When Korede and Ayoola were young, a boy came to their house to express interest in Ayoola. “Father received him well” (181), but Korede knew that it was a mask. Ayoola enjoyed the attention and did not heed Korede’s warnings.

When the boy left, father took the cane and ordered Ayoola to strip so he could beat her for behaving wantonly. Korede joined her to hold her hand. He only stopped when Korede reminded him that Ayoola “will scar and people will ask questions” (184).

Chichi sells shoes at the hospital. Korede finds Muhtar’s wife and his brother in Muhtar’s room. The wife insults Korede’s looks and her station. Korede asks them to leave, which the woman ignores until Muhtar, with “an authority to his voice I have not heard before” (189), throws them out. The wife wants him to approve of their son’s marriage because the girl’s father is running for governor. 

A vision of dead Tade who says to Korede, “’You did this’” (190).