As a child, Jonny tells his mother that he sees the ghost of his grandfather (his mom's father). His mother and kokum become concerned and conduct a ceremony to cleanse the house of spirits. Terrified, Jonny sleeps with his mother every night for nearly a year.

Roger, his stepfather, tells him the story of the mannegishi: they are a supernatural Cree cultural figure that love shiny things. Roger takes Jonny around the house to search for them and shows him how to leave a tinfoil bowl of jellybeans under his bed as an offering. Jonny's kokum tells him that the mannegishi are also helpful: they once helped her find lost car keys. His experiences learning about the spirit world overall make Jonny feel like he is "living on borrowed time" (207).

The narrative jumps to immediately after Jonny meeting up with the Southeast Asian client. He takes a cab home; in his apartment, he has messages from more potential clients. He uses collect calling to instant message his mom; her phone has been cut off due to an unpaid bill. He promises he will be back the following day. He also has a message from