'Crickets isn't acceptable.'

That's what Brice told Helga. Helga told Fanny and Fanny told Edie, pronounced EE-Dee. Edie rocked back and forth when she heard that, the ripe and bruised bananas swaying below both ears, the maroon cherry quivering, stem disappearing up her right nostril.

'If Crickets isn't acceptable, I'm worried, Fanny,' she said. '. . . real worried.'

'That's why I'm mentioning it. Crickets has the two Kiwis for eyes and you, well you . . . that's why I'm mentioning it,' she repeated.

The two hugged, a long hug. Both knew they'd never be seeing each other again. Edie was on the first Trailways out of Port Authority. She already knew she'd be heading down to the Rio Grande Valley, where they grow grapefruits. Didn't know if that was true or not. Saw that add in a glamour mag ten years back, this big pink grapefruit with the black arrow pointing to Texas. Didn't matter. She'd just keep heading south until she found her people. . . .