Eye of the Storm (Hudson 3)

lollipop fantasies and candy cotton promises. That

would all come soon: that would all come soon

enough, but for no

w. I could still feel safe. What a

time that was.

One memory vividly returned. I could smell

Mama's good cooking and hear her humming and

singing in the kitchen. Beneatha and I were in our

room playing with some dolls Mama had gotten from

the lost-and-found in the supermarket. We heard Roy

come into the house. slamming the door too hard as

usual.

"How many times I tell you not to slam that

door. Roy Arnold?' Mama chastised.

"All Mama. I wasn't thinking about it." he said. "Well, you should. You'll break it off the hinges

and then where will we be?"

"In an apartment without a door," Roy said. "What?"

We held our breath, waiting for her to raise her voice even more when suddenly she just laughed and laughed. We heard Roy laugh too and when I looked out the door, she was hugging him and running her hand through his hair. When he saw me looking at

them. he pulled away quickly. embarrassed. "Aw Mama," he moaned and hurried to his

room.

"Whatcha lookin' at Sugar?" Mama asked me. "Nothing, Mama. Is Roy all right?"

"Oh, he's fine. He just has to learn to be more of

a gentleman. I'm just afraid he's not going to learn it

here though," she muttered.

"Why not. Mama?"

"This ain't exactly the place for ladies and

gentlemen," she said. Then she smiled at me. "But

don't you worry about it. Rain. You're going

somewhere good someday, somewhere special. I'm

sure."