“Take him up on your shoulders!” Momma said to Daddy, giving my hand to him.
“Aww, Raylyn, I ain’t gotta do nothin’.” Daddy mumbled. The words somehow found their way out of his knotted beard.
“Billy, put the kid on your shoulders. He can’t see a damn thing!”

Oh that’s right, we were at a parade. He reluctantly heaved me onto his shoulders.
All of the blues and greens of ribbons flew at my face and danced there in front of me for a while. When they started moving down the street, I just tilted my head up and watched the blueness of the sky and tried not to forget what it felt like.
*
“Momma’s gone and left you with me, so you’d better start getting used to warshing the dishes. You gonna keep this place clean. And if ya don’t, you know what I’ll do?”

I just looked away from him.

“Look at me when I talk ta ya.” He growled.

My eyes couldn’t meet his, so they just hovered an inch above his head. I nodded.

“Don’t be baby. You ain’t a sissy baby no more. Ima make you into a man.”