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"Okay. Mama, Can you get up and get yourself out of these clothes? I'll look after the baby. okay?"

"Baby? Baby Celeste." she said. remembering.

"Yes, she's downstairs waiting for us to make breakfast."

Mama nodded. I guided her to her feet. She wobbled and then steadied herself. I directed her toward the bathroom, then went to look after Panther. He had to be changed. I tried to make as much noise as I could to wake Betsy. but I thought even if a bomb went off at the bedroom door, she wouldn't waken. Even if she did. I realized, she would be of little help.

Baby Celeste was already in the kitchen trying to get breakfast started. She had taken juice out of the refrigerator and found her little bowl for her cereal. I smiled at her efforts and then got Panther situated in his high chair. I prepared his breakfast, put up some oatmeal for Mama, and toasted some of her homemade bread.

Betsy had still not risen even after I had accomplished it all. I went up to check on Mama and found her sitting in the bathtub naked, but without any water. She was wiping a washcloth over her arms and body as if there were water and soap. The sight made me feel as if I were melting from top to bottom, my body sinking into a puddle at my feet.

"Mama... there's no water in the tub."

She looked at me and smiled. You come to wash my back?" she asked.

It was something she had often had Noble do when he was little. It was the one thing other than his imagining games that he took seriously. She offered me the washcloth. I lowered my head. What was I going to do?

The sound of Betsy's laughter spun me around. She was in the hallway. "Noble!" she screamed. "Where the hell are you?"

I looked at Mama. then I hurried out to see what Betsy wanted.

She was standing in my doorway, holding a pillow against her naked body.

"Bring us coffee and toast us some of that bread I like with that blackberry jam. Don't take all day either." she ordered. "Afterward, you and I will have a talk about things. Where's the queen?" she followed as an afterthought.

I thought I heard the sound of bees around my head. I looked back through Mama's bedroom door and then at the stairway.

"Oh, don't act like such a jerk," Betsy quipped. "Just do what I ask."

"Hey!" I heard her new boyfriend call. "Where the hell are we?"

Betsy laughed. "You're in herbal heaven," she cried, glared at me, then backed into my bedroom, "Hurry it up," she ordered, and closed the door.

I returned to Mama's bathroom. She was cut of the tub and wiping herself with a towel. I had to see about the children. They had been left alone too long.

"Ill be right back, Mama. I made oatmeal for you."

"Yo

u did? How sweet. But," she said, lowering her head and raising her eyes at me. "did you make it or did Celeste?"

"Celeste," I said softly.

"Thought so. That's all right. I know you wanted to do it yourself. Noble. And that's what counts the most." I watched her go to her vanity table still naked and begin to brush her hair. She moved the brush ever so slowly.

She'll be occupied awhile. I thought, and rushed out and down the stairs.

Panther had thrown his food off the high chair and, using his spoon. heaved his eggs all aver the table and even the walls. I looked at Baby Celeste, who was sitting there finishing her cereal and watching him.

"Why did you let him do that, Celeste?"

She looked at me, a tight, small smile on her face.

"You're still being bad. I'm not letting you outside today. You're going to spend the day in your room."

I wanted her in there anyway. I wanted her away from all that was happening.

She looked unconcerned. I made a quick attempt to wipe Panther's face and body and some of the mess he had created, and then I put up coffee and cut the bread to make the toast Betsy wanted. Before I was finished. Celeste brought in the breakfast dishes. even Panther's, and placed it all neatly on the counter by the sink. Then she shot me a look of disgust and went out and up the stairs to her room.