when i got back to aunt verna, she was still swayin. i came with louie and sis, and we was all geared up to get going towards jimmy's house. we had our hats on to make us look bigger, and louie had a can of pepper spray in his sweatshirt pocket in case things got crazy with jimmy's 'ol man.

"ok aunt verna, we're ready...are you?" she opened her eyes and i could tell they'd been some place far. she looked at us and a tear rolled down her cheek, and then dropped at her chin. i followed that tear down to her lap, to where her hands were folded. they were wet. i reckoned she'd been crying for awhile. "aunt verna," i said, "you ok?" I sat in my spot, and there we was face to face again, 'sept she was crying this time. but it was a soft and silent cry. it almost looked like the tears were just showin up cuz they felt like fallin. she blinked and the tears stopped. then she smiled and said "well that was the fastest room clean up that ever was! ill bet you had some help....," she turned to sis and louie, "come to help set things right?" "sure did," said sis, "aint no one hurtin jimmy johnson without hearin' from me!" sis was so tough, and even though i never told her at the time, i felt safer goin to jimmy's house with her around. cuz even though i was 3 years her senior, she had a flame inside her that could set a whole city ablaze with just her eyes, if she wanted. even one time i felt her watch me from behind when i was eatin the last from the cookie jar. all i know is it got hot, and when i turned to face her with a chin all full of crumbs her eyes went from light brown to burgandy, i swear to it.

"well here's the thing y'alls...we don't yet know the situation with jimmy. could be that he fell down the stairs, or something accidental like that....so before we go bargin into someone else's business, i reckon we better get some more information.....s'why i came up with a plan while ya'll were shovin sandy's clothes 'neath the bed." i looked from sis to louie back to sis, wonderin' how she knew that. "give it to us then, we are rearing to hear it," fired sis with a strength i hoped would rub off on me any minute now. i myself felt a little shaky. aunt verna began. "well i happen to know mr. johnson. he comes to the fruit stand from time to time, often gets himself a bag of cherries. well just the other day he stumbled up with his half pound, put 1 dollar on the table and walked on. well that 1 dollar was 25 cents too much. and i put that change to the side thinkin i give it back, next time he came around. but i reckon i'll walk that change right back to its owner's hands myself, and well, thats as far as i got....." she waited for our response. ".....that sounds like a good idea, " said louie. i said, ".....um, ok, thats real nice of you and all, but, im not sure i heard the part about sneakin jimmy out the window while his pa sits tied to the kitchen table with this here rope we got- sis, show aunt verna the rope." sis pulled the string of shoe laces out from her pocket. we had tied them together about a month ago when we figured none of us had hair long enough to climb up, should one of us get locked outa the house.

well aunt verna thought that was funny cuz she let out a big laugh which set her whole body into motion. and she didnt stop either. soon she was laid back on the grass, still laughin her heart and soul out. which was kinda fun to watch cuz somethin in the way aunt verna moves when she laughs puts all things worldly and otherwise into greater perspective.

well me, sis and louie started shiftin in our shoes. we knew we was being taken by a force greater than the three of us combined. cuz we'd felt it before. we started laughin. and it felt good. we were laughin so hard we too fell over, and the 4 of us were like dancin earthworms, rollin and twistin. but soon enough we were all layin flat and still, lookin up at the clouds. thats when sis turned to me and whispered, "did you see the clouds sandy, they was movin just like aunt verna was movin." i loved my sis for sayin that. gave me strength, somehow. i grabbed her hand.

i turned to louie, and then to aunt verna. but thing was, aunt verna was gone.