Why did Beah change his mind about Esther???

In Chapter Seventeen, Esther begins to show a special interest in Beah, leading Alhaji to tease him that she “likes” him. Beah ponders her motives but cannot comprehend them. He becomes angry when she asks him his name (because he knows she knows it), but when he tells her his name she tells him her own: Esther. She expresses a desire to be his friend, but only if she can trust him. Throughout their subsequent visits, Esther turns the tables on Beah by making it seem that he needs to earn her trust rather than the other way around. Beah responds to her overtures, particularly when she buys him a Walkman cassette player and rap tapes.