American Street: Chapter 15 Summary & Analysis

Fabiola struggles with a mix of feelings. Kasim makes her feel like honey, while thinking of Manman’s absence makes her feel empty. She misses the sun in Port-au-Prince, but she’s hopeful that Manman will be here soon to warm her up. One morning, Fabiola can almost feel Manman’s warmth as the sun rises. She lies that her belly hurts so that she can stay home from school. Once her cousins leave, Fabiola makes herself tea and wonders what Manman and Matant Jo would be doing if Manman were here now. Back upstairs, Fabiola screams into Chantal’s pillows. She’s almost asleep when she hears Papa Legba singing outside. Fabiola rushes outside to listen. Papa Legba looks different than he usually does when he’s out at night, but Fabiola can’t pinpoint what’s changed.

Fabiola asks Papa Legba for “the word,” and he sings a rhyme for her. On the last line, his cigar lights up, the streetlights buzz, and thunder booms. Fabiola looks down—she remembers this sound from when she was little, when the earthquake almost split her home in half. She wonders if this street corner is going to collapse under all of Fabiola’s troubles. Fabiola remembers how Manman always says it’s impossible to get anything for free; sacrifices are necessary. Fabiola knows what she has to do. Papa Legba is gone, but Fabiola commits the last word of each of his lines to memory. The first two words are “street” and “block,” so Fabiola heads for the block that Uncle Q owns. She’s certain she’ll find Dray and the underworld when she gets where she’s going.

At the end of the street, Fabiola sees Papa Legba. When Fabiola crosses the street to join him, he’s gone. She walks down American Street in the rain, noticing the empty houses and lots. As a car passes Fabiola, she catches sight of Papa Legba again in front of a house—but the house doesn’t seem meaningful, so Fabiola keeps walking. When Papa Legba doesn’t appear again, she figures it’s time to figure out where Dray is without his help. Finally, she reaches the Q club. When she pulls the door, dogs bark. Fabiola sees Dray standing nearby, holding the leashes of two angry dogs. He asks why she’s here, just as Fabiola notices a fat man standing near the entrance. She says, “Q,” and regrets it immediately. She tries to act normal and asks if Q is the name of the club.

Dray tells Fabiola to come inside with him. He hands the dogs to the fat man, and Fabiola knows that this is Papa Legba’s doing. The club is dark. Fabiola awkwardly says that her mom is in a detention center, and that she wants to throw a party here when Manman is released. Dray laughs and says that Uncle Q threw Matant Jo a birthday party here once. Then, he tells Fabiola that if she and Kasim are serious, Fabiola will meet Uncle Q soon—and Fabiola and Kasim can have what he and Donna have. Fabiola notes that Dray hurts Donna, but Dray snaps that Donna hurts him too. Then, Dray warns Fabiola not to snoop and grabs a gun out of a drawer. He calls for Fabiola to approach, but she can’t. Someone calls Dray from outside, so Dray tells Fabiola to stay put, and he leaves.

The door doesn’t latch behind Dray, so Fabiola runs through it and all the way home. On the steps of the house, she calls Detective Stevens. In a rush, Fabiola says that her uncle Phillip “went down” for Dray’s Uncle Q, and that there are bad things happening in the club. Detective Stevens is concerned for Fabiola but says that she knows about the club. She warns Fabiola to be careful and then says that if Fabiola is free tomorrow, she can arrange a call with Manman.