“Amen, sister,” Maurice said. “But on second thought, this could be a chance to strike from within. Think of how uncomfortable it will make everyone there to see me, a hardened criminal raised by the streets—”

“Maurice, you were raised by your granny, and you didn’t pay your parking tickets,” Liza retorted.

Maurice looked taken aback, then shook his head in resignation. “That’s the problem with sistas—they’re too myopic. Can’t see the long game.”

“Oh Liza, USAID regrets to inform you they went with another candidate,” LeDeya broke in.

Liza snatched her laptop away from her sister and slammed it closed with too much force. “Stay out of my email, Deya!” Heat crept up Liza’s neck. It was the third no this month.

“It’s funny that my daughter who finds fault with everything and everybody can’t even find a job as a dog catcher or keep a man longer than a summer. Maybe look at your own self before you offer your famous opinions up?” Bev said. Her neck slid from side to side like an abacus bead.

Janae patted Liza gently while shooting a warning look at Bev. “Keep at it, Liza. You’ll find your fit. As for the event, I think we can compromise. I think they want to build a community garden with the elders before the gala—no cameras. You know how Granny feels about gardening.” Once Granny’s eyes lit up, it was all but over. Bev smiled in triumph.

Liza was already deflating. “How do you know this?” It maddened her that her sweet-faced sister could convince people of something with such little effort, while Liza had been shouting all her life to no avail.

Janae unfolded a small flyer and handed it to her sister with a look. The subtext was clear. Let Granny shine. There were no World’s Best Widows or Top Seamstress awards coming for her anytime soon.

African prints and gardening tools—two of Granny’s obsessions—outlined the trim of the paper. “ ‘Each one, teach one, Harambee,’ ” Liza mumbled under her breath. “ ‘Developers and community members learn from each other! Let’s build together! Join us for a community gardening event before the gala! Winner of the best home garden competition wins a trip to Philadelphia for Pemberley Development’s fifty-year corporate anniversary.’ ”

The flyer was perfectly calibrated for the fifty-and-older set:

• Nebulous Pan-African language
• Magical Black mentors meet well-meaning white people
• Some distant promise of cash and travel