This is the story of a young adult who sees nothing in everything as a result of her past . Not only did her father leave her and Mrs Simpleton, her mother , he marries a young black American whore ( that was how Mrs Simpleton describes the young lady ) . To make matters worse , Mrs Simpleton is a public figure so she does not have time for her only child and this further heightens Raquel's miserable life . However, she meets Gerald and Monalisa in highschool. Luckily for her , they are there for her , even after high school. At the end of the story , Mrs Simpleton falls sick. In her sickness, she realizes how bad she has failed in bringing up her only child.