The Short Fiction of Nalo Hopkinson focuses on superstition, which Beatrice tries to unfold unwarily. Beatrice is married to Sammy who has already lost three wives and she thinks that she can bring solace to him so that he can forget the past. Beatrice suspects Sammy to be superstitious because of his way of life. In his compound, there are two bottles strangely hanging on a guava tree and when she asks him what they mean, he reveals that they have hidden meanings and they prevent him from evil spirits. His late wives’ sprits are trapped in those two bottles but Sammy does not reveal that to Beatrice. At some point, unknowingly Beatrice breaks the bottles when trying to kill a snake that is eating two eggs from a bird’s nest. Without her knowledge, she releases the spirits of the dead women into the house she later lives with Sammy. When compared to other suitors who are after her, Beatrice realizes that Sammy is the best man for her. Firstly, Sammy is responsible and caring because he always picks her after classes. Secondly, he takes her to expensive restaurants and affords everything she wants. Thirdly, he is kind towards her mother because he is ready to sacrifice for her well-being. When her mother retires from her restaurant business, Sammy buys her a house. Therefore, Beatrice is sure that she has a bright future with Sammy.
After marriage, Beatrice moves to live with Sammy in his house in which he had lived with his three late wives. His house is big and modern with all household appliances. However, Beatrice realizes that Sammy likes it to be cool at all times. All the windows are closed and the room temperature is fully controlled by the fans. She finds it funny and most of the time she goes outside to bask on the sun at least to get some warmth. Sammy is not happy with her habit of going out to bask because he wants her to get used to the room temperature conditions.
Beatrice is the woman of the house and she has keys to each room but Sammy requests her not to open the third bedroom because that is where all the three late wives died. Since Sammy is out, Beatrice comes up with an idea of making him the best dinner but while preparing it in the kitchen, suddenly the house becomes abnormally warm. She gets uncomfortable and tries to find out the reason why the house is warm. No fans are working and she does not comprehend the reason behind it. She decides to look for the air conditioner controllers to bring the temperature down. She tries to locate the controllers in all rooms with vain and only left with one option, the third room that she is not supposed to open. However, she has no choice but to open it. After opening, the harsh reality slaps her face. The two bodies of Sammy’s late pregnant wives lay on a broad bed with solidified blood. The room is foggy and very cold. Due to confusion, the egg on her hand that she forgot to put in the port falls and smashes on the floor. She realizes that Samuel kills to punish any woman who tries to give birth to babies. He is inferior to his black skin and thinks that his children can be worse than he can. She convinces the dead spirits that Sammy killed the women so that they can spare her child.
