‘‘Civil Peace’’ begins in eastern Nigeria shortly after the civil war has concluded. Jonathan Iwegbu considers himself fortunate, as he, his wife Maria, and three of their four children have survived. Remarkably, he has also retained his old bicycle, which he now uses as a taxi. This taxi service allows him to earn money, and within two weeks, he has accumulated £150.

Jonathan then travels to Enugu, the capital city, and is overjoyed to discover that his house is still standing, despite nearby buildings being reduced to rubble by the war. Though the house requires some repairs, Jonathan quickly gathers available materials like zinc, wood, and cardboard. He hires a carpenter to complete the necessary work and soon moves his family back home.

The entire family works diligently to earn money and rebuild their lives. The children collect mangoes, and Maria prepares akara balls to sell. Unable to return to his previous job as a coal miner, Jonathan opens a bar for soldiers, operating it from his home. He feels grateful to have both a home and a job, unlike many of his fellow ex-miners.

The family is doing well, and their situation improves further when the government starts distributing "egg-rashers"—payments of twenty pounds in exchange for the Biafran money turned in by Nigerians. Jonathan leaves the office with his money safely in his pocket, ensuring no thief can steal it. That evening, he has trouble falling asleep but eventually does, only to be awakened by violent pounding on the front door. He calls out to ask who is there, and the reply comes: thieves.

Jonathan's family cries out for help from the police and neighbors, but no one responds. Eventually, they stop calling. The thieves then mockingly echo the family's pleas for help. Terrified, Jonathan's family is in distress—Maria and the children are crying while Jonathan groans. The leader of the thieves speaks again, sarcastically asking if he should call the soldiers, but Jonathan tells him not to. The thief then demands £100, threatening to break into the house if they don't comply. The voice fades, followed by a burst of automatic rifle fire. Maria and the children resume crying. The leader assures them not to cry, stating they only want some money and will leave afterward.

Jonathan mentions that, although he lacks £100, he does have twenty pounds from his egg-rasher. He insists that this is all the money he possesses, and the thief agrees to accept it. Some of the other thieves mutter that he has more money and suggest they should go inside and check, but the leader hushes them. Jonathan then retrieves the twenty pounds from his locked box to hand over to the thieves.

The following morning, neighbors come by to express their sympathy to Jonathan. However, Jonathan and his family are already busy with their daily tasks. He tells his well-wishers that the loss is insignificant; just a week earlier, he didn't even have the egg-rasher money, and he doesn't rely on it. It disappeared as easily as many other things did during the war.