“Well, you guessed right,” he said, “I was in the marines. That got me through college.”

“Let me guess,” I said, reaching my car and turning to face him, “you weren’t a science major?”

Randy grinned, “Depends on your definition of science. Psychology.”

Despite the grin, I saw disappointment in his eyes. Psychology had been his passion. He wanted to understand something about himself. And the fact that he ended up in a neighborhood like this meant that his transition out of the military life had not been a smooth one. But how much will he admit?

“What brings a white boy like you to a place like this?” I asked.

“I dunno,” he said, &...

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