The novel begins on a bus that is traveling through Ghana just before dawn. The conductor looks for extra money from passenger fares. There are detailed and vivid descriptions of smells and sights, such as the overflowing trash can that was once meant to represent Ghana’s efforts to keep its cities clean and orderly. The conductor has a confrontation with a man on the bus, assuming the man is staring at him, but he is only sleeping, drooling on the seat. The conductor orders him off the bus, and the man proceeds to walk down the road past the trash can and is nearly hit by a taxi. The man proceeds to his job at the railway station. He goes about his daily chores, such as checking the overnight log book and sending and receiving messages to and from other stations via Morse code.

During the man’s shift, a timber dealer who is described as wolflike in appearance approaches him and attempts to bribe the man to buy his timber. The man turns down the bribe and tells this merchant to return and speak to the allocation clerk tomorrow. After work, he meets a former classmate, Koomson, and invites him to dinner at his house. When he returns home, he tells his wife, Oyo, about the upcoming dinner, and she reveals that she wishes her life were more like that of Estella, Koomson’s wife. As they continue talking, the man relays the story about the bribe, and Oyo is outraged at her husband’s refusal of the bribe. They are struggling financially, and she mocks his pure principles in the face of the harsh reality of their lives. The man leaves his house, reflecting on the pressure placed on him by his loved ones and the ubiquitous corruption around him.

The man arrives at Teacher’s house, and the two listen to Congo music on the radio before they begin to converse about the widespread abuse of power in Ghana. Teacher tells the man that his wife may be justified in her reaction; after all, it seems that everyone is using any means available to thrive. It seems more “criminal” to go against the tide than to conform in this case. Teacher then relates a long story about his background, revealing his relationships with Maanan and Kofi Billy. The three engaged in wee smoking and deep conversations that gave all of them a more complex perspective of the world and its possibilities. Unable to reconcile what he has seen in these visions with the harsh reality of postcolonial Ghana, Kofi Billy takes his own life. Maanan later introduces Teacher to a potential new leader for independent Ghana, and Teacher admits to being stirred by his passionate speech. However, nothing ever comes of these hopes, and Teacher’s narrative serves as further evidence that Ghana is defined by rot and decay, not by light and promise.

Once he returns to his family, the man and Oyo must prepare for their dinner guests. The man shops for the required items, feeling a sense of power as he wields money in the stores and seems to gain the respect of those around him. However, he is not able to find the expensive liquor Oyo requested and must settle for local beer. Later, he brings his children to his mother-in-law’s house so he and Oyo can clean the home for their guests. Oyo’s mother implies that the man is not properly providing for his family, assumes the children are hungry, and asks where their shoes are.

When Koomson and Estella arrive, the man and Oyo do their...