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She'd never accept. That woman wouldn't accept anything anyone would in any way consider charity even after
her no good husband ran off and left her with Ty when he was no more than three years old. No, she was too
proud. Still, every week he offered.

"We can't but thank you kindly. Me and Ty got a million things to do." She took the last of the sizzling squash
out of the hot grease and laid it on a paper-towel-covered platter.

Tyson escaped from his chair, crept over to Nadine and tugged on her dress. Ricky braced himself for her wrath
but she understood and shooed him away.

"Ricky, I do so need a favor," she said, as she poured the leftover grease into a jar and washed the skillet. "Ty
has a friend, Truman Parker. His mother works long hours at the hospital and his grandmother has been
keeping him. Well, she's getting up in years and I was wondering if it'd be okay if he'd walked here from the bus
stop with Ty after school? That way we'd all go home together when I was finished here. Ms. Parker was kind to
me after Paul left. I'd really like to return the favor."

"Did you ask dad?"

"Yep . . . he said you were the man of the house now."

"Well . . ."

"Oh please Ricky! Me and Truman won't be no trouble. I already told him about your big house and how much fun
you are."

"Tyson, hush! If Ricky don't think . . ."

Ricky looked at Nadine and then into Tyson's pleading eyes strong-arming him just by his look alone.

"I don't see any harm as long as they don't bother dad. I'm usually home before Tyson is anyway."

"Oh, thank you. It will help Ella so much and Sissy will be quite thrilled. I'll make sure they don't cause no
trouble." She cast the evil eye at Tyson, who was radiant, beaming to spite himself and struggling to hold it all
inside. His mother would certainly take a strap to him if he let loose with the old man in the house.

"Nadie, Truman Parker? Why do I recognize that name?"

"Tyson you go on and wait on the porch. I'll be right out." She waited until she heard the screen door close.

"His pa was murdered years ago when he was just a baby . . . klan. It was all over the papers. You might have
heard your mom and dad talking about it."

"That's right, I remember now. I guess it's his name. Struck me as odd," Ricky said. "Not a lot of kids named
Truman."

"You're right about that," she laughed. "Sissy put quite a bit of thought into that name. She always had to be a
bit different."

"Yeah and Tyson is such a common name."

Nadine smiled and shrugged.

"Dad was still on the force then," Ricky said, mentally counting back the number of years since his dad retired.

"Poor little guy. He'll come on Monday then?"

"Yes, I'll let Sissy know its okay for him to walk home with Ty. I feel much better knowing they'll be together. I
do worry about him walking by himself. Their new school is so much bigger that their old one and he says
sometimes the white boys pick on him. Darn this busing children all over the city. Funny how rich people like
judges can make stupid decisions like this for the rest of us and then send their kids to private schools."

The recent court decision of Swann versus Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools had made a lot of folks angry - blacks
and whites alike. But the courts thought it best to integrate the schools by busing.

Nadine took off her apron, folded it up and put it in a crumpled paper bag and then brushed the wrinkles from
her dress.

"I know it's hard Nadie."

"You don't know nothing about hard," she said. "I'm sorry . . . I'm just angry, that's all." She gathered her things.

"Mister Lee said I could take some vegetables from the garden if it's okay with you. You had a good second
planting. Mine's never done that good."

"Help yourself. You're the one who takes care of it." He saw by the bulging sack on the counter she already did.

"Are you sure you can't stay?"

"No, we need to get going."

Ricky picked up the bag stuffed full of vegetables, followed her to the front door and shoved it into Tyson's
unsuspecting arms. He almost dropped it.

"It's too heavy," Tyson whined.