The Gift-Giver by Joyce Hansen Page B

head down in his plate. "This won't be for long. Things gonna be back to normal soon."
    "I hope so," my mother said. "I hate you driving that taxi. There's so many crazy people out there."
    "Yeah. Seems like every nut in the city got in my cab tonight."

15. Understanding
    So they let me take care of Baby and the house. After two days I got tired of staying in. After Baby had his breakfast we'd go out on the stoop.
    It was early so no one be out yet except Amir. He sat with me until it was time to go in and fix Baby's lunch. I cleaned the house with Mama while Baby took his nap; when he woke we'd go back out. Everyone be out then. The boys played stickball. Mickey and them jumped rope, played cards and made believe I wasn't there. I watched Baby.
    Then that big-mouth Lavinia says, "Let's go to the playground, y'all. We don't have to stay on this boring block like some people."
    I stood up. "If you talking about me I'll have you know I can leave this block anytime I want."
    Mickey said, "Your mama told you to stay on the stoop and that's where you gonna be." They all laughed.
    "How you know what my mama told me? You live in my house?" They walked away. I could go to the playground now, nobody'd know. I took Baby by the hand and started to leave the stoop. Then I sat back
down. Like Amir say, why should I worry about what people say? And anyway my parents really need me to watch Baby and take care of the house like I promised. And I didn't like going in that playground anymore no how.
    I was glad when Amir came over. He sat on the stoop and showed me some drawings he made. I watched him draw a picture of Baby.
    Suddenly we heard one big yelling and screaming. Here comes Mickey, Dotty, Lavinia and the Nit Nowns. They running like King Kong is chasing them. Mickey is screaming, "Ma, they gonna git me!"
    Dotty tripped over the curb and landed flat on her backside. Lavinia ran right out of one of her sneakers. She left it laying there in the street. The Nit Nowns climbed over a fence and jumped in a backyard.
    I laughed till my stomach hurt. Amir laughed so hard he cried. Big Russell looked like he was rolling down the street. Yellow Bird was behind him screeching. Then the rest of the boys came yelling and running. Some of them ran up on the stoop and into the hallway.
    "Y'all better get inside," they said to me and Amir. We was laughing too hard to move. One of the boys said, "They having a gang war. A whole bunch of Skulls came to the playground looking for the Warriors." Me and Amir went in the hall. "They looking for the Warriors, so why you running?" I asked.
    "When you see them gangs you best run."
    Me and Amir looked at each other and laughed some more. "Them gangs ain't thinking about y'all," I said.
    We stayed in the hallway a long time, but no Skulls or anyone else came through the block. After a while everyone came back out. Seems like there really was a
gang fight in the playground and Russell and all them got scared. I laughed every time I thought about them fools running and nobody chasing them.
    Even though me and Ma was getting along fine I still didn't tell her about the gang fight. She been predicting that for years. I knew she'd say I told you so. But after that even Mickey and all the other girls stayed out the playground.
    Daddy didn't get his old job back right away like he thought. So the next week I took care of Baby again. Mama only called once a day. It was funny. Now soon as she came home I went upstairs so we could talk about how both our days was. I'd watch Baby for her while she finished supper. She kept telling me I didn't have to, but I didn't mind. Sometimes I'd go out after supper. One evening before I went back out she said, "Doris, you saved the day."
    When I went outside, Mickey and them looked like they wanted to be friends again, but I didn't need no friends—except Amir. Mickey and them was too kiddish for me now. I was doing more important things. I sat there cool and quiet like Amir,