What the Fireflies Knew

KB sneaks out of the house to play with Bobby and Charlotte on a nearby playground. Before they play, she notices that Bobby and Charlotte’s house looks like something out of a book. The joy in her play with Bobby and Charlotte disappears when Charlotte and Bobby ask her why she says ain’t and where her home is located. She becomes increasingly uncomfortable, especially as they ignore her responses and seem to bond together over their curiosity about her. She blocks out this discomfort by listening closely to nature sounds. Only after they leave is she able to say the truth out loud, that “[e]verybody ain’t got a home” (136).

When she goes home, her grandfather tells KB and Nia that they are going to help him prepare food for the Fourth of July family barbeque. He carefully instructs the girls, showing them how to clean collard greens and prepare corn for grilling. Afterward, he has them help with the clean-up. KB realizes that her mother’s approach to cooking and cleaning are identical to what her grandfather does.