It’s many years later, after you and your whole family left Richmond. You all moved north to Chicago, where you live in a small, dark apartment.
You work from before dawn till dark with your sister, sewing buttons onto shirts. One of your brothers works on the railways, replacing old iron ties with new ties made of steel. You haven’t heard from your oldest brother in a long time, but you believe he’s herding cattle out West.
You and your sister talk about your goals and dreams as you work. You want to save money and start a restaurant with your family. Plenty of people from the South live near you. You know they’d like your mom’s cooking.
