The first time she laid eyes on him, Emily Woodson knew that Kato, the old colored man her father had hired to help in his drug store, was someone special. His clothes might be a little shabby, and because of being born a slave, he hadn't had very much schooling, but he turned out to be the wisest man she had ever known. If only she had listened when he warned that vengeance was never worth the harm it caused. Then she and Karen wouldn't have played that stupid trick on Billy Jenkins, even if he did deserve it, or, afterward, on Darlene Dawson, the most stuck-up girl in their class. Kato had been right, it hadn't been one bit satisfying.
Sharing her birthday with Kato had seemed like a good idea, even if Karen didn't understand. Karen was her best friend, but Vinnie could become a close friend, too, if things were different. Someday, her father had told her, things would change in this country and choosing a friend would no longer be based on skin color. Then she and Vinnie could be together anytime they wanted, without anyone objecting-not even her grandmother.