Page 154

there and make the first right. You'll see the signs, but

this train isn't scheduled to depart until eight P.M.

Don't you have anyplace to go until then? It's hours

and hours."

"No," I said. "It'll be all right."

"Suit yourself," she said and turned to someone

else. I bought a magazine and then followed her

directions and arrived at my platform. It was much

wider and longer than the one in Boston. There was a

small lounge area off to the right, so I went directly to

it and sat on a bench toward the rear. Then I counted

my money. I didn't have much left, and hoped I had

enough for lunch and dinner.

"I bet I could turn one of your one-dollar bills

into a five-dollar bill," someone said and I looked up and into the most radiant black eyes I had ever seen. The young man standing in front of me had thick, rich ebony hair and bronze skin. He was tall and handsome with broad, strong shoulders that made the seams of

his thin, short-sleeve shirt strain.

"Pardon me?"

"Just trust me with one of those one-dollar bills

a moment and I'll show you," he said sitting down

beside me. I don't know why I did it, but I handed this

stranger one of my precious dollars. I knew that

unsuspecting travelers, especially young girls like

myself, were targets for con artists everywhere. But

he had said he would turn my one into a five and not

vice versa and I liked looking at him.

From what I could see, he had nothing in his

hands and of course, he had no sleeves in which to

hide anything. He folded my dollar very carefully in

his palm right before my eyes. He made it as small as

he could. Then he turned his hand over so I could see