating news: Papa has been killed in a car accident. A lorry attempting to overtake another vehicle collided with Papa’s Landcruiser near Dura. Papa died on the spot.

Aine returns to a home transformed by mourning rituals, featuring a rotisseried lamb and a coffin wrapped in white cloth. She is haunted by the finality of the closed casket. Because Mbabazi is in South Africa for the Sanlam Marathon and cannot be reached, Aine calls Achen. Together, they decide not to tell Mbabazi about the death until after her race, wanting her to have the chance to achieve her personal best. Aine invites Achen to attend the burial, instructing her to lie and say she is Aine’s friend from the “debating circuit”.

The Conflict in the Bedroom

Achen arrives at the funeral and is initially welcomed by Mama, who appreciates her help fetching water and benches. However, the situation implodes when Achen, feeling intoxicated by Mama’s kindness, accidentally reveals that she knows Mbabazi. In a private confrontation in Mama’s bedroom, Achen tries to explain that she didn’t “seduce” Mbabazi, but Mama’s grief turns into religious fury.

Mama falls to her knees, begging Achen to leave her family alone, and then collapses into a primal state of agony. Achen flees the compound in her car, and Aine runs after her, eventually hitching a lift back toward the school rather than staying with her mother. This departure leaves a profound rift, as Aine leaves without a note, effectively abandoning her mother on the day of her father’s burial.

The Panic Attack and the Ultimatum

Back at school, Aine tries to focus on her final exams, but the weight of her grief and the guilt of not telling Mbabazi about Papa’s death becomes unbearable. When Mbabazi finally lands in Uganda and learns the truth from condensers at the airport, she is furious. She calls Aine a “fucking little liar” and hangs up. The resulting stress causes Aine to have a severe panic attack during an exam, requiring her to be taken to the sick bay.

During a late-night call to Mama, Aine learns the gravity of the family fracture. Mama has given Mbabazi an ultimatum: choose her “sin” (Achen) or her family. Mama believes this “shunning” is an act of love to “bring her back to God”. Mbabazi, however, chooses to stand by Achen, leading to a “mutual disownment” between mother and daughter.

The Slap and the Runaway

After finishing her exams, Aine returns to Bigodi, only to find the village buzzing with malicious gossip. Neighbors like Zakayo claim that Achen is Papa’s “outside child” who came to the funeral to demand her inheritance. To Aine’s horror, she realizes Mama is letting people believe this lie to avoid the “scandal” of Mbabazi’s lesbianism.

When Aine confronts Mama about the rumors and the cruelty of banishing Mbabazi, Mama slaps Aine hard across the face. This moment of violence marks the end of Aine’s tolerance for her mother’s bigotry. Feeling that the house no longer belongs to her, Aine packs her bags and runs away in the middle of the night. Her initial plan is to find her Uncle Ambrose in Kabale, hoping to talk to someone who knew her father.

She hitches a ride to Kamwenge with Jackfruit Dan and Paulo, a game ranger with “bushy eyebrows”. In Kamwenge, Aine experiences her first kiss with Paulo. However, after a phone call with Mbabazi, she changes her plans. Mbabazi reveals a dark family secret: Uncle Ambrose was banished because he assaulted Mama years ago. Shocked by the realization that her parents were protecting her from this history, Aine decides to head to Kampala to be with her sister.

Sanctuary in Kololo

Aine travels by bus to Kampala, where she is met by Achen. They go to the home in Kololo where Mbabazi and Achen live a luxurious bungalow that feels like an “enchanted” resort. In this space, Aine finds a different model of family and love. She reconciles with Mbabazi, and they grieve their father together.

Life in Kampala is a “shock to the senses” for Aine. She goes shopping with Mbabazi at Acacia Mall, where she experiences the “extortion” of expensive ice cream and buys a blue dress that makes her feel sophisticated and adult. She also spends time in Achen’s extensive library, discovering the works of writers like Ayn Rand and Benjamin Olam.

Jesus Christ Superstar and the Transition to Womanhood

Aine attends a performance of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, in which Elia plays the role of Jesus. The performance is protested by religious groups who view it as “the work of Satan,” but Aine finds it deeply moving. She is struck by the image of Mary comforting Jesus, which triggers memories of her own father’s protection during a childhood incident where she accidentally burned down their kitchen.

After the show, Aine and Elia go back to his university hall, Nkrumah Hall. They have sex, an experience Aine finds physically painful and somewhat disappointing, as it doesn’t match the romanticized version she had imagined. However, the act itself and Elia’s subsequent tenderness makes her feel she has finally crossed the threshold from girlhood to womanhood.

The transition is further complicated by the political unrest at Makerere University, where students are striking over tuition hikes and facing brutalization from soldiers. Elia, who is involved in the drama of the strike, provides Aine with a glimpse into the broader societal struggles of young Ugandans.

The New Path

The book concludes with a visit from Uncle Nshuti, who drives a sanctuary truck filled with produce from Bigodi. He reveals that he is wearing Papa’s shoes and has come as a messenger of peace from their grandmother, Kaaka Nyirasafari. Nshuti explains that while Mama is still “hearing her own thoughts reflected back” rather than the voice of God, she did not oppose his visit.

Uncle Nshuti shares a Rukiga proverb: Ahu amaguru gaza hacweka omuhanda “Where many people walk, a new path will be cleared”. This message of gradual change and resilience transforms the atmosphere in the Kololo house.

Aine realizes that she will return home with Uncle Nshuti. However, she is no longer the “child” her mother slapped. She has found her purpose: she will write their story. She envisions herself in Papa’s gazebo, surrounded by notebooks, using her creativity to make sense of her family’s “mess” and to give voice to those whose identities “fall off the grid of a translational vocabulary”. The book ends on a note of defiant hope, as Mbabazi tells Nshuti to tell their mother that, despite everything, “everything is fine here”.