“Me and Joyce wouldn’t mind storing the money at all.” I never expected to hear something so sweet. I was so relieved.

“That’s good, son. The time you save would be more time you could spend with your daddy; bless your soul,” Mac tossed in.

My heart felt like it was doing somersaults. “Just let us know when you want me to start taking the money home. Now if y’all don’t mind, I’ll put this away and be on my way. I don’t want Daddy to worry or think I ain’t coming.”

“All right then.” Mac grinned. “Just don’t step on my fishing poles when you go in the pantry.”

I chuckled to myself when I got inside the pantry. It was hard to believe that such a ordinary-looking room had a small fortune in it and had become my own personal piggybank. After I deposited the money and conversated a few minutes more with my in-laws, I hugged them and skittered back out the door. I had to go by my house to drop off the money I told Joyce I’d give her to give them devils this evening.

When I let myself in the front door, she shot out of the kitchen and into the living room like a bullet. She didn’t stop until she got up to me and gave me a quick kiss. “Hello, sweetie. Did you bring the money for me to take next door?” she panted. “I expected you before now. I was beginning to think you’d forgot and had headed to your daddy’s house.”

“I didn’t forget, baby.” I sucked in my breath and folded my arms. “You ain’t got to be so anxious about this thing.”

“Well, it’s just that Yvonne and Milton are really looking forward to the money. Since you said you’d give me the whole hundred, I didn’t go to the bank to cash my check. I don’t have that much on me, so I hope you have the full amount. I don’t want to disappoint them.”

I wanted to scream! Disappoint them crooks? They’d been disappointing me for weeks. “Yeah, I brung it all.” I rolled my eyes and took out my wallet.

“I wish we could give them even more,” Joyce said as I handed the bills to her.

“A hundred dollars is more than enough to be giving away with no strings attached. I’m glad that’s all you told them we’d give,” I said in a gruff tone.

“The next time I won’t offer to give them money unless I discuss it with you first.”

I gasped. “Next time? Joyce, I pray to God there won’t be no next time. We ain’t rich. I don’t want you to make them get the notion that they can fall back on us whenever they get in a pickle.”