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“They uess I liked it because I’m from Brooklyn”

“Oh, yeah? I got a uncle live in Brooklyn In Bed-Stuy”

“That’s where I’m from”

Her eyes narrowed into a quizzical squint “But ain’t that mostly black?”

“Yes, it is And it hen I was there, too” That was in the 1970s, not the best of tihetto in the US Not the best place for a pale-skinned white girl like , either

Her expression was appraising now, as if trying to gauge exactly who I was in light of this new information I must have passed some test, because her expression softened and she smiled

I gave Tina my card which she stuck in her book

“Call me anytime, if you have questions Or want to talk about books”

“Okay, Ms McRae”

“Call me Sam”

Three raps on the door and Shanae poked her head in I checked my watch She’d been away an hour, to the minute

“You done, right?” she said “I need to talk to you” To Tina, she said, “Go downstairs and wait,” dis her with a wave of her hand

The ani at her mother, she slunk out and closed the door

Shanae shook her head “That girl trouble She need to clean up her act, you see what I’m sayin’?”

“She’s at that age, I guess”