Summary

Chapter 9 begins with Mazie's heart-breaking observance that bums—like everyone else—live and die, and are forgotten. She knew all their names. She will remember. On May 12, 1934, Mazie meets Ben at a no-name diner near the Brooklyn Bridge. He says he could never endure helping the bums. Helping people, Mazie replies, is the easy part. The rest of life is hard.

George Flicker injures a hand, and meets Alice, a nurse—his future wife. Later that night he visits Mazie, and they go to bed. She notes his unusual glow, and they end up having a two-month fling until George stops coming by. Stoic Mazie won't chase after a man, no matter she's closer to 40 than 30. She wonders what comes after. In November Jeanie helps Mazie hand out wool blankets to the needy. Mazie notes Jeanie's restored health, and her repetition that "life...