The story begins with Nene Atang and Nnaemeka engaged to be married. The first part of the story focuses on Nnaemeka's father's objections to the marriage, on the basis that his son's fiancée is from a different tribe. Nnaemeka hopes that his father (who is named Okeke) will change his mind, but his father is obstinate and refuses to give his blessing to the marriage.

Later in the story, Nnaemeka receives a letter from his father, which begins, "It amazes me that you could be so unfeeling as to send me your wedding picture." We are told that this letter is received "Six months later."

We are then told that, "For eight years, Okeke would have nothing to do with his son." The story then concludes with Okeke reading a letter from his son's wife, Nene Atung. In the letter, Nene implores Okeke to see his grandchildren. Okeke, thinking about the grandchildren he has never seen, feels "the resolution he has built up over so many years falling in."

By the end of the story, we can thus infer that Nene Atang and Nnaemeka have been married for approximately eight years.