The Mistress of Spices

For the first time, the lonely American visits the spice store during the day, and Tilo is pleased to find that he is no less attractive in daylight than he is at night. The American selects a packet of very spicy snack mix, and Tilo warns him that its heavy concentration of kalo marich—peppercorn—can force him to reveal his secrets. His choice and reaction to the snack’s heat initiate a deeper conversation. Tilo tells him that the snack is too hot for a white man, and he is initially surprised and offended that she has mistaken him for white. He then admits that people often make this mistake, and that he himself believed he was white throughout most of his childhood.

The American shares personal memories, particularly about his parents. He describes his father as a quiet, steady presence, whose hands and actions he recalls fondly. In contrast, his mother is a restless, beauty-conscious woman, constantly cleaning and maintaining appearances. Though he found her vanity tiresome, she was a loving mother, and he remembers her care for his appearance as a demonstration of love. As a child, he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and later, as an adolescent, he became angry when he came to understand how much her appearance depended on artifice. When a strange man came to the house looking for his mother, the lonely American learned more about her past. The man was her brother, and he told her that their grandfather, who had raised them, was dying. Their family was Indigenous, and he accused her of having left her people to pass as a white person. He called her Evvie, though the lonely American had always known her as Celestina.

The lonely American accompanied his mother to visit her dying grandfather in a run-down neighborhood. This journey and the people they encountered revealed aspects of his heritage and his mother’s hidden past. His reflections expose a mix of admiration, confusion, and disillusionment toward his parents, particularly his mother.

Tilo listens intently, empathizing with his experiences and emotions. The conversation leads them to exchange their names, an act of deep trust. The American reveals that his name is Raven, a name he chose himself, indicating a personal journey of identity. Tilo, in turn, shares her true name with him, a moment she acknowledges as unique and profound.

Tilo sees a newspaper headline that reads “Dotbusters Go Free,” and she wonders what it means. She then has a vision of a young Indian man, severely injured, recuperating in a hospital; then she moves inside his head to access his memory of being brutally assaulted by two young white supremacists. When his attackers are acquitted, the man stops speaking. Soon his relatives pool their resources to send the man and his wife back to India.

Grief-stricken, Tilo decides to split kalo jire seeds by hand—painstaking work—to give to Haroun for protection against anyone who would do him harm. She knows that, as a cab driver and a Muslim, Haroun is especially vulnerable to racially motivated violence.

Kwesi comes into the shop, and Tilo decides to let him put up a flyer for his dojo. She imagines that some of her customers may benefit from his instruction in martial arts and life.

Geeta’s grandfather visits the store, feeling more desperate than ever. He regrets his opposition to Geeta’s relationship with Juan, and he feels responsible for turning Geeta’s father against her. He has been pleading with Geeta’s father to reconcile with her, but Geeta’s father will not listen. Tilo concocts a powerful spice mixture for Geeta’s grandfather, granting him a golden tongue for an hour to persuade his family to reconcile with Geeta. She warns him that the spices will cause painful cramps. Tilo fears the consequences of bending the rules, but she cannot turn her back on those who come to her for help.

Tilo realizes her powers are waning, a consequence of her actions and desires that pull her away from her role. This realization hits hard when she fails to locate Haroun using her usual methods and has to rely on a telephone, a tool she’s unfamiliar with. Her desperation to help Haroun despite her diminishing powers underscores her deep sense of responsibility and compassion.

Tilo receives a note from Raven, inviting her to spend a day with him in the city. This invitation conflicts with her planned visit to Haroun, but she rationalizes her decision to go with Raven first and visit Haroun afterward. Her excitement about the outing is tinged with self-doubt and worry about their appearance as a couple, as well as concern for her responsibilities.