A Duet For Home

Huey House receives a donation of lime jellybeans, and Tyrell and Jeremiah move the boxes of jellybeans and use them to win over various employees. As the narrative states, “[They] had ‘relocated’ the candy to their own hiding place and used it to bribe the security and maintenance staff when they needed a favor” (102). In Huey House, the jellybeans therefore become a symbol of currency, and Tyrell and Jeremiah show June how the system works. For example, on their way to the chapel, they pass Humberto and give him a jellybean, and Humberto “salute[s] the boys and [goes] back to his mopping as if nothing had happened” (153). As this scene demonstrates, the jellybeans also operate on a playful level. Aside from Ms. MacMillan, the staff and the residents get along well, so although jellybeans do not necessarily make an effective bribe, the boys’ habit of passing them around adds charm to the employees’ day.

When June needs a place to practice her viola, Jeremiah and Tyrell take her to the chapel, which comes to represent a secure location. This area used to be part of a tuberculosis ward, and because