QUOTE : I can be better, Mama. I won’t skip school no more. I promise.” She looks at me for the first time, her eyes searchin’ mine. It’s like she wanna remember my face. Her mouth is tight, but she takes my hand, shaking her head slowly. I know she wanna say something, but it feels like if she opens her mouth, she just gonna crumble apart like them old auto factories near our apartment. Finally, she starts up the car. I ask one last time. “Can we go home?” She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. “No. Don’t ask me again.