The phone woke me up that Sunday morning. Cassie picked it up on the second ring and, after saying, “Hello,” listened for a minute, then handed it to me. “It’s your sister Mary.”
“Hi, Mar,” I said a little groggily.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she replied.
“How’s Ma?”
“She’s fine right now. She’s having her coffee with Ralph in the kitchen. The reason I called is that you’ve got a letter here from the Government.”
As soon as she said, “Government,” I knew what it was. I’d been expecting it for some time. I sat in bed, lit up a Salem, and tried to collect my thoughts. Cassie didn’t help much, kneeling behind me, putting her head against my neck, and saying softly, “Is it your mom?”
“Naw,” I said. “It’s a letter I got that I’ve been waiting for a while now.”
“What is it?” she asked, s
