“What you gonna do?”
25
I knew the answer to his question right then, when he 26
asked, but I didn’t answer because secrets had become S 27
dearer to me than their own content or designs.
R 28
The pecan pie was the most unexpected thing that hap-235
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Walter Mosley
1
pened while I waited for my prisoner to soften up in the 2
dark. I bought the pie, which was edged in chocolate, at a 3
roadside bakery stand that my mother used to frequent. It 4
was a beautiful pie. The pecans crowded the surface and 5
the crust rose like a collar, leaving ample room for the 6
chocolate edge.
7
I bought the pie in memory of my mother, but when I 8
got home I carried it across the street to Miss Littleneck.
9
She was delighted and insisted that I come in to share the 10
gift of giving with her sister, Chastity.
11
The entranceway to the Littleneck home was close and 12
unlivable, I thought. Irene led me up a flight of narrow 13
stairs to a room where the scent of death hovered like in-14
cense. In the small bed lay a woman, once black and now 15
gray, the size of a child and wearing a curly brown wig.
16
Her eyes might have been open. Her chest didn’t seem to 17
move. But I knew from the jittering finger of her left 18
hand on top of the blanket that she was still among the 19
living, at least for a little bit and a while.
20
“Chastity, look what little Charles Blakey brought us,”
21
Irene Littleneck said. “He brought us your favorite pie. And 22
he didn’t even know that you liked it. Did you, Charles?”
23
I shook my head.
24
“Speak up, Charles,” Irene ordered. “Chassy doesn’t 25
hear so well.”
26
“No,” I said. “I didn’t know you liked the pie, but I hope 27 S
you like it.”
28 R
“Isn’t that nice?” Irene asked her sister.
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