706 Johnston Place

"From the mud comes feet. To white castles they trod. Hands press dough. They pound it. They sprinkle flour on top and knead it in deep with purple knuckles and bronze wedding rings. They pinch it into tin pans and pour in the filling. They lay it atop the fruit and syrup and puncture the skin. They watch it bake for an hour till the crust cracks golden brown, they place it on the ceramic tiles to cool."

Back to the mud goes the feet.

One-step, two-step

creak up the porch steps

one-step, two-step

swing open the screen door

one-step two step.

slip off the shoes. Beat off the mud on the porch.

Calk for Jethro, Pannie, Julia-them

Nobody call back.

Call again.

Julia-Ann answer. "Yes Mama?:

Say :"Where your brothers and sisters?"

"Patty McCullums, Mama. Playin',Mama."

A pain rise up in the temples. Next, right between the eyes.

Told them a million times to come straight home.

Where your Pa?

"I dunno Mama."

Yes, you do!

Shakes her head, naw, she dont. 

Lying hard; blinking quick.

Tired, exhaustion.

Dinner gon be late but dinner gone be served.

Go git your brother and sisters.

"Yes, Mama." run off with the lie in her pantyhose, dripping down the leg.

No scotch in the cupboard. Sally Higgins took the last of the gin. 

Pauper drank up all the whiskey and she caint touch his beer.

Where the cigarettes? Aint none.

that boy been smoking em while she at work.

He like his daddy; sneaky

round-about.

where her chocolates?

Only one left in the box.

Greedy Sylvia been in em, Julia-Ann probably helped.

Time to snap the beans, aint no time to lament.

Dinner gone be late but dinner gone be served.