Zeke smiled and ate another mouthful. When he finished chewing and swallowing he pointed the empty fork at Ruth. “Go on. Go on and do it again. You done it before. Blame me. Blame my whole family. Blame the whole wide world for your ills. You know you the cause for most whatever bad come your way, Ruth. And you know it’s true. Don’t you?”

“You better lay low, Ezekiel Cross. You treading dangerous ground.”

“Ain’t no more dangerous than you already made it.”

“Leave me lone, Ezekiel. Leave me be.”

“You the one pick the fight, gal. I spect I can wind it up if I pleases.”

They were becoming so loud that the entire restaurant could hear. People were arching their necks in the direction of the table. Some were shameless enough to turn around. At this point Jimmy felt he should stand, lifting his hands in the air like a boxing referee, shouting: “Uncle Zeke. Aunt Ruth.” But already it was as if he were in another room.

“See, I know what you trying to lay blame to, Zeke. You good for dragging such mess up at a time like this. And got the nerve to call somebody else evil.”

“Yeah, I called you that. I ain’t never seen you do nothing to prove me wrong.”

“See, you keep trying me. You keep on.”

“No, you the one, Ruth. You the one.”

Jimmy noticed his palms were sweating. “Come on, now, you all—”

“Shut up, Jimmy.” Ruth was no longer smiling. “Just be yourself still.”

“It’s all right, Jimmy.” This time Zeke patted Jimmy’s hand. Ruth watched him and smirked.

“Go on and say it then.” She narrowed her eyes.

“Say what?”

“You know what you all fixed me with. Made me guilty, whether I was or no.”

“See, you the one bringing it up. Cause you know it’s true. You—”

“Ah-hah. I knew it. You shameless old goat.”

“It’s true, Ruth. You may as well own it.”

“He was your brother. Your kin. You knew him before I did—”

“That’s right, Ruth. That’s right. And I know that before you he never touched a drop of liquor. He was a good man till he laid eyes on you.”

“Well, you’ll see yourself one day, Ezekiel Cross. See what you and your family, your evil family have wrought. And it wont just on Jethro. It’s on Lester. It’s on this boy here. It was on your grandboy. You all is something else.”

“Watch your step, Ruth.”

“I ain’t watching nothing. Oh, you something else. Look at you. Set yourself up as God’s holy counselor. Heaven walking on earth. Jesus himself. That what you plan to do on your ninetieth birthday, walk on water?”

“‘And they will talk about you despitefully.’”

“That’s right. Go on and quote the Bible. You don’t live it.”

“‘Do not judge lest ye be judged.’”