Weird Shorts

hardwood floor. There seems to be a baby in her arms.

"Well, they was Margaret Jo, Mary Jean, Tranelle and Margretta. Each of them girls was a member of the club. 'Course now, we lost Mary Jean 'bout a week ago." Pausing. "It was ve'y unfortunate how sh' wuh playin' so close to a street like that. Umm mmmm," shaking her head. "Po thang neve' did seen it comin' like that! No, she sure didn't." In a sing-song voice, "No she didn't. No she didn't."

Ms. Mamie giggles with joy as she perceives a cooing baby.

Squinting, Ms. Mamie looks away from the door, places an empty, dirty coffee mug on an old, scratched end table, continues with her tale and starts with a smirk and a scratch to the back of the head.

"Now, in the beginning, they was only three of them girls. Ummm hmmmmmm. They was three girls and it started out as jes' somethin' that kep' them girls bus-y. Pujibity. They ca'd theyselves, "The Buttahfly Guild," Looking away, "Sho was. Ummm hmmmm." Her tempo accelerates, "M.J., Trane