During all the talk about the shooting, I could not get my mind off Moy. I was worried about Papa carrying out his threat and sending him back to Haiti, or that Moy, angry with Papa for forbidding him to paint, would volunteer to go back to live with Tante Rose, splitting us up again.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31

I still have not given Moy the Audubon photocopy. Since he cannot paint anymore, it probably would make him sad.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1

Manman had a chat with Moy before Papa came home from work. She begged him to go back to his classes in order to keep the peace with Papa, and to remain with us in New York.

She said she had spoken to Papa and everything would be all right if Moy stopped painting for a while and went back to his classes.

Moy agreed to go back to his classes, not because of Papa’s threat, I think, but because he adores Manman and he sees how sad this conflict with Papa is making her.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2

Moy and Papa are still not talking. They only nod hello to each other, once in the morning and then again at night before they go to bed. Whenever Moy is in the house, he walks around with a big frown on his face, one just like Papa’s.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3

This afternoon I noticed fresh paint on Moy’s running shoes. I have a suspicion that he is painting somewhere else.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Franck called to say that even though it was Manman and Papa’s day off, he needed them to work.

As soon as Manman and Papa left, Moy got dressed and gathered his things to go out.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“Running,” he said.

“With your bag?” I said, pointing to the backpack in his hand.

He paused, as if to judge whether or not I could be trusted.

“Should I tell you?” he asked, thinking it over.

“I won’t tell Manman and Papa,” I said.

“There is a girl in my class,” he says. “She has her own apartment. She is letting me paint there.”

“Is she your girlfriend?” I asked.

“I am wasting time,” he said. “I need to go.”

“Wait, I have something for you,” I said.

I ran to my room and found the Audubon photocopy. He looked it over and handed it back to me.

“Put it on your wall,” he said. “This house needs some decoration.”

And then he left.

LATER

Papa came home with a small bandage on his forehead. He had been in a car accident, ramming the restaurant van into the back of another car. He was not too badly hurt. He only got a small cut from hitting his head on the steering wheel when he struck the other car, but he looked so shaken he could barely talk.

“The road was glise, slippery,” Manman explained. “He tried to stop the van, but it wouldn’t stop.”