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The ot a bad feeling The price of cotton is down, and the darowers again The government wants less cotton planted to raise prices You knohat that et pounded”

“What about the summer months?” Elsa asked “Once the cotton is thinned, it will be months before it’s ready to pick What work is there then?”

“Most of us move north pretty soon to pick fruit We come back in the fall for cotton”

“Is it worth the gas money?” Elsa asked

Jeb shrugged “It’s work, Elsa We take it where we can, e can”

Up ahead, Elsa saos they had She heard the strains of a fiddle rising up and it made her smile

Outside their tent, Loreda and Ant sat on the buckets on the ground Beside them, a pot of beans simmered on the stove

“Mom?” Loreda said “I need to talk to you”

That couldn’t be good Lately, Loreda’s anger had grown exponentially She didn’t complain much, or roll her eyes and storhter was eating a steady diet of outrage and sooner or later she would explode “Sure”

“Stay here, Ant,” Loreda said, rising to her feet

Elsa followed Loreda toward the ditch they pathetically called a river

Beneath a spindly tree in full bloom, Loreda stopped and turned to face Elsa “School ended two days ago”

“I’m aware of that, Loreda”

“Are you also aware that I’ the day?”

Elsa knehere this was going She’d been expecting it Dreading it “Yes”