Surprise divorce

We've found lodgings at Emmanuel's place, pictured.

Emmanuel is a wonderfully generous chap who has travelled a lot and introduced me to a few family members kicking around the compound. The true identity of sisters, daughters, cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers and other step- and half- family members usually remains a complete mystery in situations like this. It's impossible to know who is a blood relative and how close they are related. Best just to nod along and greet the tenth sister introduced, who may be the half-cousin of a third cousin twice removed on the father's side, also doubling as a housekeeper and nanny.

As if the family setup didn't seem complicated enough, on introducing me to a woman who did seem to be his biological daughter, he confirmed his wife, living in the US, had divorced him to marry another man. The first he knew of this was when the papers arrived in the post. I say he's had a lucky escape to be unchained from someone who would show such discourtesy.