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"You blame it on me. You think she's just like me, huh? And you know the other one ain't, is that it?"

"It's just how it is," she said. "It's nobody's fault."

"Sure. You think Rain's special. You always did. You care more about her than you do your own. I'm sorry now I did it," he added.

I turned away from the stove and paused near the doorway to the living room. More than your own? What was he talking about?

"Shut your drunken mouth," Mama said.

"You always acted as if you were given some sort of princess," he declared. "She should be working for us. We done enough for her."

"I'm not hearing any more of this," Mama said. I heard her start for the door.

"Just don't throw it up at me that we have all these mouths to feed and dentist and doctor bills," he shouted. "You wanted her and you never complained about the money."

"I never saw the money," Mama shouted back at him. "Now shut your mouth."

"It's time she carried some of the burden here. I ain't as young as I was. I'm tired, too. Let her bring something in. White girls work too, you know," he added.

It was as if a lightning bolt had shot through the apartment. There was that all too familiar silence before the clap of thunder, only this time the thunder was in my head. What was that supposed to mean? White girls work too? I waited.

"Please Ken, lower your voice," Mama cajoled.

"I'm not lowering anything. This is my home, hear? I'm the man of this house and I got rights. We did plenty for them." He was quiet for a moment and then I heard him say, "We didn't get enough the first time. We should get more. Yeah, that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to get us more."

"Don't you even think of it, Ken."

"Why not? It's like you said, there are more bills now. We didn't know at the time just how expensive it was going to be, see? We weren't given enough so it's only right that we get more."

"Just sit there. Don't you move. Don't you do anything stupid, Ken Arnold."

"I'm tired of you bossing me around, Latisha. Get outta my way. I got business."

"Stop it." Mama cried.

The next thing I heard was her scream and the sound of a crash and splintering wood. I rushed in to the living room. Beth came out of the bedroom, too. When I reached Mama, she was lying on the floor beside the table that I imagined she had fallen on top of. Ken stood over her, his hands clenched in fists. He gaped at me.

"Did you hit her?" I demanded.

"Don't you stand there accusing me, girl," he said. Mama reached up. Her right eye already looked swollen.

"Let her be, Ken," she moaned.

Ken stepped around me and headed for the door. "Don't do it, Ken," Mama pleaded, but he was out the door.

"Get me some ice," Mama called to Beni. She turned to me. "I don't want Roy hearing about this, Rain. It will be bad:'

"Your eye's swelling up already, Mama."

"I'll tell him I fell. You back me, Rain."

"When are we going to put an end to all these lies, Mama?" I muttered, more to myself than to her.

Beni brought Mama some ice wrapped in a washcloth. She pressed it to her eyebrow.

"What did he mean before, Mama?"

"Mean?"