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I heard Betsy banging on the floor of my room and shouting for service, After I prepared the tray. I looked in on Panther, who was occupied with his remaining food. He had a fistful of scrambled eggs, enjoying the feel of it. Betsy screamed again. I carried the tray up and knocked on my bedroom door.

"Enter," I heard, and managed to open it.

She was in bed with Tad and sat up

immediately. "Put it right here. Brother." Tad smiled, one eye closed.

I set the tray down in front of them.

"Oh she said. "draw me a warm bath and throw in some of that herbal bubble-bath crap Sarah makes. It looks like it is good for your skin. Right, Brad?"

"Tad," he said.

"Tad. Isn't my skin smooth?"

"Like a baby's rear end," he said, and they both laughed. I started out.

"Close the damn door," Betsy screamed.

"Gladly," I muttered, and did so.

When I looked in on Mama. I saw she had put on her nightgown and was about to crawl back into bed.

"Mama, what are you doing? We have to change the sheets, and you don't want to go back to bed anyway."

"I'm tired, and its late. You should go to sleep. too."

"No. Mama, its morning. Get up. Get dressed," I urged.

She shook her head and, despite the messed sheet, crawled under the blanket again.

I just stood there for a moment. I had to call someone, I thought. I needed help. The only one I could think of was Mr. Bogart and his wife, or perhaps the Reverend Mr. Austin's wife. Tani. First things first. I thought. Mama wasn't going anywhere. I had to deal with Betsy and settle that.

I looked in on Baby Celeste, who was sitting in her chair in her room looking at the pictures in old family albums. She was quiet so I left her and started Betsy's bath. Then I ran downstairs. got Panther, and brought him up to wash and change him into one of his outfits. Before I was finished. Betsy came into the room and closed the door behind her.

"Your bath's going to overflow." I said.

"I'll look after it. Don't you mention that kid being mine, hear me.," she warned, nodding at Panther. "I told him he's your cousin, too. When do I get my money?"

I put my hands over my face.

"Well?" she screamed.

"Mama's not right," I said, lowering my hands. "What you did put her into a..."

"A what?"

"A bad mental state. She's in a daze. confused. I'm very worried. I might have to get help."

Betsy stood there thinking. "Don't call anyone just yet. We'll handle it. Ill think of something. After my bath,Im going into town with Tad and buy the things I'll need when I leave here. Im going to need more money, credit cards. Get all that from your mother. You know where she keeps her checkbook. Write out a check for as much as she has in the account. When I return, we'll see about the rest. Understand? Well? Don't just stand there staring at me."

"I'll do what I can."

"Do more than you can," she countered, turned, and left me with Panther.

After I dressed him. I brought him down and put him in the playpen we had set up for him in the living room. He cried about being left alone, but there was nothing I could do. I returned to Mama's bedroom. She was asleep again, so I looked through her things, found more money, her checkbook, and two credit cards. I've got to keep Betsy happy enough not to make us any more trouble. I thought,

There seemed to be a balance of $2,400 in the checking account. I wrote out a check for $2,000 and made it out to cash. Then I brought everything to Betsy, who was soaking in the tub.