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I heard something, and at first it confused me, but as I entered the bedroom. I understood she was humming to herself. I recognized it immediately, a song she often sang to Noble and me when we were young.

"Mama?"

Instead of answering me, she started to sing.

"If you go out to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise...

"Mania, please listen

to me." I touched her arm.

She turned and smiled.

"If you go out into the woods today..."

"Mama?"

"...you'd better go in disguise."

She turned away, continued to clean up, and returned to humming.

I watched her for a few moments.

"Noble Celeste!" I heard Betsy shout from the bottom of the stairs, "Im not going to be here all day!"

I looked around and saw Mama's purse. While her car keys and some money, then closed it.

She was singing again.

I hurried out and down the stairs.

"Did you get it?"

"Yes." I flung the keys at her.

She caught them and smiled. "What about the money?"

"Here's all I can find." I handed her the bills.

She counted them quickly. "Okay. This will do for now. When I come back, she had better have made that phone call. Otherwise..."

She let her threat hang in the air.

"Children." she said, turning to Baby Celeste and Panther, who was dozing again, "I now leave you in capable hands. Have a good night.

"I'll be thinking about you. Noble Celeste," she said, and walked out.

The moment the door closed. Mama's scream pierced my heart and fell like thunder from above.

19

Almost Over

.

When I rushed back up the stairs to her

bedroom. I found Mama collapsed on the floor. Her body was folded awkwardly, twisted with her right arm out and her left under her torso. When I knelt beside her. I saw that she had fallen hard and scraped the left side of her forehead. A tiny trickle of blood emerged from the wounds. I rose quickly and retrieved a wet washcloth to first clean the scrapes. Fortunately, she wasn't heavy. In fact. I was surprised at how I hadn't realized her thinness beneath her clothing. I could feel her rib bones as I lifted her gently and laid her on her bed. I put the cold, wet washcloth over her forehead and rubbed her hand.