Based on the novel The Lekki Headmaster, what proverb does Bepo recall from his Idoma co-tenant?

Answer Details

The proverb Bepo recalls from his Idoma co-tenant states that the sugarcane and the bitter leaf get different tastes from the same rain. This is a traditional African saying that illustrates how the same circumstances or experiences can produce very different outcomes depending on the nature of the recipient.

In the context of the novel, this proverb reflects one of its central themes: that migration and life's challenges affect different people in different ways. Some characters thrive when they relocate abroad, while others face hardship or ruin. The rain (representing shared circumstances such as the desire to emigrate) nourishes the sugarcane into sweetness but leaves the bitter leaf bitter. The proverb is a reminder that identical opportunities do not guarantee identical results.

The Idoma are an ethnic group from Benue State in Nigeria, and this proverb carries the cultural wisdom of that community. The other options either state generic platitudes or do not match the specific proverb attributed to the Idoma co-tenant in the novel.