As in these two stories, the character of the parents is in contradiction. Emeka's father portrays rigid and self-centered behavior. In contrast, Dee's mother is very flexible in her actions and always tries hard to make her daughter feel good about her (Walker 47). The character of rigidity emerges when his son tells him the news of the girl he found in Lagos. He received the news with much rebellion. He was not even ready to see the new girl as he had decided that Ugoye Nweke was the only legitimate woman for his son. This affects the good relationship the two had. The father felt that his son had decided to disrespect him, so the friendship they had remained intact