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〃Okay。 But it's always interesting to look into a bindle。 You never know what you'll find。〃
〃You mess with these Cubans and they'll pull a knife on you。〃 At the next corner； they waited for the light to change。 〃If your name isn't Gotlieb； and it isn't Mendez； what is it？〃
〃Junior； like I told you。 My last name's Frenger。 I'm really German； I suppose； but I don't remember my parents。 I was in four different foster homes； but no one ever told me anything about my parents。 They said I was an orphan； but they could've been lying about that。 They lied about everything else； so it's possible my parents are still alive somewhere。 I've always thought my father must've been an important man； though； or he wouldn't've named me Junior。 At least that proves I'm not a bastard。 You don't name a kid after yourself if you aren't married。 What d'you think？〃
〃I'm too upset to think right now。 On top of everything else； I think Mr。 Turner's going to make us write a haiku； and I don't think I can do it。〃
〃It seems simple enough to me。 There're only seventeen syllables。 Five； seven； and five。 I'll write some for you； and you can keep 'em in your purse。 Then； if he gives you a makeup paper in his office； you can just copy them in your own handwriting。〃
〃Suppose I have to explain what they mean？〃
〃I'll tell you what they mean after I write them。〃
〃Would you？〃
〃Sure。 We're engaged； aren't we？〃
〃Did you really mean that？ When you told Mr。 Turner we were engaged？〃
〃Why not？ I've never been engaged before。〃
〃Me neither。 I've never even gone steady before。〃
They reached the six…story parking garage。 Susan showed her parking pass to the attendant behind the bulletproof window。 He took her keys from the board； raised the grate an inch； and slid them across the Formica countertop。
〃I pay eighty dollars a month to park here。 And that's the student rate。 Some of these downtown lots charge three dollars an hour； and they make so much money they won't give you a monthly rate。〃 They took the elevator to the fifth floor。 〃But they're nasty about it here。 If I don't get here early enough in the morning to get a space； the garage fills up and they put out a full sign。 So even though I've paid in advance； I still can't park。 It isn't fair。〃
〃You use that word a lot。〃
〃What word？〃
〃〃Fair〃。 Now that you're twenty years old…〃
〃Only by one month…〃
〃…you'd better forget about things like 〃fair〃 and 〃unfair〃。 Even when people talk about the weather； 〃fair〃 doesn't mean anything。〃
〃But there's such a thing as…〃
〃No； there isn't。 Jesus； is this your car？〃
Susan unlocked the driver's door to a white 1982 TransAm。 There was a flaming red bird decal on the hood and flowing red flames painted on all four of the fenders。
〃It's mine now； if they don't take it away from me。 It was the first thing we bought when we had enough saved for the down payment。 Marty was crazy about it。 But he only got to drive it two or three times。 What he wanted was a car that would impress his friends when we went back to Okeechobee。 That's why I'm pretty sure he never told daddy about the car。 He wanted to surprise everybody。 These are real leather seats； you know。 Black glove leather。 D'you want to drive； Junior？〃
〃No。 I can drive； but I'm not a very good driver。 And even though I've got three California licenses on me； I don't fit the descriptions。 Besides； you'd have to tell me where to turn and all。〃
Freddy got into the passenger's soft bucket seat。 He felt as though he were sitting in a deep pit； even though the visibility was excellent through the tinted front window。 The side and back windows had been layered with chocolate film； they were almost black。
Susan started the engine。 〃I'll turn the air conditioning down in just a second。 It'll really freeze your ass off if you leave it on high very long。〃
〃Do you need gas？ I've got Ramon Mendez's Seventy…six card。〃
〃This thing always needs gas。 It only gets about nine miles to a gallon。 Something's wrong with the carburetor； I think。〃
〃Well； don't worry about gas。 I can get all of the gas credit cards we'll need。〃
Susan roared down the spiraling driveway and into the street。 She drove through the streets aggressively； taking the Eighth Street ramp to the overhead freeway to South Dixie。 But once on South Dixie； in three lanes； the traffic was heavy； and it was stop…and…go driving until they reached South Miami and Sunset Drive。 The heavy traffic thinned out slightly when she turned west on Sunset。
〃People can't see in at all； can they？〃 Freddy said。
〃Not very well。 To see inside you have to put your face right up against the glass。〃
〃I haven't seen much of the city； either。〃
〃You can't see much at night。 I'll take you around tomorrow； anywhere you want to go。〃
They had the car filled at a Shell station。 Freddy paid for the gas with Gotlieb's credit card。 As the attendant wrote down the license number on the sales slip； Freddy shook his head。 〃I forgot they did that。 Tomorrow we're going to either get some new license plates or a new car。 We should've stopped along the way so I could've picked up some new license plates。 I could've changed them before we got the gas。〃
Susan opened the door； jumped out； and dashed after the attendant。 She got the credit slip back； and paid the man cash for the fuel。 She got back into the driver's seat and tore up the credit slip。
〃I'll probably lose the car； but we might as well keep it as long as we can。〃
〃That was quick thinking； Susie。 I'm so used to using credit cards； I never thought about paying cash。〃
〃I always pay cash。 Still； I try not to carry more'n fifty dollars on me at a time。〃
〃Tomorrow I'll get us some out…of…state plates we can switch。 And tomorrow night I'd better get some Miami credit cards。 I'll get some for you； too； some ladies' cards； so you can buy things when I'm not around。〃
There were thirty four…story condominium apartment buildings in the plex that made up Kendall Pines Terrace； but only six of the buildings had been pleted and occupied。 The other buildings were unpainted； windowless； concrete shells。 Construction had been suspended for more than a year。 Almost all of the apartments in the occupied buildings were empty。 For the most part； their owners had purchased them at preconstruction prices during the real estate boom in 1979。 But now； in fall 1982； construction prices had risen； and very few people could qualify for loans at 17 percent interest。
〃There's been some vandalism out here；〃 Susan said； when she parked in her numbered space in the vast and almost empty parking lot。 〃So they built a cyclone fence and hired a Cuban to drive around at night in a Jeep。 That's stopped it。 But sometimes； late at night； it's a little scary out here。〃
There was a tropical courtyard in the hollow square of Building Six…East。 Broad…leaved plants had been packed in thickly around the five…globed light in the center of the patio； and cedar bark had been scattered generously around the plants。 There was a pleasant tingle of cedar and night…blooming jasmine in the air。
Susan had a corner two…bedroom； two…bath apartment with a screened porch facing the Everglades。 There was eggshell wall…to…wall carpet throughout the apartment； except for the kitchen； which had a linoleum floor in a white brick pattern。 Both bathrooms had been tiled in blue and pink。 The furniture in the living room was rattan； with blue…and…green…striped cushions。 There was a large brass bed in the master bedroom。 In the smaller bedroom； Susan's； there was a Bahama bed and a rattan desk。 There were antique white Levolors in all of the windows； but no curtains or draperies。
While Freddy looked around the apartment； Susan got two San Miguel beers out of the refrigerator。 She took Freddy out to the screened porch and pointed toward the dark Everglades。
〃In the daytime you can see them； but not now。 For the next four miles or so； those are all tomato and cucumber fields。 Then you get to Krome Avenue； and beyond that it's the East Everglades…nothing but water and alligators。 It gets too drowned with water to build on the other side of Krome； and Kendall Pines Terrace is the last plex in Kendall。 Eventually； the rest of those fields will all be condos； because Kendall is the chicest neighborhood in Miami。 But they won't be able to build anymore in the 'Glades unless they drain them。〃
〃This apartment looks expensive。〃
〃It is； for the girl that owns it。 She put every cent she had into it； and then found out she couldn't afford to live here。 She's just a legal secretary； so she had to rent it out； furniture and all。 We only pay her four hundred a month rent； but she was glad to get it。 She tried to sell or rent it for four months before we came along。 Even with our four hundred； she still has to e up with another four…fifty every month。〃
〃Where does she live now？〃
〃She had to move back with her parents in Hallandale； and she's twenty…five years old。 I know how bad she feels。 I'd never move back in with daddy。 I'd rather die first。〃
〃This is good beer。〃
〃San Miguel dark。 It's the best； and it es al