B. Wordsworth
B. Wordsworth (or Black Wordsworth) is initially simply called the man or the poet by the boy and his mother. Although Mr. Wordsworth is an intelligent man with a seemingly boundless passion for the arts and poetry, he is also a resentful man who is both willing and able to manipulate people to get his way. Readers discover early on in the short story that B. Wordsworth is, despite his best intentions and passions, a struggling artist who has never before been able to sell his poem. This includes the boy, who is unable to sell his poem for the paltry sum of four cents.
As the short story progresses, the boy and Wordsworth's relationship grows stronger. They increasingly spend more time with each other and often talk about poetry and the arts and the interests in their lives. However, as the boy grows older, he also grows more mature and begins to realize Wordsworth's manipulation. One day, the two have a falling out and never again see each other.
The boy
The boy, who is never explicitly named in Gaipual's short story, is a bright young boy who has few friends. One day, when a man readers initially only know as the poet arrives at his house asking for money and to see the bees in their backyard, the boy becomes interested. He quickly forms a strong relationship with the man, who is later identified as B. Wordsworth. The two quickly bond and become fast friends. However, their relationship ends in heartbreak.
Though the boy is seemingly kind and intelligent, he lives with his mother, who often demeans him and treats him horribly. One day, for instance, the boy comes home after having eaten a particularly juicy mango. While he was eating the mango, the boy spilled juice on his shirt, something which angered his mother (and to a lesser extent, him). Aside from that, the boy and his mother butted heads frequently. And as a result, the boy had complicated feelings about his mother.
The boy's mother
The boy's mother, who again is never named, plays an important part in the story. Though she is an angry woman, she cares deeply for her son (the unnamed boy), for whom she wants good things to happen. And like her son, she is an intelligent woman but seemingly rarely has the chance to put her intelligence to good use.
Initially, the boy's mother was skeptical of B. Wordsworth. Why she asked, would a grown man want to be friends with her small son? And why would he want to have the boy over to his house? Her fears and questions about the duo's relationship were quickly quelled, but her concern for her son abounded.
