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areas.”
    I was not accustomed to bein’ told I was wrong by a colored man. I thought of Mama—the way she’d hidden her conversation with that woman at the furniture store, and the supplies she’d given her—and it gave me pause. Were there places where that was allowed? Why was it so wrong, anyway? I looked again for Daddy’s truck, thinkin’ about why I had to know my place . What had this man ever done to me?
    “Does your mother work at the furniture store?” I asked, wantin’ to know if he somehow knew Mama.
    He cocked his head, as if he were weighin’ the answer. “Yes, ma’am, her and my aunt.”
    “Do you know Hillary Tillman, my mama?”
    “No, ma’am,” he answered.
    I was still mullin’ over my own misgivin’s about what she’d done, keepin’ a secret from Daddy an’ all, but I still wanted to know how Byron Bingham’s family was, how Albert was feelin’, and how badly he was hurt. I realized, too, that I wanted it not to be a bad thing to want to speak to this man. I measured my fear of him, not the fear that I knew I should have, but the real fear that rattled in my mind. I quickly realized that there wasn’t much fear up there. The fear that did exist was driven by my father’s warnin’s, and overpowered by my own curiosity. My chance to get the answers to all of my naggin’ questions about Mr. Bingham’s and Albert’s family was starin’ me in the face, and I wanted to have that conversation more than I wanted anything else in the world, as long as Daddy didn’t find out.
    “How is he? Albert?”
    He took a step toward me. I scooted backward, still sittin’ on the ground.
    “He’s beat up real bad, but he’ll be okay.”
    I’m sorry seemed so unsubstantial, so I remained quiet, thinkin’ about that night, the fear I’d felt, and knowin’ that the fear Albert Johns had felt must’ve been ten times worse. I took a deep breath and asked him if he knew who had beaten up his brother.
    He shook his head. “He’s not talkin’.”
    I let out a relieved sigh, and then felt guilty for wantin’ to protect Jimmy Lee, Corky, and Jake after what they’d done. “What about your uncle?”
    He turned away, his eyes suspiciously glassy when he turned back. His face was tighter, stronger than it had been the moment before. He stared past me, into the fields as he nodded, wringin’ his hat within his hands. 
    “I found him, you know.” The words were out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop them, and they were oddly wrapped in what sounded like pride. I cringed, wishin’ I hadn’t opened my mouth in the first place.
    “That didn’t come out right,” I offered. “I mean, it was horrible.”
    “Yes, ma’am. I know you found him.” This time his eyes locked with mine.
    I came to my feet. Strangely, I wasn’t afraid. At that moment, the only thing I felt was a need to talk about the things I wasn’t supposed to, with someone who might also want to talk about them, and if that someone was a man I wasn’t supposed to talk to, then so be it.
    “Let’s walk,” I said.
    He looked at me with curiosity, his eyes jettin’ around our property. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
    “Maybe not, but I want to talk about Albert and Mr. Bingham. I want to know how your family is, and I’m afraid we can’t do that here. I don’t know when Daddy will be home.” I straightened my skirt. The incident with Jimmy Lee all but forgotten, I pushed away the residual anger that I felt toward him and decided to deal with those awful thoughts some other time.
    The young man, who looked to be a little older than Jake, didn’t follow me. He put his hat on and said, “I’m sorry, ma’am, but this is Forrest Town. I’m not sure goin’ off alone is the best idea.”
    “Afraid?” I knew it was mean to present such a dare. Maybe even dangerous. I understood what could happen to him if we were caught, and yet, selfishly, I wanted to get my answers.
    He bristled, threw his