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