Ebun attends her cousin, Monife’s, funeral at Ikoyi Cemetery, reflecting that 10 days have passed since finding Monife’s note. She finds the pastor’s words inadequate and the sunny weather inappropriate. A nearby joyous funeral procession creates jarring contrast. Ebun sprinkles soil on the coffin as her mother, Kemi, wails. Monife’s brother, Tolu, walks away, barely speaking throughout the service. Ebun interprets his silence as condemnation, not grief. Pregnant and in pain, Ebun leaves early and waits by the car. The baby kicks hard, and, fearing she might faint, she sits under a palm tree. She reflects on the whirlwind 10 days: Monife’s note, the search, the news of the body, and now the burial. She waits for tears that will not come. When Kemi finds her and they drive home, Kemi makes small talk about the service. Ebun thinks that love killed Monife but agrees aloud that her cousin would have felt loved.

At home, Ebun discovers that photographs of Monife have been removed from the walls; all traces of her cousin have been erased from the family photo gallery. Upset, Ebun storms over to confront Aunty Bunmi. Her mother tries to stop her, but Ebun pushes past. She finds Bunmi with Grand-Aunty Sayo, Grand-Aunty Ronke, and spiritual adviser Mama G. When Ebun demands to know where the pictures are, Mama G explains it prevents Monife’s spirit from lingering. As Ebun advances, her water suddenly breaks. She bursts into tears, worried that she will lose the baby since she is five weeks early. When Bunmi suggests that Mama G could help, Ebun refuses and demands a hospital.

At the hospital, Ebun endures intense pain as nurses tell her to push. She screams and gives birth to a daughter. When the baby is placed in her arms, Ebun is overwhelmed by love. A nurse compliments the baby’s thick, coiled hair. The baby’s eyes open—wide-set and downturned, reminding Ebun of Monife. The baby is taken to be checked, and when she is returned, Ebun gives in to exhaustion and rests.

On Ebun’s second night in the hospital, she senses someone in her cubicle. A tall figure approaches the baby’s cot. Groggy from medication, Ebun struggles to move. She recognizes Monife. Monife, who is soaking wet, lifts the baby, cradling her gently. A water drop falls from Monife’s hairline onto the baby’s forehead. Ebun wakes with a start, realizing that it was a dream. Reassured to find her baby sleeping peacefully, she turns away, only to realize that her foot is wet. She is standing in a pool of water.

Then narrative flashes back to Ebun’s childhood, which was lonely. At age 11, she lived with her often-absent mother, Kemi, left alone with chores. This changed when Aunty Bunmi arrived with her two children after being abandoned by her husband. Sixteen-year-old Tolu was sullen, but 15-year-old Monife became a joyful presence in Ebun’s life. Monife engaged Ebun with games and listened intently. Ebun began imitating everything about Monife, who told her she always wanted a little sister. However, Monife suffered unpredictable bouts of severe depression, becoming withdrawn and bedridden. When episodes passed, she returned to being bright and loving, helping Ebun through puberty and teaching her their dark skin was beautiful. Monife told Ebun about the family curse.

The narrative relates that the curse began with Feranmi Falodun, a beautiful and talented woman who seduced a learned man from the city by sneaking into his room. The next day, as he prepared to leave, the village chief confronted him with Feranmi. To avoid scandal, the man paid a large bride price and married her, setting her up in a house but visiting infrequently over five years. When his first wife insisted on visiting, Feranmi refused to pretend to be a housemaid and presented herself and her daughter, Wemimo. The two wives fought violently. After being pulled apart, the first wife cursed Feranmi and all her female descendants to suffer for the sake of men. She sealed the curse by smearing her own blood on the ground. Feranmi laughed it off, but her husband never returned.

The narrative returns to 12-year-old Ebun and 16-year-old Monife. When Ebun says she does not believe in curses, Monife challenges her, suggesting that the curse might believe in her.

The morning after her dream, Kemi and Aunty Bunmi return to the hospital. Kemi asks about the baby’s father. Bunmi gasps when she sees the baby, exclaiming she is the spitting image of Monife. Bunmi lifts the baby and declares Monife has come back, pointing out the eyes and long forehead as proof. Distressed, Ebun counters by pointing out a birthmark Monife didn’t have. Bunmi interprets the mark as three fingerprints—a sign the baby was wrenched back from death. Kemi scolds Ebun for upsetting grieving Bunmi. Bunmi asserts that the baby is theirs and vows to love her even better this time.

Nine days after birth, before the naming ceremony, Ebun is presented with a cooked agama lizard head to eat as sacrifice. She notes Bunmi is almost always holding the baby and that Monife’s dog, Sango, constantly hovers nearby. Resigned, Ebun eats a piece of the lizard. The women proceed with the traditional ceremony, tasting symbolic condiments: honey for sweetness, kola nut to repel evil, alligator pepper for fruitfulness, water, palm oil, salt, and bitter kola. Bunmi pays to name the child and chooses “Motitunde,” which means “I have come again” (29). Kemi adds “Abidemi”, meaning “a female child born in the absence of her father” (29). Finally, Ebun names her daughter “Eniiyi.”

When Monife returns from university, the house is filled with thick incense. She enters her mother Bunmi’s darkened room to find her performing a ritual. Bunmi stands nearly naked with a glazed, red-eyed look, having ingested substances. She is using plants, herbs, and stones to make her ex-husband return. Monife stops the ritual and confronts her, realizing her mother is high on marijuana sold as a spiritual herb. Bunmi admits the ritual cost 100 naira—a large portion of her monthly salary—and came from Mama G. Monife gives her mother a T-shirt, collects the ritual items, and leaves to get food for her.

Monife decides to confront Mama G and seeks out Ebun for help. Ebun drives them to a shantytown where Mama G operates from a small shack. They confront Mama G about the money. Mama G states she does not give refunds, claiming the transaction has already happened in the spirit world. Monife tries to negotiate, but Mama G is immovable. She tells Monife that one day she, too, will need her services. As they leave, Ebun tells a man waiting for Mama G that her gods no longer answer her.

Driving back, Monife spots a hawker selling a black puppy. Despite Ebun’s protests, Monife haggles with the hawker. They settle on 75 naira, including dog food. The puppy immediately pees on Monife. When Ebun asks what she is thinking, Monife jokes the dog will blend into their “mad” house and acknowledges that their mothers will be furious.

That evening, Monife brings the puppy into the living room and finds Tolu hanging up with their father. Bunmi appears and asks if her ex asked for her. When Tolu hesitates before saying yes, Bunmi blames the curse. Monife tells her to stop, sparking an argument. Bunmi orders Monife to return the dog. Monife refuses—she is not the one spending money chasing a man who doesn’t want her. Bunmi slaps her. Kemi intervenes, suggesting that Bunmi remarry. Bunmi calls Kemi a “prostitute” for dating. Kemi fires back, saying that she pays bills while Bunmi follows evil spirits. The sisters trade insults in Yoruba. Kemi’s date arrives and she leaves. Bunmi orders the dog gone by next day.

Later, Monife is with Ebun and her boyfriend when a power cut occurs. They go to a football match to escape the heat. At the pitch, Monife’s attention is captured by a tall, light-skinned player with skillful movements. She observes him through her camera lens, captivated. He is playing on her boyfriend’s team, outplaying Tolu. After the game, she learns his name is Kalu, and a friend describes him as squeaky clean, a top student, and head boy—a golden boy.

Monife experiences a depressive episode and is unable to get out of bed. Ebun coaxes her out with a plan to develop photos. At the Kodak store, Ebun bluntly rejects the employee’s advances. When they pick up the photos, Monife finds the one of Kalu. Ebun holds a photo of their defeated mothers and asks if they will turn into them. Monife reassures her they will meet the loves of their lives and defy the curse.

Fikayo, a descendant of Feranmi with an autoimmune disease, marries a man who vows to be with her in sickness and in health. Although he is initially caring during her episodes, her husband becomes distant and neglectful, leaving her care to her sisters. One day, he declares this is not what he signed up for and leaves. Devastated, Fikayo stops eating and taking medication, wishing for death. When the episode ends, she survives and marches on.

A week later, Monife attends a house party and spots Kalu dancing badly with another girl. When her boyfriend goes for drinks, she finds Kalu leaning against a table. She walks up and calls him Golden Boy. He recognizes her from the football match. She asks him to dance. When he hesitates, she starts to walk away. He catches her wrist and says the place would lose all its color if she left. She leads him outside to a shadowed area. They introduce themselves: Monife Falodun and Kalu Kenosi. She pulls him close and kisses him. Ebun interrupts, saying Monife’s boyfriend is looking for her. Kalu realizes she has a boyfriend. Monife tells him her boyfriend is her soon-to-be ex because she has met Kalu.

Monife breaks up with her boyfriend. He is upset and asks why. She lies, saying she needs to focus on herself. After he leaves, Ebun finds Monife and points out that Kalu has not actually asked her out yet. Monife confidently replies that he will.

A week later, Kalu picks Monife up for a date. She realizes his house is the grand home where the party was held. They go to his floor, which he shares with his sisters. They sit watching MTV, talking, and flirting. She calls him Golden Boy for his golden skin, eyes, and heart. He asks her to be his girlfriend, and she says yes. Later, Monife returns home and finds Mama G visiting her mother. Annoyed, she resolves to keep Kalu away from her family until he is madly in love with her.

Monife feels her life before Kalu was insignificant. They spend all their time together. At his house, he sketches while she reads. She tells him he should be an artist, but he dismisses it due to his father’s expectations. They joke about running away as artists. At a party that evening, Kalu abandons Monife for an hour to help the party’s host, Lisa. Experiencing jealousy for the first time, Monife dances provocatively with Ola. When Kalu appears, he calmly tells Ola that Monife is his girlfriend. Irritated, Monife walks away. They argue. He apologizes and reveals he’s never had a girlfriend before. Surprised she’s his first, Monife softens. He says she needs to talk about her feelings and promises to correct his mistakes. She forgives him.

Monife leads Kalu to an empty bedroom, intending to have sex. She initiates a kiss. As things escalate, Kalu stops abruptly and asks if they should wait for marriage. Monife realizes he is a virgin and is shocked to learn he is 21. Kalu attributes it to his religious upbringing and suggests they could wait until they marry. He stumbles over a proposal, and Monife says she would say yes. They sit on the bed together. She asks if he minds that she is not a virgin, and he assures her it does not matter. He traces a scar on her thigh and asks how she got it. She lies, saying she got burned. In truth, she got the scar when her mother beat her and caused her to tip over a kettle while escaping. Now, sitting with Kalu, she feels hopeful that he can help her escape the family curse and have a promising future.