Chapter 273

JULIA

We were quiet. What could we say, it was true. The Indians had been deliberately exposed to smallpox to eradicate them, the Japanese-Americans placed in internment camps during the war. They hadn't done the same to families of Italian and German immigrants, but the Japanese were 'different'. I hated to think that what happened to Lucia could ever happen to anyone in this country, but it happened all the time, by some people, thankfully mostly not yet the police or military. Though how many people were killed or injured during the peaceful crossing of the bridge in Alabama during the civil rights movement when the police released the dogs on them and beat them with batons. That was only fifty years ago, within my parents lifetime. Attacks did seem to be increasing on those some people considered different from themselves.

We worked without words for quite a while. Eventually Janet said, "I've decided I'd like to try all the gray areas o