Page 95 (2/2)

Hard tio

Jean stepped out of her tent and waved at Loreda

Loreda walked toward her, strangely glad for an adult nearby “Hey, Miz Dewey,” Loreda said

“Your o, lookin’ for work”

“My mom has never had a real job”

Jean sh Experience, I mean The jobs out here are field jobs, mostly They won’t hire us in diners and stores and such They want them jobs for themselves”

“It’s just wrong”

Jean shrugged, as if to say, What difference does that h and jobs is scarce, folks blame the outsider It’s human nature And raht now, that’s us In California it used to be the Mexicans, and the Chinese before that, I think”

Loreda stared out at the debris-strewn caives up,” she said “But o to Hollywood Or San Francisco” Loreda hated how her voice broke on that Suddenly she was thinking of her dad and Stella and her grandparents and the farht now, she wanted to be hos and slip her a bite of so

“Co her arms

Loreda walked into the woman’s eer “You’ll have to grow up, I reckon,” Jean said “Your one”

Loreda held back tears She didn’t want to grow up, certainly not in a place like this

She looked up at Jean’s kind, sad face “So, what should I do?”

“First, go to the ditch and carry lots o’ water back You got to boil and strain it before you drink it, ive you some cheesecloth Doin’ laundry would help your mom out”

Loreda left Jean standing outside the tent and picked up a pair of buckets and walked to the ditch A line of wo the banks, or on wooden planks in the broater, washing clothes Children played at the edges of the dirty water