Sarah's mind slips wistful into the past, to that One Hot Summer in 1957 in Madison County...
"Miss Sarah, I was thinking..."
"Yes, my dear Mandingo?"
"What would happen if a Negro and a Chinese Person had a baby together?"
"That would be God-awful, Mandingo."
"I think that's a little harsh, Miss Sarah..."
"The baby of a Chink and a Negro would be a Retard for sure. I'm not even sure if the baby would develop hands: it might just be a handless Chink Negro Retard."
"If you say so..."
"Wait. Do you have your eye on some girl Chink?"
"Well, that Chinese Girl at the Laundry is kind of pretty..."
"Do I even have to say it, my Mandingo? Even the Chink is above the Negro's station in Life."
"I guess there's that..."
"Besides, how can you be attracted to a yellow-skinned slant-eyed girl when you have me, with my beautiful white skin and my beautiful eyes?"
"Sometimes I just think another woman might -- you know -- respects me a bit more."
"Oh, my silly Mandingo: I respect you as much as any Negro can expect to be respected. At times I almost even forget that you're a Negro."
"Really, Miss Sarah?"
"Yes, but that's mainly when it's real dark..."
I am Laslo.
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