Chapter summaries Cursed Daughters Oyinkan Braithwaite

Chapter XII: Family Confrontation and Buried Secrets

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The Falodun family is gathered at Grandma West’s house, sorting her belongings after her death. Grandma East makes a dry joke about tobacco in heaven, briefly lightening the mood. Their quiet is broken by a car horn; Uncle Tolu answers the door to find Kalu (Golden Boy) asking to speak with Eniiyi. Ebun immediately blocks him, but Eniiyi insists she can handle the conversation.

Kalu apologises for hurting their family, blaming his own fear and social insecurity for mistreating Mo. Ebun refuses his apology, prompting Tolu to turn on her, accusing her and his late mother (Grandma West) of being the true causes of Mo’s despair. Tolu reveals that Ebun and Grandma West insisted Mo have an abortion and then, when Mo’s relationship with Kalu soured, pushed her toward a “witch doctor.” Eniiyi and Kalu learn for the first time of the abortion. Ebun collapses to her knees, apologising to Eniiyi.

Tolu then apologises to Kalu: he reveals that he deleted a voicemail from Kalu saying he wanted the child, because he thought it would only cause Mo more pain after the abortion. He now wonders if that message might have changed Mo’s fate. Kalu prostrates himself in contrition. As he starts to leave, Eniiyi stops him and gives him a tin box she found under the tree — containing a handkerchief, watch, cufflinks, a sweet, and Zubby’s leather bracelet. She asks Kalu to return the bracelet to Zubby, but he insists she keep it. He notes she is left-handed, says he is glad to have met her, and departs.

Key Events

The family sorts Grandma West’s belongings; Grandma East’s joke breaks the tension.
Kalu arrives unexpectedly and asks to speak with Eniiyi.
Kalu attempts to apologise for his role in Mo’s suffering.
Uncle Tolu confronts Ebun, accusing her and Grandma West of forcing Mo to have an abortion and then sending her to a witch doctor.
Ebun confirms the abortion and apologises to Eniiyi.
Tolu reveals he deleted Kalu’s apologetic voicemail, believing it would hurt Mo further.
Kalu prostrates fully as a sign of remorse.
Eniiyi gives Kalu the tin box containing personal items and Zubby’s bracelet, asking him to return it to Zubby.
Kalu declines the bracelet, notes Eniiyi’s left-handedness, and leaves.

Character Development

Eniiyi demonstrates growing independence and empathy: she insists on speaking with Kalu herself, chooses not to interrupt him, and later initiates the gift of the tin box. By returning the bracelet, she signals her intention to close that chapter and move forward on her own terms.
Ebun is exposed as a deeply flawed figure. Her earlier protective posture toward Eniiyi is complicated when Tolu reveals she helped force Mo’s abortion and later hid the truth. Her tearful apology shows guilt but comes too late to undo the harm.
Tolu emerges as a truth-teller, openly blaming the older women for their role in Mo’s destruction. His confession about deleting Kalu’s message adds a layer of tragedy and self-blame, revealing his own guilt.
Kalu arrives humble and contrite. His full prostration and weeping over the tin box show genuine remorse, but Eniiyi stops his story from overlapping with hers, drawing a firm boundary.
Grandma East is implicated by Tolu’s accusation but offers little defence, folding her arms and weeping; she appears complicit in the culture of shame and control.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Buried family secrets: The abortion, the witch doctor, and the deleted voicemail are all truths that have been hidden until now. The act of sorting Grandma West’s possessions mirrors the digging up of these secrets.
Intergenerational harm: The elder women (Ebun, Grandma East, Grandma West) passed down a cycle of shame and control, pushing Mo toward dangerous choices. Tolu’s vasectomy is a direct rejection of that cycle.
Prostration and apology: Kalu’s full prostration is a powerful physical symbol of humility and submission, but it does not erase the past. Eniiyi’s quiet refusal to accept his story’s overlap with hers shows the limits of apology.
The tin box: Contains mementos of a lost life — a handkerchief, watch, cufflinks, a sweet — linking Mo’s presence to the earth. Eniiyi’s decision to hand it to Kalu signifies her releasing not only Zubby’s bracelet but also the hold the past has on her.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point. It shatters the family’s silence about Mo’s abortion and the role of Ebun and Grandma West in driving her toward desperation. The confrontation forces every character to confront their own complicity. For Eniiyi, hearing the truth about her mother’s past allows her to see Ebun’s flaws clearly, while her own act of giving away the bracelet marks a decisive step toward her autonomy. The chapter also reframes the character of Mo not merely as a victim of Kalu’s rejection, but as someone failed by multiple people, including her own mother and grandmother.

Study Questions and Answers

What new information about Mo’s depression is revealed during Tolu’s confrontation?
Tolu reveals that Mo had an abortion, insisted upon by Ebun and Grandma West, who thought the pregnancy would ruin Mo’s chances with a “good” man. Later, when Mo’s relationship with Kalu ended, the same women pushed her toward a traditional healer or “witch doctor” to fix her situation. This shows that Mo’s depression had roots in family pressure and shame, not only Kalu’s rejection.
Why does Tolu apologise to Kalu, and what does his apology reveal about his own guilt?
Tolu admits he deleted a voicemail from Kalu in which Kalu said he wanted the child and was sorry. At the time, Tolu believed the message would only cause Mo more pain because she had already had the abortion. He now wonders if hearing that message could have given Mo hope and changed her fate. His apology reveals that he carries guilt for making a choice that may have removed a potential lifeline.
What is the significance of Eniiyi giving away Zubby’s bracelet?
The bracelet was a gift from Zubby that Eniiyi found in the tin box. By asking Kalu to return it to Zubby, Eniiyi symbolically ends any lingering connection to Zubby and to the complicated history between their families. Kalu’s attempt to refuse it shows he still wants to protect his son’s relationship with her, but Eniiyi’s insistence (“I can’t”) marks her determination to move forward without that tie.