How It All Goes Down
- Aibileen narrates the final chapter. At the usual bridge game, Aibileen hears Hilly trying to convince the ladies that the book isn't about Jackson.
- Some days later, she hears Mae Mobley trying to teach her infant brother the games Aibileen taught her to explain the Civil Rights Movement.
- Mister Raleigh Leefolt hears too and demands Mae Mobley tell him who taught her the games. Mae Mobley says it was her teacher, Miss Taylor.
- Raleigh tells Elizabeth to have Mae Mobley moved to another class.
- On Monday night, Skeeter visits Aibileen with good news. At least five thousand more copies of Help are being printed. This means more money. And, the Miss Myrna job with the local newspaper is now Aibileen's.
- The following day, Skeeter is going to fly to Chicago to visit Constantine's grave. After that, she'll fly to New York.
- Aibileen gives Skeeter her copy of Help signed by the black community.
- Early the next morning, Aibileen is woken by the phone. It's Minny in a panic.
- Hilly's husband arranged for Leroy to be fired from his job. Leroy was told that Minny is the reason for it.
- He locked the kids out and locked Minny in the bathroom, threatening to burn down the house with Minny inside it. The kids ran away to the neighbor's.
- Minny fled to the gas station, where she's now calling from, waiting for a friend to pick her up. Aibileen tells her there will be more money from the book now and encourages her to leave Leroy for good. For the first time, Minny says she will. Aibileen can tell she means it.
- The next day at work, Hilly accuses Aibileen of stealing silver that Minny cleaned for her at Elizabeth's. If she doesn't give back the silver, Hilly is calling the police.
- Aibileen tells Hilly that if she goes to jail, she'll spend all her time writing letters to the people of Jackson telling everybody that Hilly is the woman in the last chapter of Help.
- Mae Mobley comes out crying, realizing that Aibileen is going away. She takes Mae Mobley into the kitchen and explains that she has to go. Mae Mobley tells her, "You is kind […]. You is good. You is important" (34.219). Aibileen thanks her and they cry together.
- Elizabeth and Hilly come into the kitchen. Hilly has decided not to call the police – no surprise there.
- Aibileen leaves to the sound of Mae Mobley crying. Aibileen cries as she walks, wondering what her life will be like now that she's no longer taking care of white babies. She's glad she has income from the Miss Myrna column and the book.
- She thinks, "Maybe I ain't too old to start over" (34.231), laughing as she cries.