The next morning at seven o'clock Magnolia awakens. She makes her bed and goes into the bathroom. After finishing she puts on a purple suede mid-sleeve dress with suede pointed-toe stilettos. She put on a pair of bck oval earrings with a matching neckce. She grabs her suitcase and the wills off the nightstand. After pcing them inside her suitcase she goes downstairs to the living room. She sets her suitcase next to the couch and sits down.

  She picks up the telephone and calls a taxi service. After two rings the line picks up.

  "Thank you for choosing Harmonica Dock Taxi how can I help you?" a female representative asks.

  "Good morning my name is Magnolia Lexington. I was calling to have a taxi dispatched to my home. My address is 10505 Hickory Avenue." Magnolia says crossing her legs.

  "Thank you for that information, a taxi will be at your home within an hour. What will your method of payment be?"

  "Cash,"

  "Okay. You will pay the driver upon arrival at your destination."

  "Understood, thank you."

  "You're welcome and thank you for choosing Harmonica Dock Taxi."

  "You're welcome. You have a good day."

  "You too." the representative says and hangs up.

  Magnolia hangs up the telephone grabs her belongings and walks to the front door. She unlocks the door and steps out onto the porch. She locks the door and pces the spare key in her purse. She goes and sits down in one of the porch chairs.

  Up in Angelcrest Bnche is standing at her dresser staring at her reflection. She's wearing a bck mid-sleeve dress with light blue water waves on the front. On her feet is a pair of navy bck pointed-toe pumps. In her ears are small bck hoops. Around her neck is a water wave neckce in the form of a key. Her hair is styled forties in a flip without a swoop. Her face is made up of light powder, bck eye shadow, bck eyeliner, and burgundy lipstick.

  Appeased with her appearance she goes downstairs to the foyer. As she grabs her purse off the coat rack footsteps are heard from the staircase. She looks back to see Huey rubbing his eyes.

  "Good morning sweetheart," Bnche says walking over to the staircase.

  "Good morning, where are you off to so early?"

  "I'm going to Angelcrest Elite Academy to turn in your application," Bnche says rubbing his cheek.

  "Okay," Huey responds before kissing her on the cheek and going upstairs.

  Bnche heads out the door to her car.

  Next door Emma is in the dining room eating oatmeal, toast, and a gss of orange juice. She is wearing a silk pink robe. She is still petrified from the previous night's event. As she eats Titus enters the dining room. He is wearing a navy blue suit, a bck tie, and bck dress shoes. He walks over to the table and pces his hand on Emma's shoulder smiling.

  "Good morning Princess, how did things go st night?"

  Emma looks up at him tearfully.

  "It started off great and then it will downhill."

  "What happened?" Titus asks concerned sitting down adjacently of her.

  "Hampton got rough with me after I told him to stop." Emma ments softly looking up at her father.

  "Is that how you got those purple marks on your neck?" Titus asks angrily.

  "Y-Yes sir." Emma ments pcing some oatmeal in her mouth.

  "I'll take care of him," Titus says before kissing Emma on her forehead.

  "Have a good day Emma. I'll be back ter." Titus says sweetly before getting up and pushing his chair in.

  When he's gone Emma sobs softly.

  Billy awakes and sees Bnche's side of the bed is empty and made. He smiles gets out of bed and makes his. He goes into the bathroom and shuts the door. He turns on the shower. While the water heats up he washes his face and brushes his teeth. He strips down and steps into the bathtub. He wets a burgundy body sponge and squeezes some white body wash onto it. He then thers it across his body.

  "God let your will be done. I've been trying to expand my business nationally since we moved to Vosk. Let this be our breakthrough."

  Adeide is in her living room eating a cinnamon roll with a gss of apple juice. She is wearing a purple silk robe and white slippers. She is watching the morning news. A group of colored teenage boys are getting attacked by police officers. She shakes her head disgusted before sipping her apple juice.

  "Someone needs to put a stop to this madness," Adeide says angrily before drinking the st of her juice.

  Upon finishing she gets up and turns off the television. She goes and washes her gss before returning to her bedroom and showering.

  Francine is at her apartment finishing the st of her cornfkes. She is wearing a skimpy bck nightgown with red ce trim. Her feast is interrupted by the telephone. She takes her bowl to the kitchen and answers it.

  "This is Francine," Francine says leaning against the counter.

  "Hey Fran it's Leonard,"

  Francine smiles from ear to ear.

  "How are you?" Francine asks twirling her finger around the cord.

  "I'm doing good."

  "That's good," Francine says turning to face the living room.

  "What are you up to these days?"

  "I have a new man."

  "Ooh sounds interesting do tell."

  "He's everything I could ever want."

  "Those are the ones you have to watch out for."

  "Titus wouldn't dare hurt me,"

  "Has he discussed marriage yet?"

  "Yes, he has but his children have to like me too,"

  "Well, that's not impossible."

  "Hey Leo I have to go; I have to see him soon."

  "Okay, it was nice chatting with you."

  "Same here but I won't speak to you again."

  The line goes silent.

  "Why not, you're my childhood best friend,"

  "It's not you, it's just I don't want to be reminded of home. Goodbye." Francine says hanging up the telephone.

  Her eyes tear up as she takes her bowl to the sink. As she scrubs her spoon tears begin streaming down her face.

  "Titus, how did I get a man like you?" Francine asks while rinsing her spoon and pcing it inside the dish rack.

  "Maybe life saw how bad I was doing and intervened," Francine says scrubbing her bowl.

  After scrubbing it she rinses it off and pces it on the rack. She dries her hands and goes to her bedroom to take a shower.

  Down in Harmonica Dock Magnolia is still on the porch. Soon the taxi pulls in front of the mansion. Magnolia grabs her suitcase and purse and goes downstairs. When she sees the taxi driver she smiles.

  "Good morning ma'am, I see we're meeting again." the taxi driver says sweetly taking her suitcase.

  "Good morning and isn't it a coincidence." Magnolia retorts kindly as the taxi driver pces her suitcase in the trunk.

  He goes and opens the door for her. Magnolia goes to the cab and slides into the backseat.

  "Thank you so much kind sir,"

  "You're welcome ma'am." the taxi driver quips closing the door.

  He gets in the driver's seat and gnces at Magnolia through the rearview mirror.

  "So where are you off to this morning?"

  "Harmonica Dock Train Station,"

  "Yes ma'am,"

  Magnolia takes a moment to gaze out the window at Graves Manor.

  'When I return Titus will know that Graves Manor will be mine.' Magnolia thinks as the car pulls off.

  Bnche is sitting in the parking lot. She gathers her composure before exiting her car and heading inside the institution. When she gets inside, she heads to Charlotte's office. She knocks on the door softly.

  "Come in,"

  Bnche goes inside.

  Charlotte stands up and comes from behind her desk. Charlotte is wearing a short-sleeve gray dress with bck stripes going down the sides and bck heels. Her hair is pulled back into a low ponytail. She walks over and shakes Bnche's hand.

  "Good morning Ms. Cohen," Charlotte says sweetly.

  "Good morning and it's Mrs."

  "My apologies, please have a seat."

  "Thank you," Bnche says walking to the chair and sitting down.

  Charlotte goes and sits behind her desk and csps her hands together. Bnche hands her Huey's application. Charlotte reviews his application and looks up at Bnche smiling.

  "Huey appears to be a very ideal candidate for our institution,"

  "I'm gd you think so."

  Soon the door opens and Titus walks in.

  "What did I say to you yesterday nigger?!" Titus asks angrily walking to Charlotte's desk.

  Bnche looks over at him.

  "I know what you said and I don't care. This school shouldn't be run by someone like you anyway!"

  "Well, it is and that bastard will not be attending my school,"

  Bnche rises to her feet and walks over to him.

  "He will and I'm going to fix you once and for all. I will show you better than I can tell you that Caucasians aren't the only powerful ones!"

  "Whenever you're ready for Huey to interview please give me a call."

  "I will and thank you for returning his application,"

  "You're welcome," Bnche says going to grab her purse.

  On her way to the door, she gres at Titus.

  "You're pathetic," Bnche says before leaving.

  Titus looks back at Charlotte fuming.

  "Burn that application and clean your desk with bleach." Titus orders before leaving.

  Charlotte pces Huey's application in her right drawer.

  Sometime ter Francine arrives at Titus' house. She is wearing a sleeveless red fringe dress with bck heels. Her hair is styled in a pinup fashion. She knocks on the door. Soon the door opens and Johnny is standing there. Johnny is wearing a pair of ice-white pajamas with matching slippers.

  "Good morning," Johnny says warmly.

  "Good morning, I'm Francine Moon a friend of your father's. Is he here by chance?"

  "No ma'am he's away at Angelcrest Elite Academy,"

  "Okay thank you," Francine says and walks downstairs.

  Johnny closes the door and goes upstairs to take a shower.

  Ivy is out in the backyard under a tree reading a book. She is sitting on a white bnket. She is wearing a sleeveless red blouse, bck scks, and bck ft shoes. Her hair is in a high bun with a swoop.

  'I hope mother's okay.' Ivy thinks while gazing up at the sky.

  Emma is in her bedroom crying her eyes out when a knock comes on her door.

  "Go away!"

  The door opens revealing Bobby. Bobby is wearing a white t-shirt and blue pajama pants. He shuts her door and walks over to her bed.

  "Hey Emmy what's wrong?"

  "It's Hampton. He got rough with me on our date st night."

  Emma says avoiding Bobby's gaze.

  "I'll kill him!"

  "There's no need. Daddy said he's going to handle it."

  "I think it would be more appropriate for someone his age to intervene," Bobby says clenching his fists.

  "Please Bobby, let Daddy handle this."

  "You know how Father gets when he confronts someone,"

  "Yes, and I also know you. Daddy is tamer than you. Just let him do his fatherly duty."

  Bobby sighs heavily and looks away from her.

  "Fine, but if he ever puts his hands on you again, I will kill him," Bobby says sternly before hugging Emma and leaving.

  Emma gets up and goes to her desk. She sits down and begins undoing the rollers in her hair.

  'Did I deserve what Hampton did to me? No, I didn't.' Emma thinks while setting the curlers on the table.

  Adeide arrives at Silverston Jewels Inc. It is a gray fourteen-story building with tinted windows. At the very top is a white circle with a wolf's head in the center. Adeide is standing in front of it. She is wearing a beige China dress with Chinese symbols written in bck on the front. On her feet is a pair of beige leather pointed-toe heels. Her hair is styled in a flip with a swoop.

  In her ears are dark gold earrings in the form of hooks. Her face is made up of light powder, bck eye shadow, bck eyeliner, and bronze lipstick. In her right hand is a bck strapless purse. On her right wrist is a clear bronze bangle. She walks inside and breathes a sigh of relief. On the first floor is a rge slightly curved gray and bck reception desk. On top of the desk is a namepte that says reception.

  Behind the desk are a tall bck leather chair and two rge potted pnts. Straight ahead are three titanium elevators. Going to the left are restrooms, mechanical rooms, and a staircase. Turning right will take you to offices, the cafeteria, and another staircase. Adeide goes to the middle elevator and presses the ascending button. Soon the elevator rings and the doors slide open. Adeide steps on and presses the button for the fourteenth floor.

  The doors close and Adeide gazes out of the window. There is an atrium with tables and a piano. On both sides of the atrium are balconies that look down on the lower level. When Adeide makes it to the fourteenth floor she steps off and walks to the end of the hall. When she arrives, she sees that the windows are immacute. She opens her gss door and heads inside. The floors have brown carpet.

  In the center of the office is a bck metal desk that upholds a rectangur gss surface. On top are her namepte, a telephone, a bck mp, and a pen cup. Behind her desk is a tall curvaceous gray leather chair with leather armrests. Behind her desk is a beautiful view of West Angelcrest. Adeide goes to her desk and pces her purse inside the bottom left drawer. She opens the right drawer pulls a brown folder and pulls out a document. She sets it down and proceeds to go over it.

  "They want to pay me twenty thousand dolrs to create a jewelry set and evening gown for Governor Georgia Katzburg's thirty-ninth birthday party. I don't see why not, she's such a sweet woman,"

  Adeide picks up the phone and dials a number. After two rings the line answers.

  "You've reached the governor's mansion this is Secretary Genesis Goins speaking how may I help you?"

  "Good morning Genesis this is Adeide Silverston of Silverston Inc., how are you this morning?"

  "I'm doing fine Ms. Silverston, how are you?"

  "Gd to hear it and I'm just splendid. I was calling to speak with Governor Katzburg."

  "Yes ma'am, one moment please,"

  After rings the line picks up.

  "This is Governor Katzburg."

  "Good morning Governor Katzburg this is Adeide Silverston of Silverston Jewels, how are you doing this morning?"

  "Good morning Adeide I'm doing fine, how are you?" Georgia inquires excitedly.

  "That's marvelous and I'm doing swell. I was calling to inform you that I read your proposal and I want to create your jewelry set and evening gown for your birthday party."

  "Thank you so much Adeide I really appreciate this. No one wants to help me ever since I tried racial integration."

  "It's their loss and you are our governor. They're just going to have to deal with it."

  "Yes, they will. So do you have a specific time frame for when everything will be ready?"

  "Most likely by mid-July," Adeide responds mentally taking notes.

  "Alright, I'm looking forward to a captivating masterpiece."

  "Most certainly and I will deliver,"

  "Good, I'll see you at my party in August, thank you again."

  "You're welcome and see you then, goodbye," Adeide says and hangs up.

  She sighs heavily crossing her legs.''

  "You have your work cut out for you Adeide Silverston," Adeide says before leaving her office.

  Billy is at home in the living room when Huey comes in. He's wearing a bck polo shirt with red tree roots going across it bck scks and bck shoes.

  "Father I need speak with you," Huey says getting Billy's attention.

  "Sure son," Billy says coolly.

  Huey walks to the couch and sits down. He meets his father's gaze nervously while clenching his fists.

  "You look nervous, is everything okay?"

  "Everything's fine, it's mother I'm concerned about."

  "What's going on?"

  "She took me to Angelcrest Elite Academy yesterday and she exchanged words with the founder. I'm afraid something horrible might happen."

  His father chuckles confusing the adolescent.

  "You don't have to worry about her,"

  "With all due respect Father, I feel I need to."

  "When your mother's back is against the wall, she's a completely different person," Billy says looking off into the distance.

  "That's all the more reason for me to worry," Huey says before getting up.

  "Don't. Stress is a silent killer."

  Huey looks at his father shocked.

  "I didn't know you were capable of begging,"

  "When it comes to you two, I'll do what I have to," Billy says standing to his feet.