Listen 
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hattie
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hi honey how you be? dis is gramma honey you mama theah? okay hon yous be good ya heah? hi sade what da numbas? ah ha...ah ha...ah ha and 16...ah ha...ah ha okay yous lets me read-em to ya 4...12...16...19...20...31 and 39's the bonus one okay hon late-ah I'll be talking to ya late-ah! she replaces the receiver scrupulously perusing her intricately charted number list lifted close to her nose for easy focusing did you win? i ask hoping honey i'm gettin 'em ya heah me? some day i'm leavin heah some day i'm getting doze numbas i been heah 27 yeahs and some day you'll see i'm not heah and you'll say: dat chick she got 'em she got doze numbas and i'll-be out-ah heah you'll see! she said jauntily smiling and shuffling her silver headed proud black self back into the women's lounge to turn warm water faucet knobs and hand out freshly laundered linen towels for the interim |
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Janet Cannon |
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Previously published in
Long Shot (Volume 8) |
