Chapter summaries Cursed Daughters Oyinkan Braithwaite

Chapter 85: Chapter II – The Supermarket Encounter

⚠️ 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

Mo ties her hair into a ponytail, puts on a bandana, leggings, and a baggy T‑shirt, then heads to the supermarket to buy chin chin and other essentials. She briefly chats with a colleague of her mother’s and an old classmate, keeping the conversations polite. While selecting deodorant, she spots her ex‑boyfriend, Golden Boy, watching her. He is dressed impeccably in a pink shirt and cream trousers. Mo feels self‑conscious about her casual appearance and a pimple on her forehead.

Golden Boy approaches, and they exchange stilted pleasantries. Mo deflects his questions with sarcasm; he pays for her groceries despite her protests. After she finishes checking out, he offers her a ride home. She accepts, feeling as though the encounter is predestined and out of her control. During the drive, Mo briefly loses herself in a fantasy of eternal togetherness. He drives her straight home. As she gets out, he calls her back, opens his glovebox, and places a Haribo heart in her palm before driving away.

Key Events

  • Mo goes grocery shopping, dressed down and feeling self‑conscious.
  • She runs into Golden Boy at the supermarket.
  • Awkward conversation; Mo uses sarcasm to mask her vulnerability.
  • Golden Boy insists on paying for her groceries.
  • He drives her home, though she lives in a different direction.
  • Mo daydreams during the silent drive.
  • Golden Boy gives her a Haribo heart and leaves without explanation.

Character Development

Mo (Monife)

Mo oscillates between wanting to appear indifferent and being drawn to Golden Boy. Her sarcastic replies (“Fantastic. Wonderful. Superb.”) and refusal to acknowledge his hint (“You’re a professional foodie”) show her attempt to maintain emotional distance. Yet she notices his scent, imagines their meeting as fate, and feels foolish when he drives her straight home. The fantasy of being “together for all of eternity” reveals that she still harbours unresolved feelings. The chapter ends with her holding the Haribo heart—a symbol of his lingering influence.

Golden Boy

Golden Boy is confident yet appears unsettled. His tailored clothing and gold ring contrast with the humble shopping basket containing sanitary pads and oatmeal. When Mo asks about married life, he frowns before correcting his expression, suggesting marital dissatisfaction. His persistence in paying, offering a ride, and giving the candy heart indicates a desire to reconnect, but his actions are ambiguous. He is neither fully committed to his marriage nor ready to declare his feelings for Mo.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Fate vs. Self‑determination

Mo feels the encounter is “all predestined” and that she “never really had a choice.” The supermarket meeting seems coincidental, yet she interprets it as inevitable. This motif recurs when she imagines that three years apart is “merely a blip.” Her passivity—accepting his payment, the ride, the candy—suggests she is caught between wanting to move on and being pulled back.

Masks and Performance

Both characters adopt roles. Mo wears a bandana and baggy clothes, but wishes she had worn something “fitted, in a bold colour.” Golden Boy appears like a “Hugo Boss ad,” yet his basket contains mundane items. Their conversation is a performance of politeness; Mo’s sarcasm is a shield, while Golden Boy’s laughter masks tension. The Haribo heart—a childish, manufactured token—underscores the artificiality of their reunion.

Consumerism and Emotional Detachment

The supermarket setting turns a personal encounter into a transaction. Golden Boy pays for Mo’s goods, as if trying to settle an emotional debt. When Mo jokes about the cost “cancelling years of therapy,” she highlights the inadequacy of material gestures. The glossy items (BMW, gold ring, Haribo heart) contrast with the messiness of real feelings.

The Past as a Haunting Presence

Mo’s repeated references to “three years” and the careful avoidance of deeper topics show that the past still colours the present. The silent drive creates a “vacuum” that suspends time, but the moment is shattered when he stops at her house. The Haribo heart is a tangible piece of their shared history.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks the first face‑to‑face interaction between Mo and Golden Boy since his marriage. It reintroduces the central romantic conflict and signals that Mo’s emotional recovery is incomplete. The ambiguous ending—he gives her a heart and drives away—leaves the reader uncertain about Mo’s ability to resist re‑entering a painful dynamic. The motif of fate versus agency runs throughout the novel, and here it crystallises in Mo’s surrender to what she feels is inevitable.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Mo feel she has “no choice in the matter” when Golden Boy offers her a ride?

Mo interprets the entire encounter as fate. Despite her ability to refuse the ride or to walk away in the store, she believes that events are predetermined. This belief reflects her internal conflict: part of her wants to resist him, but another part longs to be close to him. Her resignation (“none of it was in her control”) is a defence mechanism that absolves her of responsibility for her own choices.

2. What is the significance of the Haribo heart at the end of the chapter?

The Haribo heart is a sentimental token from their past relationship, likely a private joke or habit. In the present context, it serves as a reminder of their shared history and of Golden Boy’s lingering affection. The fact that he keeps these candies in his glovebox suggests he still thinks about her. For Mo, the heart is a bittersweet object—a promise of sweetness that is cheap and artificial, much like the hope of reconciliation.

3. How does the supermarket setting contribute to the emotional tension of the scene?

Supermarkets are ordinary, mundane spaces, which makes the charged encounter feel jarring. The public setting forces Mo and Golden Boy to maintain a veneer of civility. Their conversation is stilted because emotions are bottled up. The act of paying for groceries reduces their complex history to a simple transaction, while items like insecticide, sanitary pads, and plantain chips ground the dialogue in everyday reality, contrasting with the romantic tension. The setting also emphasises surveillance—Mo’s mother’s colleague, the old classmate, the cashier—making the reunion feel both accidental and inevitable.

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