Enugu

Enugu is the city where Okenwa's parents live in the narrative present. Two times each month, Okenwa travels from his home in Port Harcourt to visit them. While at their Enugu apartment, Okenwa humors his parents by listening to their supernatural tales. During one such afternoon, Okenwa's mother mentions Raphael, and triggers Okenwa's descent into memory.

Raphael's Childhood Home

With the exception of the story's opening two pages, the entirety of the narrative is set in Raphael's childhood home. Though the house is comfortable, Okenwa perpetually feels isolated. His parents are always distracted with academic and philosophic concerns, leaving Okenwa to play alone in his room. However, even his room feels wrong. It is filled with books that Okenwa never reads, making him feel like an outsider in his own space.

The atmosphere of the place changes when Okenwa and Raphael become friends. Okenwa stops hiding in his...