[4] This novella deals with the relationship between Gortokai, a young Liberian man, and Tene, the girl he hopes to marry.

The story promises "to piece together all the circumstances leading to the violent storm which nearly tore off the roofs from many houses in the Dewoin country one bright Sunday morning in the year 1957.

The man returns to Liberia to find that his contract is subject to barter, making him a virtual slave.

As he gets older, Gortokai does the heavy work for the family of farming rice, making oil from palm nuts, setting traps for crayfish, and hunting meat.

He also takes short-term bush-cutting contracts to earn money for the family's tobacco, salt and annual hut tax.

When Gortokai comes into young manhood, he wants a wife and becomes set on Tene, who has just turned 13 and is about ten years younger than he.

Tene and her sister arrive in Suehn, bringing Gortokai gifts of country bread and fried chicken.

They are fond of Gortokai, whom the wife calls their "stranger son" (a Liberian term referring to the informal "adoption" of a non-blood relative).

Before the two girls leave, Gortokai gives Kema $23 towards the dowry of $40, plus three dollars for various ritual niceties, plus two sets of clothes for Tene's parents.

His fellow palm wine drinkers convince him that he must buy some powerful love medicine in order to ensure that Tene stays faithful to him.

Bleng uses magic to tell Gortokai that Tene's affections are divided, and explains that the remedy will be strong love medicine.

Arriving early at the village, he happens to overhear a conversation in which Tene declares her interest in "looking around", and seems to refer to adventures with other men.

After several months, he returns to Monrovia, and learns that Tene is also in the capital, selling gari or porridge on the street.

Bai T. Moore discussed the novel's main theme as the issue of domestic slavery and its effects in Liberia.