The proud rooster

"Mr. Henry's watching us," Bobby said.

if you had your eyes in front of you, like they supposed to be, you wouldn't know what Mr. Henry is doing."

They stopped in front of the post office and saw Mr. Fountain, the clerk, sitting with three other White men. They were all dressed in white shirts and dungarees, except for Mr. Fountain who wore a pair of black pants and a black bow tie. Two of the men sat in rocking chairs with their beer guts resting in their laps and their beefy red faces staring at Bobby and his mother underneath the visors of their sweat soaked hats. The other man was younger than the others and so skinny he reminded Bobby of the skeletons he had seen for Halloween. Mr. Fountain stroked his short white beard as Bobby and his mother came up the steps, but didn't move another muscle.

"Morning, Mr. Fountain," Bobby's mother said and paused long enough for Mr. Fountain to respond and when he didn't she said, "I came to see if there's a letter from my husband."

Naw," Mr. Fountain said slowly, "Ain't no letter for you today." Bobby's heart sank.

"Are you sure, Mr. Fountain? He was suppose to send one near two months ago, from Spottsburg. It's suppose to have some money in it. I got to have that money, Mr. Fountain."

"I already told you, Lizabeth, ain't no letter come for you. If it had come, I'd get it for you. But ain't nothing come for you

His mother stood a moment and stared at Mr. Fountain and then at the ground before she raised her bead and said, "Maybe you overlooked it, Mr. Fountain. Could you cbeck again?"

The two sitting men glanced at each other and then at Mr. Fountain. The skinny man started grinning. Mr. Fountain's face turned very red and seemed to swell up as his eyes got small. He leaned forward, stared directly into Bobby's mother's eves and said, "'Are you deaf or what? Didn't you heah me say you ain't got no letter?" "Yes sir, I did. But how do you know if I got one or not if you sitting out here with these... menfolk and the mail's in the office?" Bobby squeezed his mother's hand and tried to pull her away. She wouldn't budge. "Now, you listen here, Lizabeth," Mr. Fountain said and took a step towards them and pointed his finger. "I done told you you ain't got no letter

Still his mother didn't move, but continued to stare at Mr. Fountain. Finally she said, "Mr. Fountain, my rent money is in that letter and today is Bobby's birthday and I was going to buy him some things. I really need that letter, Mr. Fountain."

"There ain't no letter, Lizabeth," Mr. Fountain shouted. "How many times do I have to tell you that? There ain't no letter for you. Now, you go on about your business 'fore I send Skinny for the sheriff."

Bobby pulled again oB his mother's hand, but she wouldn't budge, just kept standing there, staring at Mr. Fountain. "You want me to get the sheriff? The thin man asked. Again Bobby pulled hard on his mother's hand, enough to jerk her. She looked down at him, and he saw anger in her eyes, then she looked away. "I ain't come here for no trouble, Mr. Fountain," she said. "I just came to get the money my man sent me." She turned then and walked with slow, deliberate steps backup Main Street with Bobby close behind her. The men began laughing and Bobby turned to look at them, but his mother jerked him back around.