“Well, don’t you fret none over all that, now. Let’s go over to my place. My niece Chantelle is due here any minute to spell me, and Layla and Buddy is over at Mama’s playin’ in the yard with my cousin Lilly and her grandbabies. They all been havin’ so much fun with little Buddy!” she said.

“Yes, we’ve been hearing the stories from Layla every evening,” I said.

The door swung open just at that moment. It was Chantelle, and after Mama helped her set up we were on our short walk over to Mama’s.

We walked in silence for awhile, which was always nice. Mama held a kind of deep peace, and “sharing the silence” was one of her favorite expressions. When we would do this I always enjoyed it. Being silent with her was very relaxing and it grounded me somehow.

Arriving at her front gate, I could hear the laughter of children and Buddy’s joyful bark in the backyard.

“Sounds like they’re having fun back there!” I said.

“Oh, they’s always having fun over here. Let’s go see!” Mama said.