The Bite of the Mango

Yabom, David, and Mariama stop trying to convince Mariatu to use her prosthetic hands and she shows them that she can perform tasks such as dressing, cooking, and feeding herself “using just my arms and teeth” (157). Mariatu recognizes that “the adults viewed [her] experience as a failure” (157) but she believes that she gained a lot from her time in London, not least the confidence “to listen to [her]inner voice and speak up for what [she] needed and wanted” (157). During her trip, she also becomes interested in fashion and makeup for the first time. As she leaves to fly back to Sierra Leone, Mariama gifts her some makeup to take with her. 

When she arrives in Sierra Leone, Mariatu wishes to visit her family at the amputee camp but Yabom is reluctant. Mariatu insists and, when Yabom’s husband says that Mariatu is “old enough to decide” (161), she concedes and says, “[a]gainst my better judgement, I will trust you” (161). 

Mariatu’s family are delighted to see her and she is happy to be able to buy food for them. She and Mohamed joke together, although her observation about him looking like a movie star falls flat because she has forgotten that he has “never seen a television program or a movie” (162).