How do Alfa and Zinnia differ in their responses to segregation in the novel, Walking to the Bus-Rider Blues?

Alfa's sister Zinnia boldly drinks from a "whites only" fountain and makes loud remarks about water from the "colored" fountain not having color. Alfa steps off the sidewalk when white people are approaching and avoids their eyes. These details help readers picture the realities of segregation and how settings were altered to force obedience. Alfa's estimates of how long it takes to walk to each place reveals not only the distances between places, but also the separation of people based on racial attitudes.