Kambili rides with Mama, Celestine, and the new steward Okon to the prison. Celestine, a gentle man hired by Mama because he lacks a neck scar, drives them past familiar market stalls where he offers oranges. Mama, still haunted by the accusation that she poisoned Papa, appears disheveled and detached. Kambili reflects on the family’s extensive bribery of judges, police, and prison guards to secure Jaja’s release, and on the hidden generosity of Papa’s estate.

At the prison, they are ushered into a bleak, mold‑stained visiting room where a jaundiced guard with a toothpick eyes the bag of fruit and cash they bring. After an hour, Jaja is escorted in. He is gaunt, covered in scabs, and confined to a cramped cell with a plastic bag toilet and constant fights over sunlight. Kambili notes his deteriorating physical condition after three years, his occasional hierarchy with cell chief Oladipupo, and his silence about the circumstances that led to his transfer to a worse cell.

Kambili reads recent letters: Amaka’s political pleas to officials, Obiora’s cheerful school updates, and Father Amadi’s spiritually focused missives, all of which she carries for comfort. She also mentions Aunty Ifeoma’s cassette recordings sent to Jaja.

During the visit, Mama timidly serves jollof rice and chicken on a china plate, despite Jaja’s preference for eating directly from the flask. Kambili tells Jaja that lawyers will secure his freedom next week; he acknowledges it flatly, his eyes hardened by guilt. The guard eventually removes Jaja, ending the visit.

Outside, Mama thanks Kambili for her support, a rare unprompted expression. Kambili promises to take Jaja to Nsukka after his release, then travel to America to visit Aunty Ifeoma, and eventually return to plant orange trees, hibiscus, and ixora. The chapter closes with Kambili and Mama sharing a hopeful moment under low clouds, envisioning new rains and a fresh start.