Chapter 97 Summary & Analysis: A Series of Collisions in the Parking Lot
⚠️ 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
While waiting for her mother at the train station, Sahaara struggles to quiet her anxiety after Masi threatened to report her mother for being undocumented. She texts Jeevan, who tries to reassure her, but the fear remains. Sahaara also brings up her recent meeting with Sunny, and Jeevan’s cautious response leaves her feeling frustrated. As she looks up from her phone, she sees a police officer guiding her mother into a squad car. Sahaara runs across the parking lot, narrowly avoiding being hit by a car. The officer tells her they are holding her mother until Canada Border Services Agency arrives. Through the car window, Sahaara locks eyes with her mother, who tells her she loves her and asks her to attend class the next day. Overwhelmed by the absurdity of the request, Sahaara laughs and agrees.
Key Events
- Sahaara picks up her mother at the station and reflects on how much her driver’s license helps her mother avoid waiting in the rain.
- She texts Jeevan about her anxiety over Masi’s threat to report her mother’s undocumented status.
- Sahaara tells Jeevan she spent time with Sunny; Jeevan sends a skeptical reply and then backs off.
- A police officer puts Sahaara’s mother in the back of a squad car.
- Sahaara runs toward the car, almost getting hit by another vehicle.
- The officer explains they are holding her mother for CBSA because of immigration concerns.
- Sahaara speaks to her mother through the car window; her mother tells her she loves her and insists she go to class tomorrow.
- Sahaara laughs at the request and says “Okay.”
Character Development
Sahaara moves from a state of distracted worry to full-blown crisis. Her earlier attempts to distract herself—sketching, reading, texting—are no match for the reality of her mother’s arrest. She shows fierce protectiveness when she sprints across the lot and demands to speak with her mother. Her laughter at her mother’s request to go to class reveals a mix of shock and dark humor; she recognizes the absurdity of maintaining normalcy when her world is shattering.
Sahaara’s mother displays a striking shift. Normally guarded, her eyes fill with tears as she looks at her daughter. Her parting words (“I love you” and “go to your class”) emphasize her desire to shield Sahaara from the full weight of the crisis, even as she herself faces deportation. Her insistence on school mirrors her lifelong dedication to giving her daughter a stable future.
Jeevan continues as a grounding presence, though his texting style shows he is careful not to overstep. His skepticism about Sunny hints at his protective role in Sahaara’s life, but he pulls back when he senses her irritation, showing he values their connection over being right.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Immigration Insecurity – A personal threat becomes a police action. Masi’s empty threat turns real when an officer appears, illustrating how precarious an undocumented person’s life can be.
Mother-Daughter Bond – The chapter’s emotional core is the brief exchange through the car window. Sahaara and her mother communicate love and a promise of normalcy in the face of possible separation.
The Absurdity of Normalcy – Sahaara’s laugh at her mother’s request to attend class highlights the clash between crisis and routine. The motif of “class” appears as a fragile lifeline that the mother clings to.
Collision as Symbol – The title “a series of collisions” works on multiple levels: the near-crash in the parking lot, Sahaara’s emotional impact, and the collision of her family’s private anxiety with public law enforcement.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter marks the moment when a previously whispered fear becomes an undeniable reality. The police involvement escalates the stakes from emotional stress to legal peril. It sets up the central question of the book’s remaining chapters: can Sahaara keep her promise to her mother, and can her mother avoid deportation? The parking lot scene also deepens Sahaara’s character, showing her capacity for action and her raw vulnerability. The chapter forces readers to sit with the helplessness that families facing immigration enforcement experience daily.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Sahaara laugh when her mother asks her to go to class the next day?
Sahaara laughs because the request is absurdly out of proportion with the crisis. Her mother is being detained for immigration review, yet she focuses on school routine. The laugh is a release of tension and a way for Sahaara to cope with the overwhelming situation without breaking down completely.
2. How does Jeevan’s texting style reveal his role in Sahaara’s life?
Jeevan offers reassurance, but his “. . .” and long typing show he is holding back a stronger opinion. He pulls back when Sahaara becomes defensive, prioritizing their friendship over being right. This suggests he acts as a careful emotional support who respects Sahaara’s autonomy.
3. What does the phrase “pride or shame” reveal about Sahaara’s mother?
Sahaara wonders whether her mother’s refusal to look at her stems from pride or shame, and then decides the two might be the same for her mother. This reveals that her mother typically holds herself with dignity and suppresses vulnerability. Not meeting her daughter’s eyes shows she is deeply ashamed of being seen in this powerless state, yet her pride prevents her from openly breaking down.