She thought about the question for a moment, and 1
then a moment more.
2
“I don’t know,” she said. “I was mad. I didn’t want to 3
see you. And I didn’t know what you would be like in the 4
morning all alone out there. When By and Jodie left, it 5
was only you and me. I was afraid, I guess.”
6
“Afraid that I’d hurt you?”
7
“I guess.”
8
“Then why did you come here?”
9
“I felt guilty. That’s why.”
10
“Guilty because you kissed me? Or guilty that you left?”
11
Extine frowned and did not answer.
12
I stood up and she scrambled to her feet.
13
“Don’t worry,” I said. “I wouldn’t have hurt you even in 14
those woods. I’m a safe Negro. You could put a soap bub-15
ble in my hand and it’d never even pop.”
16
Extine liked neither the sound of my voice nor the 17
words that I said.
18
“I have to go,” she said.
19
“Yeah. I know.”
20
21
22
I watched her drive away in a convertible Jaguar sports 23
car. I don’t remember the model, but it was expensive, no 24
doubt.
25
“Charles,” Miss Littleneck called from across the street.
26
“Yes, ma’am?”
S 27
R 28
3rd Pass Pages
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Walter Mosley
1
“Who was that white girl?”