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I spoke very quietly “Ma with you?”

“Ben, you better take your mama horape” He forced a laugh

“My mama never drinks She must be sick”

“I’m afraid she is, son Whiskey sick”

Suddenly my mother’s knees buckled She drooped over to one side and then fell to the floor with a heavy thud

Sam Jenkins turned to the back of his store “Henry, coot a lady passed out drunk on the floor”

Chapter 9

FROM SEPARATE DIRECTIONS CAME two teenage boys One hite, with red hair The bigger one was black, as tall as he was skinny

“Y’all help this boy take his mama out of here,” Sam Jenkins said

The white boy leaned down to Mama and tried to lift her She was sle toposition

“Marcus, you gonna help me?”

“Mist’ Sam, I think this lady sick,” said the black kid

“Nobody asked your opinion,” said Mr Jenkins “Just get her out of the store!”

They lifted my mother up and carried her out to the sidewalk, where they set her on a bench near the watering trough

“Shit She ain’t sick,” said the redheaded boy “She’s drunk as a monkey”