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“What happened, Loreda?”

“Sonorant Okie Ant told him to take it back and when he wouldn’t, Ant punched him The kid punched back”

“I’ll talk to—”

“The teachers know, Mom The principal came out and said the boy shouldn’t have punched Ant cuz we carry disease He said, ‘You know better than to touch ’em, Johnson’”

“He’s eight years old,” Elsa said softly

Loreda had no answer

“I’ll talk to hi the other cheek,” Elsa said It was all she could think of What did she know of schoolyard fights or what it took to become a man?

Up ahead, Ant walked alone along the side of the road, looking small Vulnerable The few cars that passed theet out of the way

“How about teaching hier boy in the privates?”

“I a to teach my son to kick another boy in … that area”

“Great Teach hi Teach him ill always live this way”

“Oh, Loreda,” she said “I kno bad it is…”

“Do you? They ate fried chicken and had fruit-pie slices for lunch, Moood I accidentally hed ata potato And someone else said, She probably stole it”

“Girls like that, unkind girls who think it’s funny to laugh at another’s ’s butt”

“It hurts”