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"I guessed that much."

"My name is Cathy," I said.

"What happened to you?" she asked, pointing at my leg.

"I had a bad fall and fractured my ankle I'm okay," I said.

"Hmm. I suppose my daughter told you all sorts of bad things about me," she said, throwing a look toward the kitchen door.

"Are you back for good?" Granny asked, changing the subject.

"Of course I'm back, Ma'ama. I'm here, aren't I?" She grimaced and looked like she was going to cry. "I had a very bad time, too."

"Uh-huh," Granny said, nodding with her round eyes growing smaller.

"I did. I tried my best to do good and make a home so I could send for my kids, but people lied to me. Promises were made and then broken minutes later, but still, I tried:'

Star returned with a dish and her mother began to serve herself.

"Thank you, honey. You look pretty. I guess your granny's been taking good care of you two,"

"Better than you did," Star said sullenly.

"Now there, go on," her mother said, sitting back, "jump all over me when I'm down and out."

"You've always been down and out, Ma'ama."

"You hear that and in front of her friend, too. You talk this way to your ma'ama?" she asked me.

"Leave her be," Star ordered.

"What am I doing to her?" She gazed at me and I looked down.

"I'll start on the dishes," Star said abruptly, and started to clear off the table.

"You could wait until I'm finished," her mother said.

"Leave them, Star, honey. Go on with your friend. Me and your ma'ama have some catching up to do. Rodney, you're excused. Go watch television with the girls," Granny said.

"C' mon," Star told me, and we went to her room. As soon as she closed the door, she apologized. "I had no idea she would pop in on us like that."

"It's okay."

"The problem is she'll be sleeping in here with us."

"Oh," I said. "Well, then, maybe I should go home." She stood there thinking a moment.

"We'll both go. If I was left alone in this room with her, I don't know what I'd do. Maybe I'd smother her in the middle of the night." Her words were angry, but she just looked sad. "I'm sorry about all this."

"It's okay. I had a great time with your grandmother," I said.

She nodded.

"Do you have money for a cab on you?"

"Yes."

"All right. call one for us. I don't like leaving Granny with the dishes so I'll try to help her clean up," she said. "You want to stay here a moment or go join Rodney in the living room?"