Honey & Spice

These chapters focus more closely on the main narrative strand: the romantic relationship between Kiki and Malakai, charting their progress as they fall in love, and developing the theme of Love and the Risk of Betrayal. Their vulnerability and increasing trust of one another increases as they learn each other’s backstory. Kiki learns how much it upsets Malakai that his father considers him irresponsible and doesn’t support Malakai’s wish to become a filmmaker, as he considers it a frivolous profession. His father’s hypocrisy in that he has been sexually unfaithful to Malakai’s mother furthers the complicated relationship Malakai has with his father and is revealed as the impetus for Malakai’s avoidance of committed relationships, as he fears he might end up behaving like his father. Extending the examples of manipulative men, Kiki shares the same emotional beat and sense of vulnerability when she reveals how Nile attempted to seduce her, then lied and said she pursued him. This theme reaches its climax in Chapter 21 when Zack appears at the party and attempts again to manipulate Kiki, showing a complete disregard for her feelings and simply attempting to use her to get what he wants, which in this case is popularity among the student body. In Chapter 22, Malakai’s openness and respect for Kiki and her boundaries, including during sex, provide a favorable juxtaposition to these negative male characters and strengthen his position as the narrative’s romance hero.

Kiki’s increasing trust and vulnerability with Malakai goes hand in hand with her developing friendships with Shanti and Chioma. Their camaraderie in the car, sharing music and talk about boys, is like a life session of Brown Sugar, only this time, instead of feeling safe behind the mic, Kiki feels truly integrated and included. She learns that it’s no longer necessary to fence herself off from friendship for fear of getting hurt. Her healing and maturity in this respect are aided by the reconciliation with Rianne, in which Malakai plays a key role, as it is his doing that she is at RomCom and Malakai finds Rianne and her new boyfriend to interview for their film. The transcript of the interview is lively, the transcription provides stylistic variation while giving room to other characters’ voices, and the story of how Rianne and Amari fell in love provides information that Kiki will use later when determining if she is in love with Malakai.

Malakai’s dressing up as Niyo provides humor and helps characterize his attractiveness to Kiki, but it also signals the subtext of his emotions: He wants to be her partner in a real sense. This narrative device allows Babalola to show the characters as if they are already in acknowledged relationship, prefiguring their romantic happy ending. Being Niyo and Shangaya, even briefly, allows the two protagonists the imaginative space to consider being together, which helps them cautiously progress into a connection that becomes both physical and emotional. He proves his devotion by turning down the girls who flirt with him at the convention and by helping make this dream come true for Kiki. The almost-kiss provides a moment where Kiki is scared by the intensity of her feelings and retreats, but the time away makes her fall harder when she sees him, thus knitting them more firmly together. Malakai’s enjoyment of this fantasy role-playing with her, along with their shared project and feelings of companionship otherwise, continue to illustrate how he is the preferred romantic partner, a compatibility brought into play through the contrast of Zack.

Malakai sees Kiki and wants to give her what she wants, a very different level of relationship. Throughout, the novel shows that Malakai has been in touch with and honest about his feelings, ready to evolve and grow. Kiki’s progress moves forward in fits and starts, as she battles her wounds and guardedness, supplying narrative tension and conflict. Shanti’s flirtatiousness with Ty and Aminah’s with Kofi show other relationships in their early stages, providing contrast and parallel and building a sense of community, part of the novel’s theme of Community Versus Competition, as the couples support each other.