There was nothing to warn me that my life was about
     to be changed forever. My biggest worry was getting my
     homework assignment done in time for class on Monday.
          Charlie's voice sounded excited, drowning out the
     other noises on the bus as he said loudly, "I wonder 
     where all that smoke is coming from?"
         An ominous cloud of black smoke came into view as 
     the school bus hurtled down the gravel road in the 
     northeastern quadrant of Louisiana's Madison Parish, 
     wedged in a few miles from the Arkansas border on the 
     north and the Mississippi River at Vicksburg on the east.
          Until now it had been a warm sunny day, not unlike 
     other days in late March of 1949. Suddenly, kids on the
     bus became excited, almost choking on the smoke. Windows 
     were rolled up quickly to keep the smoke out. 
           The driver slowed the bus almost to a crawl as the 
     dark cloud filled the road, making it nearly impossible 
     to drive.
          As we drew closer Charlie shouted, "Look, Rex, it's
     your house!"  By now we could see flames leaping into the
     air. As we rounded the curve and the house came into full 
     view, I could see that it was engulfed in angry fire. It
     looked as though every room was ablaze. The flames reached 
     for the sky and sparks flew, covering a wide and high area.
          I answered, cheerfully, "Daddy had talked of burning 
     down the old house. I'm sure he set it on fire 
     intentionally.
          "Why would he do that?"
          "We would have already been moved into our new house 
     if Mama hadn't got sick," I explained, adding, "it's
     nothing to worry about. They probably moved today."
          A new house only a few yards past the old one, and 
     on the opposite side of the narrow dirt road, was ready 
     for us to move into, but Daddy had said we'd wait until 
     Mama was feeling stronger.
          In my ten-year-old mind the burning house was a 
     happy sight. I had been looking forward to moving into
     our new home just as the rest of the family did, and 
     from my seat on the school bus it looked like my dream 
     was coming true.
          I was elated. I chortled and said, "I'm glad it's 
     gone because that means I'll have my own bedroom to sleep
     in tonight."
          Arlene shifted in her seat beside me, so that she 
     could get a better view. Her long, auburn tresses framed
     her face, showing off her alabaster skin and almost
     doll-like features. Her greenish brown eyes were wide 
     with excitement as she leaned across in front of me to 
     get a better view of the fire.
     A moment later, Arlene straightened up and said, 
     "Don't forget about the ballgame tomorrow. I'll be in 
     the bleachers to cheer for you and Jeremy." She pinched 
     my arm for emphasis. 
          I didn't answer. She was always in the bleachers
     with her parents and little sister, Jeanie, watching 
     the game and cheering for her brother, Jeremy, and me.
          The bus came to a stop, and I hurried to get off it 
     in happy anticipation, laughing and chattering about how 
     glad I was to see it burn. The driver said, "Maybe I
     should check it out."
          "No need for that. Besides you have to take the 
     rest of the kids home."
           "I feel like I should check just the same." He 
     started  to get out of his seat, then glancing back at 
     the others on the bus, he reconsidered, "I can't leave 
     them alone."
          He eased back into the seat looking relieved 
     when I said, "Thanks, but your help isn't needed.
     I'm sure that Dad set the fire intentionally."
      "If you're sure it was set intentionally, I'll
     go on and deliver the kids to their homes. I'd hate
     for theirparents to come looking for me with a shotgun,
     wondering what has happened to their kids."I'm sure."
          He closed the door behind me and I heard the rumble 
     of the bus going on down the gravel road. I didn't even 
     look back as I usually did, to wave at my friends still 
     on the bus.


          My older brother, Marvin and my younger sister, 
     Hettie had stayed home from school feeling a bit under 
     the weather. They must have come down with whatever
     ailment that had made Mama sick.
          I was just a little envious that they'd got moved 
     into our new home before I did. I ran the three hundred 
     yards or so from the school bus stop. Good riddance, I 
     thought.
          The house was old, and the roof leaked. I was glad 
     that it would soon be just a memory. I didn't even stop 
     to say goodbye to it, but kept on the few yards farther 
     to our new home. I was eager to see my new bedroom. 
          I hoped that Mama had stowed my stuff in all the
     right places. I worried about my baseball glove. I didn't
     want it to get lost in the shuffle. 
     Dad had set aside a small piece of land. It was just
     enough for a baseball diamond, to give us kids a place 
     for our games. He'd even built some bleachers where the 
     parents of the community's kids could watch and cheer 
     us on.
          The nearest town was more than twenty miles away. 
     There was nothing much there in the way of entertainment,
     just one movie theater and a small skating rink. 
          Country folk seldom went into town for anything,
     except on Saturday, and that was usually to sell farm 
     products and buy the few things needed that didn't 
     grow on the farm.
          The flames leapt higher as I rushed past. Hearing 
     an explosion,   I  looked back and saw a window had
     broken. Glass was tossed into the air in every
     direction. I had reached the new house now and was 
     taking the steps two at a time, eager to see what Mama 
     had done with my stuff.
          I ran across the verandah and tried the doorknob. 
     It didn't turn. I rapped my knuckles, softly, on the 
     door. No one answered. I didn't hear a sound coming 
     from inside the house.  I knocked again, so hard this 
     time it hurt my knuckles. They had to be here. I 
     wondered what they were doing that they couldn't hear
     my knock.
          Maybe they were in the kitchen. They had to know 
     it was time for me to get home from school. I went
     around to the back door and knocked again on the
     locked door.
          "Mom," I called, "open the door, please."
     When no one answered I realized there was no one 
     there. They must have gone to town for some little
     thing they'd forgotten.
          That was odd. Usually Mama had a long list of
     things to buy before they went off to town. Mama didn't 
     believe in wasting time and money by driving into town 
     for just one or two items. I knew she didn't have that
     many things on her list this morning. 
          I went around to the side and peeked through the 
     window. The room was empty. Nothing had been moved into 
     the house.  Every room was bare of furnishings, I 
     discovered as I went all around the house a second time
     peeping into each window.
          "That's strange," I said aloud. "Mama would have 
     hung the curtains the first thing."
          I couldn't believe it. Mama was always home when I
     got home from school. I looked into the living room
     window again.  The hardwood floors glistened in their
     bareness. Strange, I thought, as I looked back at the 
     burning house. There was no sign of anyone there. Where
     could they have gone?  
          Well, there's nothing else to do, so I'll go and 
     watch the old house burn. Maybe I'll even throw some 
     rocks at it just to show how glad I am, and hurry it 
     long.
          Feeling disappointed, I walked back down the road 
     slowly, my eyes focused on the rambling, century-old, 
     whitewashed wood frame house, that Daddy often called a 
     tinderbox. 
          A stiff breeze had carried the dark cloud farther 
     away and only the red and yellow of the leaping flames
     met my eyes. 
          A spark lit on my bare arm. It seared my flesh. I 
     brushed it off quickly, and then looked back at the 
     house just in time to see a section of the roof crumble.
     As it came crashing down a shower of fresh sparks filled
     the air around me. I dared not get too close.
         I sat down on the far side of the road to wait for
     my parents' return. It seemed they were taking forever.
     I picked up a rock and threw it at the house, shouting, 
     "Burn, burn, burn!"
          Another explosion ripped out yet another window. 
     It was on the side of the house where Daddy always 
     parked the truck. I started to throw another rock, but 
     then I noticed the old truck parked in its usual place.
          That's strange. How did they go to town?  It wasn't 
     like them to go to town with someone else. Who would 
     they  go with anyway?
         The old truck was the only highway vehicle Daddy 
     owned. Feeling a little uneasy now, I walked around 
     the side of the house where I could see the back yard.
     Mama's wash still hung on the line. It was black with
     soot.
          Mama would never have left the laundry hanging on
     the line while she went somewhere. My baseball uniform 
     that I would need tomorrow looked like a piece of black 
     charcoal.
          If Daddy set the fire, mama would have taken the
     clothes down first. And Daddy!  If he had set fire to
     the house he would not have gone anywhere. He'd be
     here watching it, making sure that nothing else burned. 
     Gradually I began to realize that they were inside the 
     house. 
          My first thought was that I'd have to get them out.
     I couldn't just let them stay in there and burn. But
     how?  The fire was so hot I couldn't even get close to
     the building. Flames leapt from all the windows that I 
     could see.
          I needed help, but the only telephone was in the 
     burning house. Anyway, the nearest fire department was
     more than twenty miles away. The house would be gone 
     long before they could get here.
          I remembered having heard Daddy tell Mama one day 
     that the old house would burn quickly. Then he had
     added,  "It would be a pile of ashes in about twelve
     minutes."
          The nearest neighbor was two miles away. I'd 
     have to run. Even when I got there they might not be 
     home. It would take too long. I'd have to do something
     myself. 
          I ran toward the raging inferno, but the heat
     wouldn't let me get anywhere near. How long had it 
     been  since the fire started?  I could only guess,
     but I knew it had been too long.
          Oh my God, they're all dead. My family has burned 
     to death. It was like a sledgehammer blow to the chest. 
     They could not have survived; there was no way they
     could still be alive.
          Feeling small and helpless, I backed away from the
     flames. I was alone and scared. Dear God, what a lonely
     place it had suddenly become.
          I'd never thought of it as a lonely place before. 
     I'd roamed these acres with my friends and siblings for
     as long as I could remember. It had always been full of
     life, full of love and laughter. Nothing bad had ever 
     happened here that I could recall. I'd been born in this
     house. My mother had given me life in this building. 
     Now just ten years later it had taken hers. And Daddy,
     and Hettie and Marvin were gone, too. 
          Suddenly I heard someone scream. I looked around 
     to see who it was, but there was no one else there.
     The screams were coming from the house.
          Dear God, they are alive. I have to get them out.
     I took a deep breath and gathered up all my strength. I
     ran headlong into the door, determined to get inside 
     and get them out, but it was too hot. I had to back off.
          My throat was getting sore. The scream came again,
     over and over. I looked around for something, anything, 
     that would help me get into the house, but there was 
     nothing. I wanted the screams to stop, but they kept
     on and on.
          I rubbed my aching throat. Why was it so sore?  
     The fire. The heat. Had it seared my throat?  I must 
     move away from it. I started to run and the next thing 
     I knew I was standing beside a tractor on the Harpers' 
     farm.
          George Harper's strong fingers hurt my shoulders
     as he shook me. "Stop it, Rex!  Stop screaming and tell
     me what's happened. Why are you running and screaming?" 
     He shook me again. "Tell me what this is about."
          The Harpers were our closest neighbors. I must have
     run all the way to their farm in a daze, for I don't
     remember how I got there.
          I must have been incoherent for Mr. Harper shook 
     me again, harder than before, then grabbing me by the 
     shoulders once more, he turned me to face him.
          His eyes probed mine as he said, "You have to stop
     screaming so  I can understand what you're saying. I 
     can't help you until I know what this is about."
          I stared at him at first, trying to remember. I 
     was glad the screams had stopped. I put my hand on my 
     throbbing throat, then the memory of it all came back 
     to me and the words rushed out of my mouth, "Please,
     Mr. Harper, help them."
          I couldn't imagine why he looked so puzzled.
     Didn't he know what had happened?  Didn't he know 
     he had to hurry?  He shook me again. "Talk to me, Rex.
     Who needs my help?  What has happened?"  His fingers
     dug into my flesh sending a sharp pain into my
     shoulders. I tried to get away from him, but his 
     strong hands held me like a vise as he shook me 
     again. Wanting to get away from the pain of his 
     hands, I shouted, "Hurry, Mr. Harper. They're 
     screaming for help. They can't last much longer. 
     Please hurry."
          I felt hot tears running down my cheeks. 
     I brushed them away with the back of my hand.
          Mr. Harper released me just for a moment. Then 
     catching my shoulders and swinging me around again, 
     he said, "Where, Rex?  What happened?  Who needs my 
     help?" His eyes pierced my own.
          "Mama! Daddy!  Marvin and Hettie, too!  They're
     all inside the burning house screaming for help. 
     Please hurry."
          "My God!" At last he seemed to understand,
     and with one swift move he picked me up, as though
     I weighed nothing, and placed me on the tractor
     beside him. Soon we were in the Harpers' living 
     room. "Take care of him, Kathryn. I'm going to see
     what I can do for his folks.   "Their house is on 
     fire." He ran out the door then, leaving me alone
     with Mrs. Harper.
          As soon as the door slammed shut behind him, 
     Mrs. Harper went to the phone and after speaking a 
     few words into it she hung up. She put her arms 
     around me, saying as calmly as she could, "Come, 
     child. Everything is going to be all right. George
     will find your parents and take care of everything. 
     I hope the fire department gets here in time, but--."  
          She suddenly stopped talking. I knew what she 
     had meant to say, though. Daddy had often said the 
     fire department would never make it here on time if
     the old 'tinderbox' should happen to burn.
          My heart sank. What would happen to me?  But 
     I didn't say anything.
          Mrs. Harper took me into the kitchen and poured 
     a glass of milk and set out a plate of cookies.
          I tried to calm myself. It was getting dark and I 
     must go home. I had chores to do before bedtime.
     Besides, Mama and Daddy didn't know I'd got home from
     school. They would be worried about me. I needed to
     get home right away.
          Mrs. Harper shook her head and said, "No, you
     can't go home. George will tell them where you are.
     Everything is going to be fine."

          She led me into the bedroom and turned down 
     the covers, saying,  "Just sleep now, Rex. It's 
     going to be all right. Your parents will understand."
          She sat beside the bed, soothing my forehead 
     with her hand, muttering something under her breath.
     I caught just enough of it to know that she was 
     praying. She sat there like that until I dropped off
     to sleep. 
          I woke up late in the night hearing voices in 
     the other room. Memory came flooding back. Mr.
     Harper had finally got home. I listened carefully.
          I heard his voice say, "Dead. All of them are 
     dead. The old house is burned to the ground."
          Mrs. Harper burst into tears, and wailed,
     "Poor Rex. We must take good care of him." 
          Who was that Rex they were talking about? 
     It was as though it happened to someone else. It 
     couldn't be me. It all seemed like a bad dream.
          I sneaked out of bed and quietly opened the 
     door a crack just in time to see George and 
     Kathryn join hands and pray. Mrs. Harper pleaded,
     "Father, give us strength to see Rex through this 
     ordeal.    Keep him strong. Help us to make a good
     life for him."
          Stunned, I closed the door softly and fell
     across the bed and wept.
          The sun was shining through my window when 
     I woke. It was a gorgeous day. A perfect day for 
     our ballgame. I had forgotten momentarily about 
     the events of yesterday and last night. I walked
     across the room, feeling the coolness of the 
     linoleum on my bare feet. I pushed the curtain 
     aside, and then the memories came rushing back?
     the cloud of smoke, the flaming building, the 
     screams. The sadness seemed to settle in the pit 
     of my stomach, making me feel as though a hard 
     stone rested in it. I stood in front of the
     window wondering what was going to happen to me. 
          I heard Mr. Harper crank up the old tractor 
     and I knew he was going to plow the field. Daddy
     would be plowing the field now, too,   if he were
     still alive.
          Oh Daddy, I miss you already.
     Mama would be in the kitchen cooking breakfast.
     Hettie would be aggravating me like little sisters 
     always did to their big brothers. She often made a 
     game of hiding my baseball glove and making me look 
     for it.
         I would complain loudly to Mama, but I'd give 
     anything to see Hettie do that now.
     Marvin was always the big brother, looking after 
     Hettie and me, keeping us out of trouble and out 
     of harm's way. Why did they have to die so early?
          I knew what death was. I'd seen my pet canary 
     die. I knew death meant they were never coming back.
          I didn't have much time to think about it, for
     Mrs.Harper knocked on the door, and then came into 
     the room, asking, "Did you sleep well?"
          The smell of bacon cooking had followed her 
     into the room. I wondered where Jeremy and the 
     others were, but I didn't say anything, thinking 
     they were probably eating breakfast. The bacon sure
     smelled good, and my stomach felt empty, except for
     the hard lump that seemed to have settled there. 
     Mrs. Harper quickly made up the bed that I had slept
     on, and tidied up the room.
          "Yes," I answered, not wanting her to know 
     that I had eavesdropped on her and Mr. Harper
     last night.  Her eyes stared straight into mine.
          I looked down at the floor. She didn't say
     anything. Tears began to well up in my eyes, and I
     turned ack to the window so she couldn't see me cry.
          I guess she understood, because I heard her walk
     out of the room. I guess she must have thought I 
     looked pretty dirty, for she came back and handed me
     some clothes, telling me I could wear them while she 
     washed my own things.
          She didn't seem to notice my tears, and I swiped
     the back of my hand across my eyes to dry my face.
     "Are you hungry?  Breakfast is ready. I have
     some good hot biscuits."
          I wondered why Mrs. Harper didn't tell me about 
     my family, but I didn't dare ask. I wanted her to tell
     me it was all a bad dream, and I'd wake up and find
     that everything was all right with them.
          Mrs. Harper put her arm around my shoulder,
     ushering me to the table. Soon she placed a plate 
     of bacon, grits, and eggs in front of me. She poured 
     a glass of milk for me, and a cup of coffee for 
     herself.
          In all that time she still hadn't given me any
     explanation about my parents. I could see sadness in
     her face, a sadness that I'd never seen in her face
     before when I'd visited with Jeremy.
          I took a deep breath and started to ask about 
     them, but just then Arlene came into the room, her 
     long auburn hair tied in a ponytail that flounced 
     around as she turned her head. Forgetting what I 
     was going to say, I wanted to reach up and give 
     Arlene's pigtail a tug, but didn't dare. She was
     standing next to my chair, holding onto it and 
     balancing herself on one foot, wearing shorts and 
     a green tee shirt and white sandals. 
          Even though Arlene had been on the school bus 
     yesterday, hearing me talk about how happy I was to 
     see the house burn, I guessed she didn't know about 
     the tragic loss of my family. She started to ask a 
     question, but Mrs. Harper shushed her quickly.
          "Run along, Arlene. Your father is waiting to 
     take you kids to the game."  "Aren't you and Rex 
     going?" "Not this time. Run along, now, and don't 
     keep your father    waiting. We'll talk later."
          Arlene left without saying anything, just 
     giving Mrs. Harper a quick kiss on the cheek, 
     then waving bye to us.
          I hadn't heard Mr. Harper come back from 
     the field on the tractor, but I knew that was 
     not unusual on the farm. It was planting time, 
     the busiest time of the year for farmers and 
     Daddy often plowed the field while Mama cooked 
     breakfast. Sometimes he would go back to 
     the field after supper and plow some more.
          I felt awkward knowing Mrs. Harper and I
     were alone in the house. This was the first
     ballgame I'd missed since Daddy had built the
     ball park.
          Sitting down opposite me at the table,
     Mrs. Harper poured a dash of cream into her 
     cup at the same time she passed the biscuits 
     to me.
           I took one and split it open. She passed 
     the butter and I put a large dollop inside the 
     biscuit to melt.
          This was so much like home, for a minute 
     I forgot what had happened yesterday. I was 
     hungry and I soon had my plate cleaned up.
          After I'd finished eating breakfast
     Mrs. Harper  took me into the living room, 
     saying that we needed to talk. I already knew 
     what she was going to tell me,  but I listened 
     quietly as she spoke.
          "I'm sorry, Rex. Your mother was a dear
     friend of  mine. Both your parents were dear 
     friends. I'm so sorry that they lost their 
     lives."
          She stopped, all choked up. She put 
     her arms around me and we both cried 
     together. 
          Much later in the day Mrs. Harper told
     me that 
     the funeral would be on Tuesday. I would stay
     here with them while officials tried to find 
     some relatives.
         I knew that I didn't have any living 
     relatives. I was the last survivor of my family, 
     and I told her so.
          "Just the same, we are going to search. 
     I know that you have an uncle. We don't know 
     where he is, but we'll find him."
     Her nervousness seemed to match my own as our
     eyes met. I looked away, not wanting to see my
     own sadness reflected in her eyes.
          "No, Mrs. Harper, Uncle Glenn died last year.
     I remember Daddy saying he was the last of the 
     family. I don't have any cousins or aunts or
     uncles. My grandparents died when I was just
     a baby." 
          She put her arms around me and we cried again.
     I couldn't imagine life without Mama and Daddy 
     and Marvin and Hettie.
          I felt a little better when Mrs. Harper hugged
     me, and said, "George and I will take good care
     of you."
          I didn't understand why they'd want to do that,
      but I was sure glad they would. Still it wouldn't be 
     the same as having my own family. They meant all the 
     world to me and I wished I could go back to yesterday
     morning when they were alive.
          Mama had been smiling and cheerful when she waved 
     goodbye to me as I headed off to catch the school bus.
     Hettie had told me, "Don't worry, Rex, I won't mess 
     with your baseball mitt while you're gone."
          Marvin hadn't been feeling good, but he waved
     and said, "See you later, alligator."
          Daddy had hurried off to the field as soon as 
     breakfast was over and he'd given me a pat on the 
     back saying, "Take care, Son."
          Mr. Harper must have told Jeremy and Arlene and 
     Jeanie about the loss of my family, because they seemed
     different somehow when they got home from the ballpark.
          Arlene said, "I'm sorry about the loss of your 
     family, Rex. It is so  sad." She brushed a tear from 
     her eye. Jeremy said, "Me, too, Rex. I'm glad you're 
     here with us." He seemed about to cry, too, and he 
     turned away from me.
          Three-year-old Jeanie said, "I'm sorry about Hettie.
     She was my friend. I'll miss her. But don't worry. She'll
     come back. She likes to play with me."
          I felt the tears begin to well up. I hurriedly
     quenched them as best I could, and tried to smile.
          Jeanie was too young to understand, but Mrs. Harper
     said, "No, Jeanie. I'm sorry, but Hettie won't ever come 
     back."
          Jeanie was sure that she would and she said, "Don't
     you worry, Mama. She'll be here to play with me tomorrow."
          The funeral came and went. I remember very little 
     about it, except that I felt a great loss in the pit of
     my stomach. I wanted to hide somewhere and die, too. I 
     wanted to be with my family wherever they were.
          My life would never be the same without them. I 
     hoped they were in Heaven and that I'd see them again 
     someday.
          I lost track of time. I knew that several days 
     had passed since I came to the Harpers' farm. I'd 
     missed several days of school.
          I must have looked sad that morning because 
     Mrs. Harper reached across the breakfast table and
     patted my hand. "Now don't you worry. We're going 
     to take good care of you. If we don't find any living 
    relatives, you will always have a home here with us."
         She pushed her chair away from the table, clearing
     off the dishes at the same time.
         "I don't have any clothes. All my things are gone.
     What will I do?  I don't have anything."
          It was all I could do to hold back the tears.
          I knew the Harpers were not well to do, and they
     already had three kids of their own. Jeremy was my best
     friend. We were the same age and in the same class at
     school. We played on the same baseball team.
          I was wearing Jeremy's clothes now, much to his 
     displeasure I thought, even though he didn't make any 
     fuss about it, at least not in my presence.
          "Don't you worry about that. We'll go shopping 
     after school tomorrow and get some things for you. We 
     might even be able to find a new mitt so that you can 
     play ball on Saturday. The team needs you, you know. 
     You're one of their best players."
     Just then little Jeanie came toddling into the room. She
     reminded me so much of Hettie. Golden curls framed her 
     tiny face, brown eyes smiled into mine, her giggle told 
     me  that she wanted to play a game with me, just as 
     Hettie used to do. I forced the tears back and put a 
     smile on my face.
          Jeanie was carrying a book in her hands and she 
     placed it on the table in front of me. She tried to c
     limb up in my lap, asking me to "Please read to Jeanie."
           I helped her up on my knee and opened the book, 
     but before any words could come out she scooted down 
     off my lap and ran away saying, "Catch me, Rex."  Her
     giggle as I chased her through the house was like 
     manna from Heaven.
          Saturday morning we all piled into the Harpers' 
     station wagon and went to the park. I was wearing the
     brand new baseball uniform and carrying the mitt that
     Mrs. Harper had purchased for me.
          The other members of the team were all there when
     we arrived, and they greeted us as though nothing out 

     of the ordinary had happened. Soon I found myself 
     joining in with the same fervor I'd always had for
     the game.
        The Harpers were sitting in the bleachers and 
     cheering us on. It was like old times except that my
     heartstrings felt a sad tug when I looked for Mama 
     and Daddy sitting in the bleachers alongside the 
     Harpers.  It was the first time they'd missed 
     watching me play.
         We lost the game that day, but I knew I had a new
     family. I almost felt like I belonged again. And God 
     was looking over me along with the Harpers. Even so, I
     still wanted my own family back.
          I forgot about that though, as soon as we got in 
     the car, for    Arlene got in the back seat right next
     to me. Before I knew what was happening she reached 
     over and pinched my arm, saying, "You were great. It 
     was neat when you slid into first base in the third 
     inning. You're going to be another Babe Ruth."
          Her putting me in the same class as my hero sure
     made me feel good. Even Mr. and Mrs. Harper laughed 
     and said I was great.
          I scrunched down in the seat feeling a little 
     embarrassed about all the praise, but grateful that
         I had a new family.
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