African American Author

No Laughter Here

Rita Garcia-Williams

HarperCollins, 2004,

133 pp.

$6.99 Fiction

ISBN: 0688162479

Is it ever okay to reveal a secret? Akilah has made the solemn vow to “not tell God, not even in my prayers.” Of course this is before she knows the secret. And in the revealing of that secret, Akilah’s world is turned upside down.

Akilah Hunter is an intelligent, adventurous, and imaginative 10 year old African American girl growing up in Queens, NY with caring, compassionate parents. It is the summer before the start of the fifth grade and she is having the “boringest summer ever” without her best friend Victoria Ojinke. Victoria and her family have spent the summer in Nigeria visiting her grandmother. Akilah can’t wait for her to return so they can do what best friends do “running down the street…our braids flying and us laughing.” But when Victoria comes back there would be no laughter.

Immediately upon Victoria’s return Akilah can tell that something is amiss as she “waved and screamed and jumped” as the Ojinke’s car drove past “but Victoria didn’t look up.” Akilah’s mother tries to reassure her by telling her that it was a long trip and maybe she is tired or “maybe she didn’t adapt to her country."

The first day of school is abuzz with rituals and routines. One of Akilah’s favorite is walking to school with Victoria. But much to her chagrin Mrs. Ojinke drives Victoria to school on the first day. Akilah ends up walking to school alone where she finds Victoria “sitting still and alone against the chain-link fence, her face turned away from the playground.”

Throughout the first few days and weeks of school Akilah realizes that Victoria has changed. Gone is the once proud, named after the Queen of England, Victoria, who now seems nervous. Gone is her talkative best friend, now reduced to one word answers or a head shake. But try as she might Victoria is not ready to give up her secret, not yet at least.

As with most fifth grade classes the time comes to “begin a new and exciting discovery…to learn about ourselves…sex education classes.” Akilah already knew about herself from backyard tea talks with her mother and she “didn’t want to bloom” as her mother called it. And Victoria’s mother obviously didn’t want her to learn about herself since she didn’t sign the required permission slip. But Akilah sets in motion events that would force her to come to terms with a bevy of unfortunate life occurrences and cultural differences that go far beyond skin color when she forges Mrs. Ojinke’s signature on the permission slip.

The day finally comes for the fifth grade class was to watch the sex education video. As per usual there was the obligatory giggling from girls when they showed naked boys and vice versa. But when they showed the naked little girl Victoria bolted from the room. The teacher went after her, but eventually returned without her. This serves as the turning point that was needed for Victoria to give up her secret. After school that day Victoria finally tells Akilah what happened to her while in Nigeria.

When Victoria reveals her secret Akilah is overwhelmed and outraged. Overwhelmed because she realizes “girls don’t have no power” to protect themselves. Outraged because her mother had filled her head with reverence and “fanciful stuff about Africa." Akilah is forced to remain silent about what she has learned as she is sworn to secrecy.

Quite by accident Akilah’s mother discovers what has happened and confronts Mrs. Ojinke. To add insult to injury Mrs. Ojinke tells Akilah’s mother “you are American” nullifying and voiding Mrs. Hunter’s feeling that above all she is African, only to realize that she is not as African as she thought she was. This is akin to Eddy Harris’s self discovery in Native Stranger that he is in fact, a by- product of “American culture, education, and opportunity.” From that point on the girls are forbidden from being friends by Mrs. Ojinke. Try as they may to stay away from each other their bond is too strong and they steal whatever precious moments they can to retain their friendship.

This story would be enjoyed by and is appropriate for girls in grades 6-8 (ages 12-14). It touches on the themes of friendship, school, sexuality, masturbation, menstruation, cultural differences, and human rights. The author tackles the subject of female genital mutilation with accuracy and sensitivity in a language that students this age can easily understand.