ABSTRACT
Years later, when I was an adult, my mother confi ded in me that she always hoped that I would stay at home with her rather than head out with my father and my brother. Two things concerned her – fi rst, that I would never learn the work of the house, and secondly, that I could be hurt. However, she kept her silence and never said anything. She seemed to understand a child’s need for drama and excitement, especially there in the backwoods.
