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cushions to sit on. And I have a vegetable garden that gives me lots of food, and a few dollars to buy what I can’t grow. And now I have a wonderful new neighbor to keep me company!” She clapped her hands as if she’d just been given a birthday present.
    The firelight flickered over Amos’s black fur, and he yawned again. I realized it had gotten dark. Ethelberta must have been thinking the same thing, because she said, “You should get back to your grandmother’s, Sprite. She might be wondering where you are.”
    â€œShe doesn’t care,” I said. “I think she hates me. Besides, she’s at the hospital.”
    â€œNow, now,” said Ethelberta. “She does care, but she just can’t show it. Give her a day or two, Sprite. I’m sure she’ll come around and take you to see your mother.”
    â€œBut what if she doesn’t?” I asked.
    Ethelberta stayed silent for a minute while she thought about that. Finally she said, “I have to be honest with you, Sprite. I just don’t have the answer to that right now. But you come back tomorrow, and we’ll figure it out.”
    â€œAll right,” I said.
    â€œGo out the back way, if you don’t mind, Sprite. Just so we can keep our little secret,” Ethelberta said.
    Grandmama was home. Her car was parked in the driveway. I let myself in the back door, crept down the hall and peeked into the living room. She was staring out the window. A picture in a silver frame lay on her lap. Her cheeks were wet. She jumped when she saw me and dabbed her eyes with a linen handkerchief. “Where have you been? You’re filthy!” She stood up and smoothed down her hair. Her face was blotchy and red. Her hand shook. “What are you staring at?” she asked. “Go wash up. You look like a ragamuffin! Go on! Get out of here!”
    I whirled and ran up the stairs. I hate her, I thought. I hate her, I hate her, I hate her! Who cares if she wiggles her toes or not!
    She hadn’t even given me a chance to ask about my mother. I hate her!

Chapter 10
    They were arguing. I lay on the landing, my nose between the rails in the banister, and listened.
    â€œElena told you she was gone most of the day, and you don’t know where she was?” asked my grandfather.
    â€œShe was outside playing. Don’t make such a fuss,” said my grandmother.
    â€œFuss? Emily, the child’s world has been turned upside down. I think it’s important that we try and understand that,” said my grandfather.
    â€œWhat about our world? Our daughter is lying in a coma. She might never come out of it. She might be a vegetable!”
    â€œStop it,” my grandfather said. “This isn’t doing any good. All I’m saying is that perhaps you need to pay a little more attention to her.”
    â€œI’m doing the best I can, Richard,” my grandmother said. “I don’t even know the child!”
    â€œI think she needs to go and see Alice,” Grandpapa said. “Did you speak to the doctor about that?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    My grandmother’s voice broke. “I didn’t think of it. All I could do was sit beside my beautiful daughter and pray that she is going to be all right. If only she hadn’t married that man!”
    â€œStop it, Emily. This won’t solve anything.”
    â€œI don’t care! She had everything. We gave her everything. Why did she have to do this to us?”
    â€œEmily. She didn’t do anything to us. She just didn’t fit into our world.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with our world? What’s so wonderful about living in a slum and teaching art to people who can’t pay for it?”
    â€œEmily, stop. Please, stop. This isn’t how we should be spending our energy.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Richard. I try to understand. But the thought that Alice might never come back to us, that