"He ain't got no coal oil can, Papa. He's got
a shotgun!"
"Oh, Lawd, Mister Jodie! That's him! That's Mister Ward! He
follow me!"
"Yeah! Can't see his face from here, but it's him. He's the
only red-headed man anywhere around."
I grabbed hold of Papa's pants so I could hide behind his
legs.
"Is he gonna shoot me now, Papa?"
"Mister Jodie, don't tell him nothin'! Don't tell that man
what I say!"
"Bandershanks, hon, you come back here to the back of the
store real quick. I want you to do something-play a game for
Papa. Come on!"
Papa thought I wasn't walking fast enough, so he scooped me
up in his arms and ran with me to the back corner.
"What we gonna do, Papa?"
"We're gonna have a cat and mouse game. It's fun. You scrooch
down right here behind this sack of oats and make like you're a
little mouse!"
"A sure 'nuff mouse?"
"Yeah! You be a little bitty one, hiding from a cat! Be
still, now. Don't make a noise. A mouse is real quiet when he
thinks there's a cat coming. Just a minute, I'll bring you a
whole handful of jawbreakers.
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