Fanor Andres Cruz

r?' Jackie asked quickly. 'He's the new man at the

farm. He wants to meet you.'

'Briggs? Briggs?' Molly said, suddenly angry. 'Don't

talk to me about that man. I don't like him. He wants

half my garden for his farm. He needs more land, he

says. I don't want him in my house. He's always dirty

and he has bad teeth.'

Jackie stood up and got her bag. 'Excuse me, I want

a cigarette.'

'Cigarettes! Always a cigarette in your mouth,'

Molly said. 'I don't like it. Cigarettes aren't good for

you.'

Jackie began to smoke. She felt ^ngry but she said

nothing. She wanted her mother to be happy this

evening, but it was very difficult.

Roger drank some more wine. 'Well, Mother,

perhaps Mr Briggs is right. The garden is very big, you

know,' he said. 'It's a lot of work for you. The house is

big, too. You're fifty now. You need to be more

careful.'

'Roger! I don't need a nurse' you know! I work in

the garden every day; I feel happy there.' Molly stood

up. 'I know you all want my money. You come here for

a free dinner, you don't want to see me. You don't love

me. You want my house, and my money. Well, you can

all wait. Nobody is getting more money from me' not

before I die!'

'Don't say that, Mother!' Jackie cried.

Molly walked across the room to the door. 'I feel ill

now. I'm going upstairs to bed.'

Molly left the room. Nobody moved.

'One day I'm going to kill that woman,'Diane said

quietly.

Roger looked at Diane but said norhing. Albert

moved his head slowly up and down. .Ill! She's angry,

that's all,' he said. 'Molly always gets angry about

money.

-Why

can't she be good to her sister? Annie's

going to die soon. Molly knows that.'

Jackie finished her cigarette and stood up. ,'Would

everyone like some coffee? Come into the kitchen and

let's drink it rhere.

arly next morning the house was quiet. Suddenly

there was a cry from the room next to Roger's, his

mother's room. Roger opened his eyes and looked at

the clock. It was nearly seven o'clock. He got out of

bed and opened the door quietly. At the same time the

door of his mother's room opened and Diane came

out. Her face was very white.

'Roger! It's Mother! I brought a cup of coffee for her

and I found her dead. She's dead . . . dead in her

...