After all, as Esi realizes in Chapter, and articulates to herself clearly, within this chapter, for the first time, Ali's presents are no substitute for Ali's presence, of which there no has come to be entirely too little in Esi's life.

Esi also comes to understand, within Chapter 20, that she has essentially traded her first, claustrophobic marriage to Oko for an altogether opposite marriage, one in which she never even sees her second husband. Fusena, and his children with her remain Ali's priority, as Esi slowly and painfully comes to understand. After Ali presents Esi with her new maroon sports car, announcing to her proudly, "This is your car, and here are the keys" (p. 147), as if all should be fine now, both soon realize, shortly thereafter when they go inside to eat breakfast together, that when they have finished discussing the car itself, they have nothing more...
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