Chap­ter 4: Dodo begins in the cold dark­ness of Chick­en Hill, where Addie Tim­blin waits anx­ious­ly for her hus­band, Nate, to return home. As she waits, the Pottstown Asso­ci­a­tion of Negro Men is gath­ered around her kitchen table, engaged in ani­mat­ed dis­cus­sions filled with card games and gos­sip. The focus of their con­ver­sa­tion shifts to Miss Chona, a cru­cial yet ail­ing fig­ure in the com­mu­ni­ty, and her long­stand­ing impact on the Hill. The men, though half-heart­ed, acknowl­edge their debt to Miss Chona, but their atten­tion often drifts, reflect­ing the dis­trac­tions of their lives. Amid this, Addie finds her­self dis­tract­ed, reflect­ing on the lin­ger­ing echoes of the South, the tra­di­tions, and the dis­putes that shape the dynam­ics of their com­mu­ni­ty. The dis­cus­sion at the table seems to res­onate with the com­plex his­to­ry of the area, mir­ror­ing the strug­gles and hopes that each per­son car­ries with them.

Nate, known for his qui­et demeanor and mys­te­ri­ous past, stands in stark con­trast to the live­ly, some­times friv­o­lous con­ver­sa­tions that fill the room. His pres­ence shifts the atmos­phere imme­di­ate­ly, as the men regard him not only with respect but with the unspo­ken acknowl­edg­ment of his qui­et strength and unwa­ver­ing sup­port for the com­mu­ni­ty. Addie shares a con­cern that weighs heav­i­ly on her mind: Dodo, a young deaf boy with a deep con­nec­tion to Nate, has van­ished, most like­ly on his way to Philadel­phia. This rev­e­la­tion stirs the pre­vi­ous­ly pas­sive gath­er­ing, spark­ing con­cern among the men and a sense of urgency that was­n’t there before. Nate, dri­ven by a deep sense of respon­si­bil­i­ty, pre­pares to act, embody­ing the role of a pro­tec­tor, some­one the com­mu­ni­ty can rely on in times of uncer­tain­ty.

As Nate sets off in search of Dodo, the boy is found by a creek, absorbed in his own thoughts and dis­con­nect­ed from the world around him. Their meet­ing by the water is filled with unspo­ken emo­tions, a moment of qui­et under­stand­ing between the two. Dodo, despite his recent adven­ture, reveals his sim­ple, yet pro­found mis­sion: to cre­ate a gar­den of sun­flow­ers. This qui­et, inno­cent ges­ture sym­bol­izes hope and beau­ty amid the com­plex and often harsh world he nav­i­gates. Nate, ever patient and com­pas­sion­ate, does not react harsh­ly to Dodo’s wan­der­ings. Instead, he seeks to under­stand the deep­er mean­ing behind the boy’s actions, offer­ing gen­tle guid­ance rather than pun­ish­ment, demon­strat­ing his depth of care and insight into the com­plex­i­ties of Dodo’s life.

The chap­ter clos­es with a moment of ten­der­ness, high­light­ing the deep bond between Nate and Dodo. The dis­cov­ery of a crum­pled piece of paper, bear­ing the news of Dodo’s mother’s death, sym­bol­izes the fragili­ty of life on Chick­en Hill. This sim­ple yet pow­er­ful sym­bol reminds the read­er of the chal­lenges that shad­ow their lives. Despite the heavy weight of grief and loss, Nate reas­sures Dodo with a mes­sage of hope, resilience, and belong­ing. The fear of being lost or dis­placed, preva­lent in both their lives, is alle­vi­at­ed through Nate’s words, offer­ing Dodo a sense of inter­nal secu­ri­ty and love that tran­scends exter­nal tur­moil. This final moment serves as a poignant reminder that even in the face of over­whelm­ing loss, the con­nec­tion they share remains a source of strength and com­fort, an unwa­ver­ing bond that shields them from the harsh­ness of their world.

This chap­ter explores themes of com­mu­ni­ty, belong­ing, and resilience, as the char­ac­ters nav­i­gate the com­plex­i­ties of their lives in Chick­en Hill. Nate’s role as a pro­tec­tor and guide, not just for Dodo but for the entire com­mu­ni­ty, is empha­sized through­out the sto­ry. His gen­tle approach to the chal­lenges that arise, whether it be the wor­ries over Dodo’s dis­ap­pear­ance or the frag­ile real­i­ties of life on the Hill, reveals the deep emo­tion­al strength he car­ries. Mean­while, Dodo’s sim­ple yet pro­found mis­sion to cre­ate a gar­den of sun­flow­ers offers a beau­ti­ful con­trast to the often dif­fi­cult lives they lead, sym­bol­iz­ing the pow­er of inno­cence and hope. Through their inter­ac­tions, we are remind­ed that love and under­stand­ing can pro­vide a sanc­tu­ary in the most tumul­tuous of times, a les­son that Nate imparts to Dodo in their shared moment by the creek.