American Street

Another short story follows, told from the perspective of Donna. Donna talks about Dray; she says that they have been a couple since Donna was 12 years old. Donna says that she stays with Dray because he fights for her, and Donna fights for him. Donna says it upsets her that people gossip about her and call her a “ho”—a derogatory term meant to imply that she is sexually promiscuous—because she is pretty and dresses well. She recalls how men would sexually comment on her 10-year-old body. She likes Dray because he keeps other men away from her. 

Fabiola gets ready for her first date with Kasim. She wonders if her mother would approve of her dating Kasim. Donna tries to put a wig on Fabiola, but Fabiola prefers the natural hairstyle that Chantal arranges for her. Fabiola puts on a long dress but is self-conscious when Pri mocks her for being modest, so she changes into a more typical American outfit of a sweatshirt and jeans. Kasim picks up Fabiola from her house. He’s using Dray’s fancy car. He plays the music of a Detroit rapper on the radio. He takes Fabiola to an expensive dance performance. Fabiola feels underdressed for their date. Kasim reassures her, saying that it’s only important that she feel “bougie on the inside,” not the outside (143). He thinks that Fabiola has class based on how she acts. Kasim says he got the tickets from his uncle, a man named Q who owns a club in Detroit, where he runs a shady business. Fabiola brings up her uncle, who was known as Haitian Phil in Detroit. Kasim says that Haitian Phil was killed while working for Q, which surprises Fabiola. Fabiola kisses Kasim, and he kisses her back. 

Fabiola pretends to be sick to stay home from school. She hears Bad Leg singing a riddle, and she believes the Haitian spirit guide Papa Legba is trying to reach her through Bad Leg. Fabiola follows Bad Leg/Papa Legba—who keeps disappearing and re-appearing like a ghost—down American Street. She reaches the club owned by Q. Fabiola sees Dray, who brings her inside the club. She learns that Q is also Dray’s uncle. Fabiola lies and says she wants to host a party for her mother at the club after her mother is released from jail. Dray pulls out a gun and leaves Fabiola alone for a moment to deal with someone else. Fabiola uses that opportunity to escape the club and run home. Fabiola texts Detective Stevens about the club, but Detective Stevens says that she needs information that will connect Dray to drugs at a party in Grosse Point Park.  

While at school, Fabiola gets a text messages from the detective. The detective arranges for Fabiola’s mother to speak with Fabiola by phone. Fabiola asks Manman how she is being treated; she reassures Manman that she will get her out. Manman says that it is Marjorie’s—her sister’s—job to help, not Fabiola’s. She tells Fabiola to focus on her studies. When Fabiola goes home, she wakes up Matant Jo. Fabiola speaks to her in Creole, and Matant Jo tells her to speak English. Fabiola tells Matant Jo about her conversation with her mother. Fabiola notices that Matant Jo has a lot of pill bottles; Matant Jo says she takes them for pain for her condition. Fabiola helps Matant Jo take off her dress and combs Matant Jo’s hair, which is graying.

Matant Jo asks about their life in Haiti and says that Fabiola and Manman were only able to survive with the money that she sent them. Matant Jo mocks Fabiola’s belief that Bad Leg is the spirit guide of Papa Legba, even though Matant Jo once believed the same thing. Fabiola says that Manman came to the US after all these years because Matant Jo was sick, and Matant Jo says that Manman came because she realized it was a mistake to ever go back to Haiti in the first place. 

This short story summarizes the early lives of the sisters Valerie Toussaint (Manman) and Marjorie (Matant Jo). When Marjorie was 15 and Valerie was 13, the Haitian dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier was removed from power. Marjorie and Valerie were orphans, but they believed freedom and democracy would come to their country. They went to work for a man who tried to assault them, and so they left Haiti, boarding a boat headed to Miami. The boat started filling up with water, but Valerie and Marjorie survived. 

Fabiola receives an A grade on her revised essay. Her teacher, Mr. Nolan, asks her how she’s handling the transition to living in Detroit. Mr. Nolan tells her a little bit about his life growing up in Detroit and tells Fabiola to stay focused on school. Imani asks Fabiola about Kasim taking her on the expensive date and says that Kasim will expect Fabiola to have sex with him in return. Donna confronts Imani about Dray. Fabiola says that Donna is just jealous. Fabiola defends her cousins, but Imani says that Fabiola is naïve. In the car on the way home, Fabiola tells Donna that Imani is not interested in Dray. Donna says she knows but that she wants to make sure that Imani doesn’t try to get together with Dray. Fabiola understands the Three Bees—Chantal, Pri, and Donna—are trying to protect their reputation. Fabiola wants to protect her cousins and her friends, like Imani.

Donna says that Fabiola is going to join her for Dray’s birthday party, and that Dray has offered to pay for Fabiola to get her hair and makeup done for the party, because his best friend—Kasim—likes Fabiola. Pri and Chantal do not like Dray, but they put up with him for Donna’s sake. Fabiola agrees to get the makeover if it will make Donna happy. The women in the beauty salon are upset by the scars on Donna’s face, which are the result of Dray beating her. Fabiola talks about Ezili-Danto, the lwa of revenge, who will cut a man or woman who has betrayed her. Fabiola plans to channel Ezili-Danto’s vengeance and get rid of Dray from Donna’s life. 

Donna and Fabiola go to a party hosted by Dray. Before Dray and Kasim arrive to pick them up, Donna dresses Fabiola in sexy clothes and gives her a hair extension. Chantal and Kasim tell her to stay true to herself and to not “let Detroit change you” (182). Fabiola is dressing up this way to interest Dray as part of her scheme to get information for Detective Stevens, but she can’t let Kasim know that. Dray and Kasim leave to deal with some guys starting trouble, and Dray gives Donna his phone to hold. When Donna goes to the bathroom, Fabiola looks at Dray’s text messages. She finds a text with information about a drop-off of something—possibly drugs—on the east side of Detroit. Fabiola texts Detective Stevens this information. Guests present Dray with a birthday cake. Dray stares at Fabiola with interest. Kasim takes Fabiola home early, and Dray calls Kasim, upset that they’ve left. Kasim tells Fabiola that Dray is just looking out for Kasim’s best interests. Kasim kisses Fabiola.