The Trunk

The trunk is the place where Maisha stores her belongings in the story, "An Ex-Mas Feast." Maisha has been forced to become a prostitute, and the only control she feels she has over her young life is her control over the trunk, which she locks with a padlock every time she leaves home. Her poor family is desperate to get into the box and steal Maisha's belongings, but they never succeed. This is symbolic of the way that they will never succeed in stealing Maisha's determination.

The Nanfang

The Nanfang is a motorcycle purchased for Fofo Kpee in the story "Fattening for Gabon." The bike was purchased for Fofof Kpee when he agreed to sell off his five nieces and nephews to human traffickers. The bike, which Fofo never truly learned how to drive, is symbolic of the materialistic nature that plagues parts of Africa. It...