American Street: Chapter 32 Summary & Analysis

Fabiola sees Kasim’s face everywhere: she sees him in her dreams, as well as on TV, posters, and T-shirts. People march for Kasim, and Fabiola remembers that Kasim’s name means “divided amongst many.” People say all sorts of things—that Kasim was selling drugs, that he shouldn’t have run, that he should be alive. Fabiola hates it. In her opinion, Kasim is dead because everyone else was playing games.

In the days after Kasim’s death, Fabiola meets Kasim’s mother and speaks with Mr. Nolan and Ms. Stanley. She barely listens; everyone knows the story of the Four Bees now. Chantal is the brains, Donna is the beauty, Pri is the brawn, and Fabiola is brave. The girls all try to make themselves small to avoid attracting more attention. They don’t go to protests and try to avoid the ghosts in their house. Kasim’s ghost isn’t in the house; he’s out with the people, “Divided amongst many.” Dray is still here though. Fabiola and her cousins told the police that Dray died because they were defending themselves. The detectives accept this and only conduct a cursory investigation.

Fabiola had to give a statement to the police, as did Chantal. Fabiola can’t write to Manman, as she can’t bear to write everything down. Instead, she tries to call, but none of the agents she talks to are helpful. Half of Fabiola wants to go to New Jersey; the other half wants to head for Haiti. She wonders if she was supposed to come to Detroit to save her cousins from Dray. But if this is true, she can’t figure out where Kasim fits in. One day, a car pulls up: it’s Detective Stevens. Fabiola only gets in when Detective Stevens says that she has information on Manman. She hands Fabiola an envelope containing cash and the name of an ICE agent. The agent is dropping all charges; Manman will go free. Meanwhile, Papa Legba doesn’t sit at the corner anymore, and Fabiola can’t remember his rhymes.

On the morning that Fabiola and her family will pick up Manman, Fabiola helps Pri load two suitcases into the car. It’s freezing cold outside, and Fabiola’s fingers burn. Earlier, she scrubbed the house with alcohol and bleach to try to get rid of the stench of death. When she couldn’t scrub it out, Matant Jo decided it was time to leave the house for good. Now, everyone wears white. Fabiola had made healing baths for her aunt and cousins, just as Manman did for people who survived the earthquake. The bath is a baptism of sorts, and the white clothes represent rebirth. Pri asks if Fabiola has her “voodoo stuff,” but Fabiola says that Pri has to be more respectful. Her songs and prayers are her life; she doesn’t know what to hold onto without them. Pri says that she clings to her family, hopes, and dreams.

Pri goes back inside the house, and Fabiola looks around. She catches sight of Bad Leg near the lamppost, but just then, Chantal calls for Fabiola. When Fabiola looks back toward Bad Leg, he’s gone. Inside, Matant Jo wails. She breaks down and sobs on Pri’s shoulder as Chantal and Donna join her. Then, Donna extends an arm for Fabiola. The family spends a few more hours cleaning. Finally, they all get in the car. Matant Jo props up two old photos on the dash. One is of her and Manman as teens; the other is of her, Phillip, toddler Chantal, and babies Pri and Donna. Fabiola spots something in the background and asks for the photo—Bad Leg (Papa Legba) is there. He’s been watching over the family since they moved in.

As Chantal turns onto Joy Road, Fabiola sees Papa Legba leaning on the lamppost. He tips his hat to her, and Fabiola mouths “thank you” to him. She stares out the window as the car leaves Michigan. Unlike in Haiti, the ground is flat. Fabiola thinks that dreams are limitless here. But she realizes that everyone in America is climbing their own mountain, even if the mountain only exists in people’s hearts. Fabiola feels like a mountain herself.