The chapter opens with Mama bringing Kambili’s freshly washed school uniform to her room and announcing that she is expecting a baby in October after a visit to the doctor. Mama recounts villagers’ rumors about the family’s past miscarriages and compares Papa to Mr Ezendu’s second wife, emphasizing his fidelity. The family later hears a radio announcement of a coup, prompting Papa to fetch his phone and call his editor, Ade Coker, about covering the event. Over the next days the family reads the daily newspapers, noting a critical editorial in the Standard that calls for a speedy return to democracy and hearing soldiers’ commentary on the coup.

During this period, Kevin decorates the family car with green branches to slip past roadblocks, and the family attends evening benediction at St. Agnes where a newly ordained visiting priest sings an Igbo hymn. After Mass, Papa and Kambili return home, where Papa places his missal and bulletin on the dining table; Mama offers to pour tea, but Papa declines.

Later, Papa receives a call from the police informing him that Ade Coker has been arrested by soldiers while driving his editorial car. Later that evening Ade Coker is released, and Papa comforts Kambili with a gentle hug.

The family then travels to visit Papa‑Nnukwu’s modest rural home for the first time since the new year. At the visit, Papa‑Nnukwu, a frail elderly man, greets the children, sits on a low stool, and prays for the family. The children help with chores, and Kambili watches as Papa‑Nnukwu attempts to draw lines in the dirt as part of his traditional prayer. Shortly after, Papa‑Nnukwu collapses; a frantic scene follows, culminating in his death being confirmed by a doctor. The family spends a tense night praying, with Papa pleading for his father’s soul and the family sharing grief.

In the wake of the death, the family packs and travels to Nsukka to stay with Aunty Ifeoma. They arrive at her flat, meet her teenage cousins—Amaka, Obiora, and Chima—and are welcomed with food, music, and a tour of the cramped apartment. While there, they learn that the university has been closed due to student riots and a recent massacre of activists, and they hear rumors of a pilgrimage to Aokpe. Aunty Ifeoma’s husband, Father Amadi, arrives for dinner; he is a young priest with an Irish accent who sings and discusses the upcoming pilgrimage, the recent execution of three men, and the political unrest. Father Amadi also offers to take Kambili and Jaja to a football game at the university stadium later that week.

Throughout the Nsukka stay, the cousins argue about school rankings, share stories of the university’s turmoil, and debate the merits of traditional versus modern education. Mama and Aunty Ifeoma discuss the lack of gas cylinders and the difficulty of cooking, while Kambili helps with household chores and watches Aunty Ifeoma paint a portrait of Papa‑Nnukwu. The chapter ends with Kambili returning home with Jaja after the Nsukka visit, the family grieving Papa‑Nnukwu’s death, and Papa warning the children about the dangers of associating with heathen practices while promising to protect them.