"Here we are," she smiled reassuringly to me. She was carrying one tray of food and Eric's older brother Gary was carrying another. "Where's Eric?" she asked, glancing around.

I sadly shrugged my thin shoulders.

"Is he in the bathroom?"

I shrugged again.

"He told me Pa said he couldn't touch Kelva until tomorrow," Gary said. He was making me uncomfortable with his intent stare.

"What? Why's that?" Mama asked the fifteen-year-old.

"Pa wants the little girl to be fresh tomorrow night. He don't want them playing together until then."

"Oh, nonsense. You go fetch your little brother."

"What for?" Gary asked.

"Well, someone's got to teach this child, haven't they?"

"I can teach her, Mama," the older boy volunteered eagerly.

"You hush!" she commanded sharply. "You should be playing with that wife of yours, not little girls."

"Come on, Mama, she's pregnant again, ain't she. I just want to help her learn. Besides, Eric doesn't know anything about little girls." The youth argued.

"He'll know enough tomorrow morning. Now, you go fetch him before I tan your hide."

Gary sighed and shook his head. As Mama laid out the trays on the bed, the older boy tried to enter the door that joined my room to Eric's. "Door's locked," he said.

"Well, you go through the hall. I'll have a talk with that son of mine."

The boy left us alone and Mama quickly scurried over to the wardrobe. There were some clothes hanging inside now, and she pulled a pretty pink nightgown from the rack. "Hurry and get out of those clothes now, honey," she instructed. "And clean up your face. You want to be pretty for Master Eric.".....(cont)