Spring starts to show itself in New York, and Meena can feel the change in the air. She’s impressed to see River on Time magazine, and she’s glad that people are finally paying attention to the Appalachian Mountains. Meena learns about serfdom at school, and how historically, people have wanted to control others to be rich, powerful, and comfortable. Even though America doesn’t have true serfs today, Meena’s teacher says that people do take advantage of others, such as illegal immigrants, by paying them less for work than they would citizens. Meena worries during the discussion that people will know she is living in New York illegally, but no one notices her nervousness.

Meena helps Mrs. Lau with a writing assignment for her ESL class. Mrs. Lau writes about noticing a woman on the subway wearing a pair of pants from the sewing factory where she worked. The story makes Meena think about who made her clothes, and how many products in New York came from India, just like her. When she gets home with Mrs. Lau, the landlord is waiting to ask Mrs. Lau where her son is. He refuses to look at parts of her apartment that need repairs, and Meena worries he suspects she is living in Mrs.