Beka Lamb

Beka aspires to be a politician and serve her country one day, but she must conquer school first.Beka’s inner turmoil is representative of Belize’s turmoil. Like Belize, Beka is caught between the worlds of “befo’time” and “nowadays” and is constantly evaluating the characteristics of old versus new, accepting some and discarding others. She attends political meetings with her Granny Ivy but also questions her father about his political beliefs. Seeking her own identity often causes conflicts that she describes as a “tidal waves” in her mind. She straightens her hair and insists on speaking Spanish and wearing lipstick. This prompts her father to label her a phony, which she detests more than the beatings she receives for lying. She tries to stay out of trouble at school, but when she announces her doubts about the existence of heaven and hell, Sister Virgil and Father Nunez suggest that perhaps she should not be educated in a Catholic school.Beka continues to learn and grow with each of life’s lessons but Toycie’s tragedy is the most impacting lesson of all. Toycie’s death not only strengthens her resolve to “never fall in love” but it also convinces her she must complete her education. Beka learns to channel her passion and intelligence and becomes a mature woman who can correct her mistakes. She blossoms into a self-confidant young woman who is not even afraid to slip into her Creole dialect to make a point to Sister Gabriela while her mother smiles approvingly. Beka learns that she controls her destiny and with hard work, she will not be condemned to a life like that of the Coolie prostitute, National Vellor, who tells Beka, “No mother, no father, no school. What could I do?”
Toycie Qualo
Seventeen-year-old Toycie is Beka’s best friend. Toycie lives with her maternal aunt, Eila because her mother abandoned her and moved to Brooklyn when Toycie was two years old. The Qualos are extremely poor but Beka does not realize it at first because she views everything