Savvy

The bus stops in front of Carlene’s trailer-park house. Carlene sits outside in a satin bathrobe, reading the paper. She has big hair and long nails on a shrunken, aging body: “She look[s] like a witch dressed up for Halloween as a movie star” (258).

Samson has to use the bathroom. Bobbi volunteers to take him. They go to Charlene and ask to use her bathroom. She waves them away irritably and calls to Lester, “Get your scrawny butt down here right now and tell me what’s going on!” (260). Bobbi and Samson disappear into the trailer. The other kids, worried about them, follow. Inside, it’s dark, smoky, garish, and filled with tacky trinkets. The children take turns using the facilities.

Carlene bursts in, followed by Lester. She insists she won’t take the money because it’s not enough. Lester says it’s his last offer and he won’t be returning. Carlene grabs the money and starts throwing trinkets at him. She and the tattoos holler at Lester until he yells, “Shut up!” He tells her he doesn’t care anymore about her or her brother.

Stunned, Carlene stares at him, then at the kids. She recognizes them from the news alerts. She grabs the phone to call the police.