The proud rooster

"Watch where you're going Bobby Lee."

"But, Momma, they're probably laughing at us. They probably think daddy ain't send no money."

" Don't make no difference what they laughing at. It don't make no difference whether Roy sent the money or not. We ain't got it. just the same, you got to watch where you're going and you can't do that if you look behind you."

"What we gonna do now, Momma?"

"We going to see Mr. Henry."

"But we aint't got no money."

"It don't make no difference."

"Now you can't buy me none of the stuff you promised me for my birthday!" He pouted and kicked at the ground as they walked. "Daddy lied to us, Momma. He said he was going to send the money and he didn't."

"Watch your mouth, Bobby Lee Hamilton. Don't you start bad mouthing your Daddy. You don't know whether he sent that money or not. His letter could have gotten lost or something else could have happened to it. You just don't know what happened and we won't know until we hear from your daddy."

"Why did he have to go all the way to Spottsburg to work anyway? He could have stayed here and worked like he used to do. Then I could have had all those things for my birthday. Now, I'm not gonna get nothing. No new shoes, no new pants or shirts, nothing. And I won't even get no big surprise like you promised either. Nothing."

He knew he was going too far and any moment he expected his mother's hand to slap his face. In a way, he wanted her to slap him, then he would have an excuse to cry. But she didn't slap him. She ignored him and this made Bobby even angrier. He looked up and saw her staring straight ahead, not looking at him or anyone, her eyes fixed on the glass panes of Mr. Henry's office. "You got the money, Lizabeth?" Mr. Henry asked before they had closed the door. Mr. Henry's office was small, dark and musky, with a ceiling fan overhead that gave little comfort from the heat. He was seated behind a large wooden desk in a small swivel chair that seemed to creak each time he breathed. "No, Mr. Henry, I ain't. Mr. Fountain said the letter ain't come."

"What you gonna do about your rent, Lizabeth?"

"I don't know, Mr. Henry. I guess I'm gonna have to wait for Roy to send me the money."

"Lizabeth, Roy been gone nearly four months. Ain't that right?"

"That's right."

"And you haven't heard one word from him in all that time. Ain't that right?"

"That's right."

"Well, Lizabeth, has it come to your mind yet that maybe Boy done took off? That he's gone and he's not gonna send you and his boy any money?"

Bobby's mother began to shake her head furiously as she frowned at Mr. Henry. "No, sir, Mr. Henry. Roy is a good man, and a man of his word. You know that, Mr. Henry. If he say he's gonna send money, then he's gonna send it. I just don't know what could have happened to his letter with the money in it, but it'll probably be here next week."