At three o’clock Alexander got home from school, letting himself in with a key tied on a string around his neck.
‘How was your day? Macon always asked.’
‘Oh, okay.’
But Macon had the feeling that school never went very well for Alexander. His glasses were always covered in fingerprints, and his face seemed paler than ever. Sometimes Macon helped him with his schoolwork, simple questions about his reading. ‘Why did Joe need five dollars? Where was Joe’s daddy?’