It
opened into the kitchen, where Aunt Sally and her son were having
breakfast. The room was small and dark and I could hardly see the
couple, but Aunt Sally welcomed me. "Lawd, honey, you come right on in.
I tole John I heard somebody knockin' at the do'."

"You been hearin' things all mornin'," John spoke up. He turned to me.
"You must've been thinkin' about mamma just when we started eatin'
breakfast because she asked me did I hear somebody call her. I tole her
the Lawd Jesus is always a-callin' poor niggers, but she said it sounded
like the lady's voice who was here the other day. Well I didn't hear
anything and I tole her she mus' be hearin' things."

I'd put the bag of groceries on the table unobtrusively, but Aunt Sally
wasn't one to let such gifts pass unnoticed. Eagerly she tore the bag
open and began pulling out the packages. "Lawd bless you, chile, and He
sho will bless you! I feels rich seein' what you brought me. Jest look
at this--Lawdy mercy!--rolls, butter, milk, balogny...! Oh, this
balogny, jest looky there! You must a knowed what I wanted!" She was
stuffing it in her mouth as she talked. "And these aigs...! Honey, you
knows God is goin' to bless you and let you live long. Ah'se goin' to
cook one at a time. And Ah sho been wantin' some milk. Ah'se gonna cook
me a hoecake rat now."

She went about putting the things in little cans and placing them on
shelves or in the dilapidated little cupboard that stood in a corner. I
sat down near the door and listened while she rambled on.

"Ah used to say young people didn't care bout ole folks but Ah is takin'
that back now. Ah jest tole my son the other day that its turned round,
the young folks thinks of the ole and tries to help 'em and the ole
folks don't try to think of each other; some of them, they is too mean.
Ah can't understand it; Ah jest know I heard you call me when Ah started
to eat, and tole my son so. Had you been to the do' befo'?" She talked
on not waiting for a reply. "Ah sho did enjoy the victuals you sent day
befo' yistidy. They send me surplus food frum the gove'nment but Ah
don't like what they send. The skim milk gripes me and Ah don't like
that yellow meal. A friend brought me some white meal t'other day. And
that wheat cereal they send! Ah eats it with water when Ah don't have
milk and Ah don't like it but when you don't have nothin' else you got
to eat what you have. They send me 75c ever two weeks but that don't go
very fur. Ah ai