Akata Witch: Chapter 12 Summary & Analysis

On Saturday morning, Sunny gathers with other Leopard People in Leopard Knocks. Since she’s with Leopard People, she doesn’t have to pretend to be sensitive to the sun—and she can’t stop smiling. When the funky train pulls up, it’s covered in Christian slogans. Chichi explains that this will change once they reach a Muslim-majority area. The driver, a man called Jesus’s General, gets out and begins haggling with people for the price of the trip to the festival. Anatov takes care of negotiating for his, Chichi, Sunny, Orlu, and Sasha’s ride. As Sunny follows her friends onto the funky train, she accidentally hits a handsome boy in the head with her backpack. They find seats and soon, the train is off.

Leopard Knocks is paying for Anatov, Sasha, Chichi, Orlu, and Sunny to stay at a fancy Hilton hotel in Abuja. They have a busy day: Sunny must get her juju knife, they’ll see the wrestling finals, and then there are events, including a soccer match, all afternoon and evening. The kids are all sharing a suite, and they celebrate once Anatov leaves them alone in the room. Chichi sniffs that the room is “toxic,” and Orlu says he hates how extravagant the hotel is. Chichi and Sasha start to whisper over a book, and Chichi acts guilty when Sunny asks what she’s doing. But Sasha changes the subject and tells Sunny that they should both play in the soccer match later—even if Sunny is a girl.

Once Sunny, Sasha, Orlu, and Chichi have showered and changed, they head for the funky train. As Chichi and Sasha talk music with Jesus’s General, Orlu tells Sunny to be careful; she’s new, and things will be odd and unfamiliar. Sunny asks if Orlu’s parents and Chichi’s mother are friends. Uncomfortably, Orlu explains that Chichi’s mother is a brilliant Nimm priestess, which means she was chosen at birth to be sold to a goddess named Nimm. She’s not allowed to marry, must reject wealth, and has Nimm as a last name. After a minute of silence, Sunny asks Orlu how she’s supposed to keep all this secret from her family. Orlu reminds her that the trust knot prevents her from saying anything, but he suggests she try to find out more about her grandmother.

The funky train takes Anatov, Sasha, Orlu, Sunny, and Chichi to the Abuja Lamb market. At a shaded part of the market, they find Junk Man’s booth. He clearly looks like he’s more than just a Lamb vendor. Anatov greets him loudly and Junk Man points to Sunny. He tells her to look around. Sunny studies the various objects in the stall and finally finds a cardboard box filled with knives. Junk Man appears beside her. He asks if she’s American and if her parents are Nigerian, and then declares that Sunny is from America and Nigeria. Then, he tells her to simply close her eyes and reach into the box of knives.

Sunny does as she’s told—and snatches her hand back when a knife cuts her. Junk Man fishes out the knife that cut Sunny, which has a plain silver handle and a blade of a green glassy material. He, Orlu, and Sasha all seem intrigued by the knife—and the kids gasp when Junk Man says the knife costs 13 copper chittim, a small fortune. But Junk Man says he doesn’t negotiate on juju knives; Sunny has to pay up. Sunny pays for her knife and then, after Anatov looks at it, she accepts the knife from Junk Man.

As soon as Sunny takes the juju knife, she yelps. It feels like the knife is part of her hand. Anatov assures her that’s normal, and then Chichi coaches Sunny through calling music. Two copper chittim fall at her feet when she successfully does so. Pleased, Junk Man gives Sunny a little blue bean that sounds like it’s giggling; she must put it under her bed and wait. Sasha negotiates to purchase a big brown conch shell, which garners a meaningful look from Anatov.