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I was stunned I stuck the letter into the pocket of my corduroy jumper and went out for a walk I trareen roof and Mrs Nunez, who sat in a rocker on her front porch, leaning precariously forward out of her chair, trying to nail a fast- spider with the rubber tip of her cane She lifted the cane and stabbed the air sociably as I passed by; I waved back I wondered about the lab work Doc Ho for someone far away to examine her cells or her blood and pronounce a verdict? Or was this history, a sentence she was already serving?

In town, the 4-H Club had set up a display of rabbits and fancy chickens in cages in front of the courthouse A little county fair was planned for Easter weekend The rabbits were of an odd-looking breed but all exactly alike, fancily et under the throat, and it occurred to me how much simpler life would be if people were like that, all identicallybreed I corrected an old habit of thought: both my parents were born in Grace, and their parents before theht-I’d believed otherwise for so long it had become true; I was an outsider not only by belief but by flesh and bone

Children knelt by the cages and talked to the rabbits in high voices, poking in sprigs of new grass from the courthouse lawn Some shoppers had strayed over froed woman I knew from Stitch and Bitch, waved at me She was there with herblack braid down her back The old woes like a child Mary rested a hand on the back of her esture that twisted my heart I turned up the road toward Loyd’s house I kneas hoular schedule these days, running the Amtrak to Tucson and back We stayed in touch

The air had a freshI had several choices of route, and on a whih a neighborhood that wanted to pull s that barked without getting up A worapefruits off the tree in their backyard The fruits rustled solidly into grocery bags while the woman talked in a low, steady voice and the entle irritation and love that would never be finished

"Gee, you’re pretty Are you the new schoolteacher?"

I turned around, startled by a man on a moped I’d never laid eyes on him before, but I was completely charmed by his line I felt like Miss Kitty in Gunsmoke

"Well, yes," I said

"You want a ride? There’s a wicked pair of brindle bulldogs up at the corner"

"Okay" I gathered my skirt and straddled the back of his bike We buzzed ss, who lay with their manifold chins on their paws

"My son Ricky’s in one of your classes He says you give theive hed "You’re Doc Hoht Homer Nolina of the white trash Nolinas Heto strangers all my life, and no wonder Here was the truth and it sounded like a B-grade fairy tale But I wanted to know if Doc Hootten

"I never heard that," my driver said "I just heard she was dead"

"She’s dead all right But she was born and grew up right here You’re around the sae I am, you wouldn’t reht unkindly of my daddy, so they ran off for a while and he put on an attitude"

He laughed at that, but said, "You oughtn’t to talk bad about a man like him"

"Oh, I know Doc Homer’s inclined to be useful But I swear it looks to eful spite"

"I gotlike that"

Ten seconds later he let me off at the base of the path up to Loyd’s house Loyd was sitting outside, drinking coffee under the huge mesquite that shaded his front yard He was just out of the shoearing only a pair of soft gray sweatpants His damp hair lay loose on his shoulders He looked very happy to seeLoyd Jack betrayed excite tail, but Loyd made no sudden movements He let me come to him, bend over to kiss him, sit down in the chair beside him I was oddly conscious of his skill with animals