The elderly man frowned on her. “For men folks,” he said sternly. He walked to the door and pointed to a sign on it: MEN. “There,” he said. “That proves it. Didn’ you see that?”
“No,” Ma said in shame, “I never seen it. Ain’t they a place where I can go?”
The man’s anger departed. “You jus’ come?” he asked more kindly.
“Middle of the night,” said Ma.
“Then you ain’t talked to the Committee?”
“What committee?”
“Why, the Ladies’ Committee.”
“No, I ain’t.”
He said proudly, “The Committee’ll call on you purty soon an’ fix you up. We take care of folks that jus’ come in. Now, if you want a ladies’ toilet, you jus’ go on the other side of the building. That side’s yourn.”
Ma said uneasily, “Ya say a ladies’ committee—comin’ to my tent?” He nodded his head. “Purty soon, I guess.”