With the Fire on High

Malachi chases after the boy who ran away with Emoni’s purse. He catches up to him, and the boy says that he and his siblings are hungry and must beg. Emoni is saddened by this story and gives him five euros. Emoni holds Malachi close, and they kiss and touch. Emoni is breathless with excitement, and she says that she “can’t remember Tyrone ever touching me like this” (319). They then head to a nearby bar. In the bar, there are Americans doing shots, but Emoni and Malachi avoid them. Emoni tells Malachi about how guys thought she was promiscuous after she got pregnant. She explains that she is still not ready for sex with him.

Amanda, Richard, and Leslie join Malachi and Emoni’s table. The others have been drinking heavily, and Leslie gets aggressive towards Emoni. Leslie throws up on her shoes, and they are all ordered out of the bar. Malachi and Emoni take the intoxicated and sick Leslie back to their host’s house. They manage to get Leslie into her bed, and Emoni puts the vomit-covered shoes into Leslie’s make-up bag. In “Boys Will Be,” Emoni reflects on her relationship with Tyrone and how he behaved kindly towards her at first but was neglectful after she became pregnant, even cheating on her.