Beneath them Rufus walked, one of the fallen – for the weight of this city was murderous
abysmal the mystery of what they think, what they feel, what they want, what they suppose themselves to be saying
They’re coloured and I’m white but the same things have happened, really the same things, and how can I make them know that?’
‘But they didn’t,’ she said, ‘happen to you because you were white. They just happened. But what happens up here’ – and the cab came out of the park; she stretched her hands, inviting him to look – ‘happens because they are coloured. And that makes a difference
One thing about the bottom, he told himself, you can’t fall any further. He tried to take comfort from this thought
you took the best, so why not take the rest
Then Leona surprised him. ‘You talking about that boy? He’s just bored and lonely, don’t know no better. You could probably make friends with him real easy if you tried.’
He laughed.
‘Well, that’s what’s the matter with most people,’ Leona insisted, plaintively, ‘ain’t got nobody to be with. That’s what makes them so evil. I’m telling you, boy, I know.’
‘Don’t call me boy,’ he said.
‘Well,’ she said, looking startled, ‘I didn’t mean nothing by it, honey.’
I had to try to fit myself around you and not try to make you fit around me.
‘You’ve got a bad case of penis envy.’
‘When you’re older you’ll see, I think, that we all commit our crimes. The thing is not to lie about them – to try to understand what you have done, why you have done it.’
If you don’t forgive yourself you’ll never be able to forgive anybody else and you’ll go on committing the same crimes for ever.’
