“I’m out the hospital, baby. And I ain’t about to become nobody’s invalid. I just had a little asthma attack. I swear, you looking more and more like your daddy by the minute. And what you doing, growing a inch a month or what?”

“Nope. Can I get you anything?”

He’s grinning, showing off those braces. I hope they work out, ’cause the boy’s teeth was two deep in some places. Before I can answer him, here come Paris and Lewis from outside. They’re already arguing about something.

“Ma, would you tell her that you asked me to get you McDonald’s?” Lewis is looking like he’s on trial for a crime he didn’t commit. Poor thing.

“I did. And give it here, I’m starving.”

“Mama, you know you shouldn’t be eating this junk,” Paris says, standing with her hands on her hips. If she don’t look like me twenty years ago, I ain’t sitting here. Them blue jeans look like twelves, and she filling out every inch of ’em, too. But them ain’t my breasts on her chest. No, Lordy. The other girls been calling her Tiny Tits for years. I snatch the bag from Lewis and take out a few fries. “Is there anything to eat around here?” Paris asks heading toward the kitchen. I hear the refrigerator door open and close. Shanice done fell asleep across Cecil’s bed with a book in her hand. Her mama’s running water in the bathroom. I know she ain’t in there bathing ’cause she took the portable phone, and, plus, she’s wearing rubber gloves.

“What happened with my prescriptions, Lewis?”

He’s back outside, sitting on the steps doing one of them crossword puzzles and smoking a cigarette. He probably deep in thought ’cause he don’t answer me.

“Uncle Lewis, Granny wants to know what happened to her prescriptions?” Dingus asks from the doorway and then goes over and turns on the TV. Like some kind of magic, a basketball game is on.

“Oh, yeah,” I hear him grunt and open the screen door and limp in. “You won’t wanna hear this.”

“What?” I ask. “It’s way more than seventy dollars, that much I do know.”

“All together, the total came to $497.83.”

“What did you just say?”

“I have it written down right here, because I couldn’t believe it either.”

I put my hand across my chest and just watch one of them Utah Jazz guys make a three-pointer.

“Where’s the pharmacy, Lewis?” Paris is asking.

“Just a few blocks from here.”

“What about the grocery store?”

“They’re one and the same,” he says.

“Then let’s go,” she says. “We’ll be back in a half-hour or so. Anything in particular you need or want, Mama?”

I just shake my head. She always coming to my rescue. I wonder who comes to hers?

Dingus waves his long arm in the air. “Mom, would you bring back some Diet Pepsi, please?”

“Wait a minute!” I say. “Some Velveeta cheese and tortilla chips would sure be nice. We could have us some nachos while we watch the game—right, Dingus?”