Futility by Nuzo Onoh

Introduction: The Philosophy of Despair

The narrative of Futility is a visceral exploration of vengeance, occult power, and the cyclical nature of trauma, framed through the lives of two women: Chia Agu, a Nigerian restaurant owner in Abuja, and Claire Bellows, a British diplomat and former police officer. At the heart of the story lies the titular concept of “Futility” (Efu), embodied by a terrifying African deity of despair who feeds on the souls of the dead-while-walking. The book meticulously weaves together Nigerian folklore, urban grit, and body horror to show how the pursuit of revenge often leads to a hollow end.

Part I: Chia Agu and the Red Room

The Bambino Chick Persona Chia Agu is the proprietor of “Chia’s Palace,” a shabby yet popular restaurant in Abuja. Despite her squat, pockmarked appearance, Chia moves with the confidence of a goddess. This confidence is fueled by a supernatural secret: she possesses a “Juju Glamour-Cream,” a greasy black balm she applies to her face to cast a hex over men. Through their eyes, she does not appear as her true self but as their “ultimate fantasy lay,” often manifesting as celebrities like Rihanna or Beyoncé. Men are hopelessly drawn to her, while women remain immune to the hex, seeing only her true, unattractive form.

The Architecture of Sacrifice Chia’s wealth and power are derived from an unholy pact with a white, snake-haired entity residing in a secret “Red Room” behind a dwarf door in her office. This entity, whom Chia initially calls Oke-Mmuọ (Formidable Spirit), demands the sacrifice of male corpses. In exchange, it grants Chia favors: money, business success, and the ability to shrivel men’s penises into “rat-meat”. Each kill births a new “bony lump” on Chia’s back, a physical manifestation of her murders that roils and moans beneath her skin like a “rhino’s rump”.

The History of Betrayal Chia’s descent into darkness began with a man named Eddie. After four years together, during which Chia supported him, Eddie dumped her for a wealthy woman named Rita Akpan (whom Chia calls Gonorrhoea-Rita). Eddie’s rejection, coupled with his disgust after meeting Chia’s mentally disabled brother, Zeuwa, destroyed Chia’s mental health. She fell into prostitution at the Virgin Venus Motel, where she was brutally assaulted by a customer named Anthony Uba, who punched out her front tooth and refused to pay. She was eventually “saved” by a General who set her up in the restaurant business, and it was there she discovered the entity Efu.

Part II: Claire Bellows and the Haunting

A Life of Violence Claire Bellows is a fifty-year-old British diplomat with a dark past in the Metropolitan Police. Labeled the “Met Squad Bike,” she spent years being sexually exploited by her superiors, specifically Brian Peabody, in exchange for promotions and protection. Claire is no stranger to murder; she has killed five men in her life, including her ex-lover Neil, whom she killed in a staged car accident after he abandoned her while she was pregnant. Her son, Tom, is the product of that relationship a thirty-two-year-old unemployed addict with a history of sexual violence.

The Supernatural Infestation Claire’s life is defined by a relentless haunting. For years, she has been plagued by invisible entities that smash mirrors, move furniture, and destroy her belongings. Her psychics, Mama Bisi in Nigeria and Elvira in the UK, tell her she is a magnet for “angry ghosts with a grudge”. Seeking respite, Claire often stays at the flat of her younger Nigerian lover, Kolade, whom she treats more like a servant than a partner.

The Meeting with Efu While shopping in Abuja, Claire encounters a cheerful beggar boy in green shorts whom she feels a maternal bond with. This boy is actually the entity Efu in a benign form (Ọchi). He invites her to play a “wishing game.” In a moment of bitter frustration regarding her age and Kolade’s secret relationship with his “cousin” Shadé, Claire wishes for youth and beauty, jokingly offering Kolade as a sacrifice.

Part III: The Convergence

The Arrival of Tom Claire’s son, Tom, arrives in Nigeria for a three-week visit. Claire recognizes an “addiction glaze” in his eyes and hopes the trip will help them bond. Kolade, eager to please Claire and Tom, suggests they have dinner at a restaurant with “out of this world” food: Chia’s Palace.

The Dinner at Chia’s Palace The two storylines collide when Claire, Kolade, Shadé, and Tom visit Chia’s restaurant.

1. Chia’s Reaction: Chia is repulsed by Claire’s arrogance and Tom’s “fevered look.” Through her Glamour-Cream, she sees the horrifying truth: Tom’s fantasy lay is a six-year-old child in a debauched pose. Recognizing him as a predator, Chia instructs her waiter, Boniface, to spit in Claire’s food and mix human feces into Tom’s soup.
2. The Confession Hex: Before they leave, Chia uses her mind-control powers on Kolade, commanding him to tell the truth to the women in his life.
3. The Abandonment: Tom, entranced by Chia (whom he sees as a child), chooses to stay behind at the restaurant while the others leave.

Part IV: The Body Swap and the Sacrifice

The Car Accident As they drive away, Chia’s hex takes effect. Kolade confesses that Shadé is not his cousin, but his girlfriend of three years. Enraged, Claire attacks him while he is driving, causing a catastrophic accident. Claire’s last thought before losing consciousness is of her son and the “Fool” tarot card her psychic pulled for her.

The Waking Nightmare Claire wakes up in a noisy local hospital ward to a shocking discovery: her hands are black, and she is wearing long Brazilian nail extensions. She has swapped bodies with Shadé. Meanwhile, the real Shadé is in a coma in Claire’s body at the prestigious Diplomatic Hospital. Kolade is dead, and his body has inexplicably shriveled into an emaciated “skeletal husk” overnight.

Tom’s Sacrifice Back at the restaurant, Tom attempts to assault the “child” he sees in Chia. Chia lures him into her office and then pushes him into the Red Room. The entity Efu accepts him as the “right corpse”. In exchange for Tom’s soul, Efu grants Chia her long-denied British visa. It is during this exchange that the entity reveals its true nature to Chia: it is Efu, the Deity of Despair, and it warns her that their business is done she must never summon it again, or she will become a “chicken”.

Part V: Chia’s Revenge in London

The Harrods Dream Armed with her new two-year visa, Chia travels to London. She stays in a five-star hotel and spends thousands of pounds shopping at Harrods, viewing it as a tribute to Princess Diana, whom she idolizes. She continues to use her Glamour-Cream to navigate the city, hexing the hotel manager and other men into seeing her as Tilda Swinton or Joanna Lumley.

The Confrontation at the Salon Chia tracks down Rita at her upscale London hairdressing salon. She humiliates Rita in front of her staff and customers, revealing the treachery of how Rita stole Eddie. Chia then uses her mind control on Eddie, who is now a manager at the salon.

1. The Choice: She makes Eddie stand between her and Rita and choose. Through his hexed eyes, he sees the younger, beautiful version of Chia he once loved.
2. The Command: Chia commands Eddie to tell Rita she is “dirty-yash” and then to douse her face with a mixture of acid and bleach.
3. The Result: Eddie carries out the attack and is later arrested in a park, dazed and confused. Rita is left with life-altering injuries, and Eddie faces a life sentence. Chia feels a sense of profound closure, believing justice has been served.

Part VI: Claire’s Descent into Impunity

Becoming Invincible Stranded in Shadé’s body, Claire (as Shadé) contacts Efu. She is horrified to learn that Efu “ate” Tom. Desperate for revenge and her old status, she offers two new sacrifices: her abusive boss Brian Peabody and Neil’s second son, Lennon McIntyre.

1. Wish 1: To be seen as a “pretty, young white woman” by everyone except Efu.
2. Wish 2: To be able to commit any crime, including murder, with absolute impunity.

The Execution of the Hit Claire hires two trans hitmen, Teddy and Remi, to kill Chia in Abuja. However, when they attempt to kill her, Chia’s bony lumps erupt into skeletons that defend her, crushing the hitmen’s arms. Terrified, the hitmen return Claire’s money and flee. When Claire learns Chia has gone to London, she follows her, using her “invincibility” and Shadé’s passport to secure a visa.

Part VII: The Final Confrontation

The Hotel Room Siege Claire (still in Shadé’s body but appearing white to the world) tracks Chia to her hotel room. Chia, immune to the hex, sees through Claire’s white-woman facade immediately. Claire shoots Chia in the thigh and stomach, demanding to know where Tom’s body is.

The Skeletal Metamorphosis As Chia bleeds out, her eleven bony lumps burst through her skin, transforming her into a massive, towering skeleton that looms over Claire. The skeleton begins to crush Claire’s legs, mirroring the pain Chia has endured.

The Intervention of Efu In the chaos, the entity Efu manifests, shattering the hotel windows and plunging the room into a blood-red light. He is furious that they have summoned him again despite his warnings.

1. The Retraction: Efu withdraws all his gifts. Chia returns to her squat, dumpy form, and Claire returns to her original, comatose body in the hospital.
2. The Judgment of the Spirits: Efu brings forth the ghosts of Claire’s victims eleven in total, including Kolade, Brian Peabody, and Neil. He allows them to choose whether to move on or stay and torment Claire. Neil, Brian, and Kolade choose to stay.
3. Claire’s End: In the hospital, Claire’s body dies. True to Efu’s warning, she is reincarnated as a chicken, conveyed to the deity’s realm to be consumed for eternity.

Part VIII: Zeuwa’s Journey and the End of Chia

The Astral Rescue Chia’s mentally disabled brother, Zeuwa, hears Chia’s screams in his sleep and astral-projects to the London hotel. He finds Chia bleeding and dying. Efu offers Chia her life if she gives him Zeuwa’s soul. However, a new deity a glowing entity with bluebird wings and the face of an ancient monk (representing the “Good-sister Mmah” aspect of purity) intervenes.

The Realm of Bliss The new deity declares that Zeuwa’s soul is pure and not for Efu’s realm. He takes Zeuwa to the “Realm of Perpetual Bliss”. In the physical world, Zeuwa dies peacefully in his bed with a beatific smile, having saved his sister.

Chia’s Final Wish Chia survives the hotel shooting but is left with a ruined body and a removed womb. She returns to Nigeria with Shadé (the real Shadé, who has regained her body). Chia marries Anthony Uba, the man who once abused her, knowing she can control him through his fear of her previous power.

However, the futility of her life reaches its peak when Anthony and his cunning daughter, Rita, conspire against her. Rita, using “medicine” from her witch-grandmother, poisons Chia’s drink. As Chia lies dying on her living room floor, Efu returns one last time.

1. The Final Sacrifice: Chia offers Anthony’s soul to Efu as her final wish.
2. The Curse: She asks Efu to haunt her house and restaurant, ensuring no one from Anthony’s family ever finds peace there.
3. The Transformation: Chia dies, feeling her own feathers beginning to sprout as she, too, is claimed by Efu.

Conclusion

The novel ends where it began: in the crushing weight of an imperfect life. Both Chia and Claire, driven by a need for dominance and revenge, find that their achievements were merely an “exercise in futility.” They end their journeys not as queens or goddesses, but as the very “human chickens” Efu mocked sustenance for a deity of despair in a realm where their screams are the only currency.