My Parents' Bedroom (Rwanda) Summary

The final story in the collection focuses on a nine-year-old girl living in Rwanda with her Papa, Maman, and one-year-old brother, Jean. When the story opens, Maman is getting ready for a night out, putting on a short dress and dark, red lipstick. The narrator, Monique, is confused because her Maman always told her that only bad women go out at night. Maman barely looks at her daughter, giving her instructions such as "Don't open the door for anyone. Your papa is not home, I'm not home, nobody is home," "You have to learn how to take care of Jean," and most importantly, "When they ask you, say you're one of them" (p. 266). Monique doesn't understand any of this, but when she tries to ask her mother questions, she shouts and the girl, which she never does...