The Last of the Family

By Henry, Patricia, Gretchen, Anne, Ernest, [Lana]


They're all jumping in -- they want to get in the water. It should not be someone I know, a friend playin' in the water, the ocean. They'll get tired of the water.

[What will they do then?]

I write some of these, then erase them. I don't know where it is; I know it's in the South down by the Gulf. I just took mine down today. I couldn't get rid of it any other way. I had six of them. I doubt it'll do any good.

[What's the Gulf look like?]

It's very warm. The water looks hard, like it's standing still The water's going to get out of their way sometimes. They're gonna be very... (storyteller makes sounds for beach waves) hard. Could be anything. We did, we left it back. I think bottom, because if they take it, I'll be sad.

[What are they trying to take?]

I don't know, jewelry or something at the bottom. Somebody doesn't know what we know, not at the moment. They'll put it on the porch at the end of the levy where they take care of each other. A little of each one, I imagine they do because they're so close and are hanging on to each other.

[What will they do with the things they've found?]

Oh, gosh! They'll go down to the coast, and they'll see Indians! Today, my God! They'll join them, go on dry land. I was gonna say, "That's dry!"

[What will the jumpers and Indians do together?]

I've heard things, things like tepees and houses. From what I know of them, they like to be close. I don't know about this lake -- there's five of them! Where were they? They're in the air as well! Six babies, more than that to make a family. These are my families; I love it!

[Will the big group leave the land by the lake?]

These were different spaces. I have no idea, they have to go through us! These kids are three, and there's another three. This is at the beach. No, they're not going to leave. They'll probably just make a place where they can be together.

[How does this story end?]

That's automatic -- they're all going together.