Compare and contrast Fanta and Marie's relationship with Laye.

Fanta is Camara Laye's childhood love interest. A friend of Laye's sister, Fanta walks to school on the same route as Laye. One day, she confronts him about why he pulls her hair. Laye cannot explain why he bothers her when she never provokes him, too innocent to understand that it is his childish way of showing he likes her. When bullies attack Laye, Fanta consoles him by offering wheat cakes her mother has made. When they grow up, Fanta stays in Kouroussa and becomes Laye's "steady" girlfriend.

Marie is Camara Laye's love interest in Conakry. A family friend of Laye's uncle, Marie often visits Mamadou's house. While Laye's aunts mercilessly tease the two about being in love, Laye and Marie are quite chaste and shy in their interactions. However, Laye has no doubt that they love each other. He is proud that she only spends time with him when all the other boys their age are vying for her attention. The narrative ends with Marie and Laye on the same plane from Conakry to Dakar, where Marie is continuing her education. She weeps and makes Laye promise to return from Europe some day.