‘Well, Miss Kew don’t want to see the likes of you,’ she said. She talked too loud. ‘You got a dirty face.’
I started to get mad then. I was already pretty sore about having to come here, walking around near people in the daytime and all. I said, ‘My face ain’t got nothin’ to do with it. Where’s Miss Kew? Go on, find her for me.’
She gasped. ‘You can’t speak to me like that!’
I said, ‘I didn’t want to speak to you like any way. Let me in.’ I started wishing for Janie. Janie could of moved her. But I had to handle it by myself. I wasn’t doing so hot, either. She slammed the door before I could so much as curse at her.
So I started kicking on the door. For that, shoes are great. After a while, she snatched the door open again so sudden I almost went on my can. She had a broom with her. She screamed at me, ‘You get away from here, you trash, or I’ll call the police!’ She pushed me and I fell.
I got up off the porch floor and went for her. She stepped back and whupped me one with the broom as I went past, but anyhow I was inside now. The woman was making little shrieking noises and coming for me. I took the broom away from her and then somebody said,’ Miriam!’ in a voice like a grown goose.
I froze and the woman went into hysterics. ‘Oh, Miss Alicia, look out! He’ll kill us all. Get the police. Get the—’
‘Miriam!’ came the honk, and Miriam dried up.
There at the top of the stairs was this prune-faced woman with a dress on that had lace on it. She looked a lot older than she was, maybe because she held her mouth so tight. I guess she was about thirty-three— thirty-three. She had mean eyes and a small nose.
I asked, ‘Are you Miss Kew?’