He puts it on for us and we go down to the sunny part of the grandstand, where Perry sits in a big group. He introduces us, tells everyone what gun fighters we are (or Rube, at least), and we watch. There are some ugly guys and girls there, but some nice girls too. One of them is our age and pretty. Dark hair, cut short. Eyes of sky. She’s skinny and she smiles at us, polite and shy.

‘That’s Stephanie,’ Perry tells us, as he rattles through the names. Her face is tanned and sweet. Her neck and throat are smooth, and she wears a pale blue shirt, a bracelet, and old jeans. She’s got gymmies on, like us. I notice her arms and her wrists and her hands and fingers. They’re feminine and beautiful and delicate. No rings. Just the bracelet.

All the other people talk, behind us.

So where do y’ live? I ask, inside. No words come out.

‘So, where do y’ live?’ Rube asks her, but his voice is so different from the voice that I would have used. His is said to be said. Not said to be nice.

‘Glebe.’

‘Nice area.’

Me, I say nothing.

I only look at her and her lips and her straight white teeth when she speaks. I watch the breeze run its fingers through her hair. I watch it breathe on to her neck. I even watch the air go into her mouth. Into her lungs, and back out …

She and Rube talk about regular things. School. Home. Friends. What bands they’ve seen lately — of which Rube has seen none. He just makes it up.

Me?

I would never lie to her.

I promise.

‘Go!’

It’s everyone yelling, as the dogs get let out and take off around the track.

‘Go Peach Sunday!’

Rube stands and yells with the rest of the people.

‘Go Peaches! Go son!’

As he does so, I look at Stephanie. Peach Sunday doesn’t concern me any more, even when he wins by two lengths and Rube slaps me on the back, and Perry slaps us both on the back.

‘Old Craddock’s all right then, ay!’ Rube shouts at me, and faintly, I smile. Stephanie smiles also, at both of us. We’ve just made sixty-five dollars. Our first real win at the track. Perry collects it for us.

We decide to stay ahead from there and we just hang around and watch for the rest of the afternoon, till the shadows grow long and lean. When the crowd disperses after the last race, Perry invites us to his place for what he calls, ‘Food, drinks and anything else you might need’.

‘No thanks.’ It’s Rube. ‘We’ve gotta get home.’

At that moment, Steph talks to an older girl I assume is her sister. They talk, then separate, and Steph is on her own.