But now that I'm almost grown I see Momma wasn't talking about doors opening to let ghosts into your bedroom, she meant doors like the door at the Home closing leading to the door at the Amoses' opening and the door in the shed opening leading to me sleeping under a tree getting ready to open the next door.
I checked out the other things in my suitcase and they seemed OK. I felt a lot better.
Right now I was too tired to think anymore so I closed my suitcase, put the proper knots back in the twine, crawled under the Christmas tree and wrapped myself in the blanket.
I'd have to wake up real early if I wanted to get to the mission in time for breakfast, if you were one minute late they wouldn't let you in for food.
***
UH-OH. My eyes opened and I could see the sun behind the branch of a Christmas tree.
I jumped up, folded my blanket inside my suitcase, hid it and started running the six or seven blocks down to the mission.
I turned the corner and said, "Whew!" There were still people lined up waiting. I started walking along the line. The end was a lot farther away than I thought. The line turned all the way around two corners, then crossed over one street before I saw the last person. Shucks. I walked up to get behind him.
He said, "Line's closed. These here fouls are the last ones." He pointed at a man standing next to a woman who was carrying a baby.
I said, "But sir... I"
He said, "But nothing. Line's closed. These here folks are the last ones."
It was time to start lying. If I didn't get any food now I'd have to steal something out of someone's garbage or I wouldn't be able to eat until the mission opened for supper.
I said, "Sir, I..."
The man raised his hand and said, "Look, kid, everybody's got a story and everybody knows the rules. The line closes at seven o'clock. How's it fair to these people who been here since five o'clock that you can sleep until" -- he looked at his wristwatch--"until seven-fifteen, then come busting down here expecting to eat? You think you got some kind of special privilege just 'cause you're skinny and raggedy? Look in the line, there's lots of folks look just like you, you ain't the worst.
"Supper starts at six P.M., but you see how thing's is, if you plan on getting fed you better be in line by four. Now get out of here before 1 get rough with you."
Shucks, being hungry for a whole day is about as bad as it can get. I said. "But..."
He reached in his pocket and pulled something out that looked like a heavy black strap and slapped it across his hand. Uh-oh, here we go again.
He said. "That's it, no more talk, you opened your mouth one time too many. You rotten kids today don't listen to no one, but I'm a show you something that'll improve your hearing.'' He slapped the strap on his hand and started walking toward me.
I was wrong when I said being hungry for a day is about as bad as it can get, being hungry plus having a big knot on your head from a black leather strap would be even worse.
I backed away but only got two steps before I felt a giant warm hand wrap around my neck from behind. I looked up to see whose doggone hand was so doggone big and why they'd put it around my neck.
A very tall, square-shaped man in old blue overalls looked down at me and said, "Clarence, what took you so long?"
I got ready to say, "My name's not Clarence and please don't choke me, sir, I'll leave" but as soon as I opened my mouth he gave my head a shake and said, "I told you to hurry back, now where you been?" He gave me a shove and said, get back in line with your momma."
I looked up and down the line to see who was supposed to be my momma when a woman pointed her finger at her feet and said, "Clarence, you get over here right now." There were two little kids hanging on to her skirt.
I walked over to where she was and she gave me a good hard smack on the head. Shucks, for someone who was just pretending to be my momma she sure did slap me a good one.
I said, "Ow!"
The big square man who'd grabbed my neck looked at the man with the strap and said, "Boy had to go use the capper, told him not to waste time, but like you said, these kids today don't listen to nobody."
The strap man looked at the size of the man who called me Clarence and walked back to the end of the line.
When the overall man got back in line I said, "Thank you, sir, I really tried to get…" But he popped me in the back of the head, hard, and said, "Next time don't be gone so long."
The two little kids busted out laughing and said, "Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah, Clarence got a lickin', Clarence got a lickin'."
I told them, "Shut up, and don't call me…" Then both my pretend poppa and my pretend momma smacked my head.
She looked at the people direct behind us and said, "Mercy, when they get to be this age..."
The people weren't too happy about me taking cuts in the line, but when they looked at how big my pretend daddy was and they saw how hard him and my pretend momma were going upside my head they decided they wouldn't say anything.
I was grateful to these people, but I wished they'd quit popping me in the head, and it seems like with all the names in the world they could've come up with a better one for me than Clarence.