Summary

Njoroge’s first reading lesson involves chatter, laughter and joking and, upon returning home, he tries to share what he has learned with Kamau, but his brother is not interested. Njoroge’s teacher, Isaka, encourages a casual approach to his lessons, and is rumored to take a casual approach in his personal life as well, smoking, drinking and flirting with women.

Mwihaki eventually asks Njoroge why he is avoiding her, and does not believe him when he says that she comes out of school too late. Nonetheless, they continue talking and playing together on their way home. They discuss their parents, and Njoroge thinks about his mother's reaction to a local Indian boy giving him a piece of candy. As they draw near to Mr. Howlands' house, Njoroge tells Mwihaki about meeting, and being afraid of, Stephen Howlands, when...