Summary
Harri, Mamma, and Lydia visit Auntie Sonia, who has a broken nose. Auntie Sonia claims to have dropped a suitcase on her face while searching in the closet, though the text indicates that Julius physically abuses her. Auntie Sonia buys Lydia a cell phone with a camera and Harri a remote-controlled car.
The local butcher, Nish, is arrested for being an undocumented immigrant. Lydia explains that Julius sells fake visas and assures Harri that their family resides in the UK legally.
Lydia also receives a box from home for her birthday. Overcome with homesickness, Lydia cries, and Harri tries to "save the day" by making Lydia laugh. For his present, Harri brings Lydia to a still-wet cement ramp and suggests she mark the spot with her footprints and signature, which the chapter visually represents. Harri asks the pigeon to guard the siblings' footprints.
At school, Harri and Poppy write their initials on a desk, indicating they belong together. Harri's friends discuss the disturbing nature of sexuality, expressing their fears about bestiality and pedophilia. During lunchtime, Miquita and Chanelle physically fight because Miquita accuses Chanelle of planning to report on Killa. Miquita tries to throw Chanelle out the window and kill her, but luckily, the teachers separate the two girls.
At home, Lydia and Harri watch the news. The newscaster comments on the rise of knife crime in London and the failure of the public to come forward with evidence identifying the perpetrators. Adding to the family's concerns, Agnes develops a fever. Harri has nightmares about being unable to save Agnes and attributes her illness to God's wrath. Then, Harri converses with the pigeon, who assures him Agnes will survive and that there is a heaven.
Harri prays for Agnes, promising his life in exchange for hers. Soon after, Agnes recovers from her fever, and Harri credits his prayers and the sacrifice of his alligator tooth for her health.
Lydia and Harri play pool at the Youth Club, and Harri spies on Killa and Miquita, who are smoking marijuana. Killa breaks Harri's binoculars, and Harri tells Dean that Killa has enough telltale signs of guilt to qualify him as a suspect in the dead boy's murder.
Harri and Jordan throw stones at passing buses for points and discuss which guns they will purchase when they have enough money. Jordan claims to know about guns because he had to bury a Glock as one of his missions for the Dell Farm Crew. Harri's mother gets off the bus that Harri and Jordan hit with stones, and she forbids Harri from seeing Jordan again. As Harri and Mamma walk away, Jordan spits at Harri, making them "enemies for life."
When Harri and Dean fail to find evidence for the case of the dead boy, they decide to collect forensic evidence to give to the police chief, namely fingerprints. Harri and Dean get Killa's fingerprints after he touches a window while pretending to be searched.
Later, when Harri walks to the principal's office to deliver a message, Killa drags him into the bathroom and threatens him with a "craft store knife," ordering Harri to give back his fingerprints.
Analysis
As Harri grows increasingly involved in the murder investigation, he incorporates police jargon into his vocabulary. Harri defines terms using his own experiences. For example, he explains that "stake-out" is " just another word for when you're watching for the bad guys." Harri doesn't connect the purpose of a stake-out (gathering information) with the action of a stake-out (observing).
During the stake-out, Harri and Dean speak like detectives, using phrases such as "Copy that" and "affirmative" and identify "suspects" using faux police descriptions, such as "unknown white male." The boys' stake-out blurs the line between imaginary play and reality. Though they do not uncover any relevant information during the stake-out, the stake-out inspires them to collect forensic evidence by stealing Killa's fingerprints. This choice puts both Harri and Dean in life-threatening danger.
Harri uses lists throughout the text to organize his thoughts and explain the patterns he observes. After the stake-out, Harri compiles a list of "signs of guilt," which include legitimate tells, like "talking too fast," and childlike tells, such as "uncontrolled gas."
Harri notices that something is wrong with Auntie Sonia's relationship with Julius. He describes his observations using language he learned while playing detective. For example, Harri notes that Julius was "holding her arm like he was a handcuff." This quotation, coupled with Harri's increased attention to detail, demonstrates how his preoccupation with solving the murder changes the way he looks at the world.
In Harri's "Creatures of the Deep book," he learns that sharks never sleep because they "have to keep swimming or they'll die." The shark serves as a metaphor for Harri and his peers. While living in a dangerous environment, the children maintain a state of constant vigilance and fear to keep themselves safe.
The text quickly transitions from descriptions of violence to mundane, juvenile observations. For example, after Harri watches Nish's wife get "her head trod on" during the couple's public arrest, Harri immediately states the non sequitur, "the next time I see Dean I'll ask him how he likes his new socks." Harri's random thoughts and associations demonstrate how, as a young child, he processes violence and oppression. Though Harri understands and is concerned for his safety, he is equally concerned with his childlike interests.
When Agnes develops a fever, Harri feels personally responsible because he "should have been good" but chose to hang around with bad influences, and "now God's going to destroy" the Opoku family. Harri reasons that God will "kill Agnes first" to teach Harri a lesson. This disturbing exploration of faith and superstition marks a change in Harri's character. At the beginning of the text, before Harri recognizes the crime and danger surrounding him, he describes the figure of God in friendly, pleasant terms, even imagining himself as God "easing himself on his favorite cloud." After Harri witnesses and participates in violence, he recognizes danger everywhere, even in his family life. Since the authority figures in Harri's life (like the police, the Dell Farm Crew, and Julius) are brutal punishers, Harri begins to see God as occupying a similar role.
Jordan explains that he buries guns in gardens. On one level, Harri understands that Jordan is hiding weapons for the Dell Farm Crew, but Harri associates burying things in the garden with planting plants. The parallel amuses him, because "if you're planting plants they'll grow into something. A gun doesn't even grow into anything." This observation has a double meaning: the text argues that violence, represented by the gun, cannot produce anything good, though violence can be nurtured like a plant in a garden.
Terry Takeaway lets Harri walk his pit bull, Asbo. Harri enjoys the power he exercises over Asbo and feels like he "owns" the dog. By the end of the walk, Asbo "stopped trying to get away." This walk is an allegory for how gangs like the Dell Farm Crew get children involved in crime. Just as Harri trains Asbo to walk beside him by complimenting him when he does something good and punishing him for resisting, the Dell Farm Crew courts Harri's interest by praising his strengths and scaring him when he disobeys.
