An old black woman, of indeterminate age, is in the process of packing the
few remaining kitchen items into corrugated moving boxes.

WOMAN:	I'm putting the good china in this box.  The everyday is over there.
	You think you can remember that or should I mark it too.  (pause)
	You listening to me?
  
CHILD:	I wish I'd been in the car.

WOMAN:	Then you woulda been dead too.

CHILD:	That'd be just fine.

WOMAN:	You don't want to be dead, child.

CHILD:	How do you know?

WOMAN:	I know deep down, you don't want to be dead.

CHILD:	You think I'm scared?  I'm not!  I could take a knife and cut myself
	easy.

WOMAN:	Don't I know that!  It ain't the dying that's the hard part, child,
	it's the living dat gets hard.  But you's got to do it, all the same.

CHILD:	Why?

WOMAN:	I can't rightly say... sepen it's the Lord's Way.

CHILD:	If taking my Momma and Daddy is the Lord's Way, you can keep your
	old God I don't need Him.  I don't need anybody.

The Child walks away.  The Woman carefully packs another plate.

WOMAN:	I spec if I were in your shoes I wouldn't take no solace in the 
	Lord's Way either.  But I'll keep Him just the same... that way
	if you ever come looking for Him you'll know where to find Him.

CHILD:	You think I'm teasing?

WOMAN:	I think you're hurting.  Deep down inside where you won't let
	anyone touch you.

CHILD:	I'm not crying.

WOMAN:	No ma'am you're not.  I ain't seen you cry yet.

The Woman takes a marker and marks the box.  The Child watches her 
in silence for a moment.

CHILD:	Why didn't you come to the funeral?

WOMAN:	What are you talking about I was at your Momma's funeral.

CHILD:	I don't mean the church part.  

WOMAN:	I was at the grave.

CHILD:	I didn't see you.

WOMAN:	Well, I couldn't go all the way in.  Not without my uniform on
	and I wasn't about to wear my uniform to your Momma's grave.  
	I got more respect for her than a J.C. Penney catalogue uniform.

CHILD:	She didn't care what you got on?

WOMAN:	I care.  'Sides it ain't got nothing to do with what your Momma
	and Daddy want.  It's the law.