Preparation For The Next Life

When Zou Lei returns to work at the food court, she learns that her working hours have been taken completely by the new employee, Monroe. Frustrated, Zou Lei leaves work to visit Skinner. However, she is greeted by Jimmy, who informs her that Skinner is not home and invites her inside anyway. Uncomfortable, Zou Lei leaves the Murphys’ home and goes to a job fair to look for a new job. She is unsuccessful and begins to wander the street. She finds a small grocery store owned by an immigrant from Afghanistan named Tesha Noor. She and Tesha talk about the mountains that border China, where Zou Lei grew up, and how the country was so beautiful and full of culture and life. Zou Lei asks if Tesha wants to go back to Afghanistan, but he tells her that he can’t because of the war. Tesha states that the Americans “want to kill everyone” so he can’t go back to visit his family (320). He gives Zou Lei some food, and his wife leads her to a hidden mosque where Zou Lei listens to a service and speaks with the Mullah. The Mullah tells her that she should wear a hijab and begins to suggest to her different ways to live under Allah. He tells her that she must stop any sinful behavior and live doing good deeds to prepare for the next life. Zou Lei gives him her phone number, feeling pressured to do so and uncomfortable. She then quickly leaves and returns to her home.

A depressed Skinner takes the subway to the spot where he and Zou Lei met. He decides to go to a bar. At the bar, he drinks heavily and a group of men in the bar confront Skinner about his actions. Skinner is quick to anger, and after the men continuously question where he is from, Skinner yells that he is from Iraq, referring to his military service. The men ask if he has ever killed anyone, and he tells stories about killing innocent Iraqi bystanders through cruel games and manipulation. He states that even if they accidentally killed the wrong person, they would place a weapon on them to make them look like they were insurgents.

One evening in Skinner’s room, Zou Lei begins to argue with Skinner. She states that she doesn’t know if she can marry him when he doesn’t seem to genuinely care about her or himself. Crying, she asks him if the reason he only speaks to her every few days is because she is a Muslim immigrant. Skinner becomes angry, accusing her of only wanting money from him and insulting her for her immigration status. He throws his wallet at her, and Zou Lei tells him that she is finished with him and tries to leave. Realizing his mistake, Skinner tries to grab Zou Lei, but she begins to hit him. As Zou Lei leaves, Skinner takes his gun out and points it at his head. He tells Zou Lei that he is suicidal and implies that if she leaves, he will kill himself. Zou Lei carefully takes the gun from Skinner and decides to stay the night with him.

As they lie in bed together, Skinner apologizes to Zou Lei and claims that he didn’t mean anything that he said. Zou Lei convinces Skinner to have sex with her, but he has a difficult time focusing; they’re ultimately successful. Afterward, Skinner asks if Zou Lei heard anything while they were having sex. Skinner decides to look around and realizes that the entire room can be seen through one of the windows at the top of the walls in the basement. Someone watched them have sex, and Skinner assumes that it was Jimmy.

Zou Lei goes to a factory in the Bronx where women make clothing under exploitative conditions. Watching the women work, she remarks that the factory looks like a prison. One of the women notices her, and she tells Zou Lei to go speak with the man in charge, who tells her that she will only be paid for what she makes. Zou Lei doesn't know if she was offered the job or not, but she decides that she is not interested in it anyway.

Mrs. Murphy asks Skinner if he is bringing a sex worker into the house. Jimmy told her that a sex worker that he recognized from Flushing had been in Skinner’s room. Skinner is confused and denies this, but Mrs. Murphy doesn’t seem to believe him. Later that night, Skinner dreams of Zou Lei’s violent death and wakes up extremely distressed. The next day, Jimmy and his friends taunt Skinner about Zou Lei, implying that she is a sex worker. The narrator reveals that Jimmy has been stealing from Skinner. Later, Skinner finds a card for an escort service on his stairs, and he states that he is going to kill Jimmy.

When Monroe takes time off work to go to several family functions, Zou Lei picks up his hours. She thinks about how much she needs to work to pay for rent, the marriage certificate fee, and food—about $180 in total—and begins to feel hopeless. She thinks about her potential marriage to Skinner and wonders if she should get a real ID first. Zou Lei visits Skinner, who is extremely agitated and holding his gun. He tells Zou Lei that he has everything figured out, and he wants to return to Iraq because being a soldier is all he knows how to do.

Afterward, Skinner dreams of New York City erupting in a firefight. He walks through streets filled with dismembered bodies and eventually meets up with his deceased friend Jake at a Dunkin’ Donuts, telling Jake that he’s glad that he didn’t really die. After work, Zou Lei goes to a shoe store and purchases a new pair of shoes. She is extremely frustrated because the employees have a difficult time understanding her.

Skinner takes Zou Lei to a social club, where he accuses her of being a sex worker. Zou Lei, insulted, tries to walk away from Skinner, who is having a hard time controlling his anger. When Zou Lei ignores him, he gets into her face and screams at her; some men who are in the area approach them to diffuse the situation. Zou Lei begins to run from Skinner, who chases after her desperately. As he runs, Skinner realizes that he was out of line and should not have accused Zou Lei of being a sex worker. Skinner chases after Zou Lei until he is physically unable to run anymore. He notices that she has stopped in front of him and is circling back to him. Skinner frantically apologizes to Zou Lei, who calls herself stupid. Skinner can’t remember what he was angry about and remarks that he feels alive.

As the pair walks back to Skinner’s room, Skinner continues to apologize to Zou Lei, who states that she shouldn’t leave Skinner alone. After Zou Lei showers and Skinner orders them pizza, Zou Lei tells Skinner that she needs to be independent and that she shouldn’t rely on him. She implies that she may leave the city in search of a better job. Skinner becomes upset, begging her to stay, and he tells her that she can have everything of his—his keys, money, and belongings. Zou Lei tries to refuse, but Skinner recites his PIN for her several times, forcing her to memorize it. The pair eventually go to sleep with their foreheads pressed together.

Skinner wakes up the next morning feeling as though Zou Lei is nothing more than a burden to him. He gets up from bed and tells Zou Lei to continue to rest. He dresses and gets ready to leave to go exercise. Skinner tells Zou Lei he will be back in several hours, and Zou Lei promises to wait for him in his room; Skinner locks the door behind him as he leaves.

When Skinner returns home hours later after losing track of the time, he finds that Zou Lei is missing despite his bedroom door still being locked. He tries to search for her, finding his bed frame slightly askew and all of Zou Lei’s belongings, including her shoes, still in his room. Skinner begins to panic, believing that Jimmy must have done something to Zou Lei. Skinner goes upstairs and demands that Mrs. Murphy tell Jimmy to come down. Mrs. Murphy refuses, but Erin, who is sitting with her mother, calls Jimmy down anyway.

When Jimmy comes down the stairs, Skinner demands to know what Jimmy did to Zou Lei. The pair get into a violent fight, and Mrs. Murphy calls the police. The fight ends up outside, and Erin cheers on her brother from the front door. Eventually, the fight breaks apart, and Jimmy returns inside. Erin tells Skinner that he lost the fight and laughs at him. The police quickly arrive and arrest Skinner but not Jimmy.