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Show 57 "No," said Helen. "Knockwursts bust open." "Only if they're cooked too long." I could see this was going to be a battle of wits. "There's never any candy or cookies in the cupboard," I said. Helen started handing me pots. "Neda steals them all the day you buy them and what she doesn't eat she hides. She stole my pocket knife and tried to trade it in on donuts." "She reads a lot," said Helen. "So does Red." "I'm not sure he understands it," said Helen. We were on silverware now. "He keeps a notebook." "I know. "You think Neda's like you because she's so smart." And she x?x was. She was the smart-ass of her £ grade. My teacher kept calling Helen about me because I did good on some intelligence test but ended up in all the stupid learning groups. "Red hates me and you like Kaxax Neda." Helen put her hands in my hair. "I love you," she said. "I love all my children." She kissed me on the forehead. "Want to say the rosary with me in front of the Infant?" "No." But sometimes I said the rosary with her even though I hated her and me when we did, but I'd see her there all hunched over and alone in front of that statue, mumbling the rosary, and it made my heart hurt, so I'd kneel down with her and she'd put her arm around me, my face against her breast and her dress smelling xxxx warm and calm and maddening, like her underwear and dirty clothes behind the bathroom door, and I'd forget that Red read too much and Neda ate too much and Helen prayed too much, and who really gave a shit about any of it anyway as long as they left me alone. >Still, that was the quietest year for a long time to come. WhenAdidn't read he lugged his bowling ball around. He stopped playing softball and handball, though he still pitched horshoes, and he bowled almost every other night. He xx went away one weekend with his bowling ball and came back with a big trophy a^xxxxix*xJtiJUftAJaARjg3cfeftflft3( |