I nodded.
"Good. Anyone asks what happened, you tell them the truth, and go on doing whatever it is you have to do. You don't fail your tests and get into trouble in school like everyone will expect you to do. April. You study harder. I'm going to play harder," she said. "I'm going to win every trophy I can, because, in the end, that's what will tell Daddy what we really think of what he's done and what we really think of him. Understand? Do you?" she followed, her voice verging on out- and-out hysteria.
"Yes, Brenda:"
"Good. Good." she said, and blew air through her lips. She got up, "I'm going for a run." she said, "in case anyone asks where I am."
She went to change into her running clothes and shoes. and I went to my room to do my homework. Usually, like everyone I knew. I left it for the last moment. but I wanted to be so occupied I couldn't think. A part of me continued to believe it was all just a bad dream or a misunderstanding. anyway. This couldn't be the end, the conclusion to all this. There had to be a better explanation and a better solution.
In the late afternoon. Mama came out to work on our dinner. I went to help her. and Uncle Palaver sat at the kitchen table to watch and talk.
"I've decided to hang around a little longer, Nora." he told Mama. "If that's all right with you."
She stopped what she was doing. She wasn't crying anymore, but her face looked so drained and tired she seemed to have aged years in hours.
"No. Warner. I don't want you canceling your show dates to stay here and babysit be fine." she said. "and it would only add to my unhappiness to know I was keeping you from developing your career."
"My career," he said disdainfully.
"It's what you enjoy. Warner. Don't put yourself down just because... because some other people did that. If you can make a living at what you love to do, you're a success," Mama insisted,
Uncle Palaver smiled. "You were always my best cheerleader. Nora."
"And I still am, so forget this idea about moping around the house."
He nodded. "I can come back on my sweep west," he said.
"Don't do anything that takes you off your track. Warner. Pm warning you."
"Okay, okay."
"When are you leaving. Uncle Palaver?" I asked.
"I'm supposed to be in Raleigh tomorrow evening," he replied. "What about Destiny?" I asked.
"She's meeting me there."
"Then you'd better get an early start," Mama advised. "This weather isn't improving. They're predicting some storms." He nodded. "IT call you whenever I can." he promised.
"We'll be fine," she said, and turned back to her dinner preparations.
Uncle Palaver looked up at me and smiled, "Sure you will. You have two terrific young women at your side." he said. He pushed back the sleeves of his shirt. "Okay. April." he said, sitting forward. "Here we have a salt shaker and a pepper shaker.
He put them together on the table.
"I want you to move them to any place on this table," he told me, lifting them and handing them to me.
Mama's smile made me move quickly to take them. "Go on, anywhere," he said.
I put them down at the other end as far from him as I could get them.
"Okay, let me concentrate a minute," he said, and closed his eyes while he squeezed his temples with his thumb and forefinger. Then he nodded. "I got it. Lift the salt shaker first," he said.
I looked at Mama. What was he doing? She shrugged. and I lifted the salt shaker. There, beneath it, was a shiny new penny.
"How could..."
"Lift the pepper shaker," he told me. and I did the same, and there on the table was another shiny new penny. "Those are lucky pennies," he said. "Check them out,"