Jende Jonga
The protagonist of the story, Jende hails from Limbe, Cameroon. Traditional, he expects his wife Neni to follow his lead, even when she does not agree. He came to New York City in hopes of a better life for himself and Neni and finds work as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards.
Neni Jonga
Neni is married to Jende and is also from Limbe, Cameroon. She has come to the United States on a student visa and is a student at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). She hopes to one day attend pharmacology school.
Clark Edwards
A senior Lehman Brothers executive, Clark hires Jende to work as his driver. He is busy and preoccupied by Lehman Brothers’ impending collapse as he navigates inter-company politics. He cares about his family, but does not prioritize them, leading to a troubled marriage with Cindy, and Vince to resent him.
Cindy Edwards
Married to Clark, Cindy is a shallow and insecure trophy wife in need of constant validation from those around her. She is addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs and has a propensity to overdose. She is deeply traumatized from her childhood which was marred by abuse and poverty.
Mighty Edwards
The youngest son of Clark and Cindy. He is kind, well-behaved, and fun-loving, but is deeply saddened by his parents fights with each other and his older brother Vince. He is lonely, and greatly relies on Jende, Neni, and other servants around him for attention.
Vince Edwards
Vince is the eldest son of Clark and Cindy. He drops out of Columbia law school to move to India and find enlightenment. He considers Clark’s job to be corrupt and is resentful of the lack of time Clark spends with his family. Once he moves to India, he gets dreadlocks.
