Rondal is crazy about Isom. He always looked up to him. I never could figure it. Sure, Isom always had everything he ever wanted. His daddy has money. Ermel built the Hotel Alhambra in Annadel, fanciest hotel in southern West Virginia, yellow brick, stained glass windows, mirrors and carpets inside. He built the Roxie Theater and give it to Isom to run when he growed up. The women always hung around Isom, especially them flashy whores. But take away the money and that laugh of his, and Isom Justice can’t shine Rondal Lloyd’s shoes. That’s the way I always seen it. But Rondal can’t see nothing in himself.

Whenever them two boys was in trouble, you can bet it was Isom thought it up. Not that Rondal don’t have a good mind. But he weren’t cut out for trouble-making. He paid attention to his schooling and did real good at science. His teachers said he was curious-turned. I sent him over to talk to Doc Booker, the colored doctor, who is a friend of mine. Rondal didn’t want to go at first, said his daddy didn’t hold much with Negroes. But he finally went and come back with an armload of medical books and some old doctoring tools. He took to catching frogs, smothering them in bottles and cutting them up with them instruments, right on the kitchen table. Violet had hissy fits when she found a pile of frog innards in a coffee cup.

Me and Violet done well for ourselves in them days. We got married in 1901, the year after my mamaw Missouri passed away. Thereafter we had two little girls, red-haired like their momma. Violet was a Stacy, Annadel Justice’s second cousin. She is good to Rondal, loves him like a son. Fact is, I never missed having no boys because I think of Rondal as mine. He worked in the drugstore with us, run the soda fountain all on his own after school.

Isom got a hold of Rondal after supper. Rondal started his homework at nine o’clock, but before that him and Isom would go to the hotel. They’d shoot pool in the gambling room. Gambling is illegal in Justice County, but the sheriff at that time was one of Ermel’s best customers. They was a room back in behind the hotel lobby. Inside Ermel had pool tables, slot machines, and dice boxes. The door was bolted and they was a panel at eye level that slid open from the inside so that Elmo Bowen, the bouncer, could see who was there. Isom got in any time he wanted by banging on the door and hollering, “Hit’s me, Elmo!”

The Alhambra was a sore point with our family and the Justices. Annadel hated it, partly because of the whorehouses and saloons beside it, partly because of the gambling. I heard her and Ermel fight about it many a time.