To my surprise and despair, her mother Lalita opened the door. A sudden smile disappears thing happened with me. But I went in and inquired about Alek...ya. Lalita said that she is not at home as she is at the neighbors. She inquired if I had some work but I was about to leave.Just then Lalita stopped me and asked me in for a cup of tea. I thought maybe that would be nice after this head cracking incident. Lalita was wearing a blue saree tightly wrapped around her body. It was tucked nicely below. Are we friends, are we more? I just don’t know.”“I really don’t know either, Beth”, I replied, “But we need to figure this out.”“Yes, I know. Lance knows something is wrong with me. He has asked at least a dozen times this week what is going on with me. I have just been telling him I’m exhausted, but I don’t think he is buying it.”“Beth, if he finds out, you know he will tell everyone in the family.”She nodded her head in agreement as she took another bite of food.“I just think the best thing. On the way back to Chicago I had used up most of my reserve cash and taken a train part of the way, but I hadn’t enough money to get very far, then I mostly walked and hitched rides. Then my last ride with a couple of white farm hands, one older and one younger, beat me up and dropped me off behind the next truck stop and robbed me of my last few dollars and my cardboard suitcase containing everything else I owned. They even took the coat off my back.“In order to stay here, I’d need work, ‘n I. Once in the ship, James directed the team to the galley and lounge area for the trip to the moonbase. He showed them where to stow their gear in some unused staterooms off of the lounge area."The trip up will take about 40 to 45 minutes. Just relax and you can use the replicator in the Galley if you need anything. I'll be on the bridge with Joe and Tarra. Once we are down, I'll be back and we can suit up." James motioned to Joe to follow him to the bridge.Tarra greeted her father warmly with a.