Kintu er moddhei maa er nojor amar sorir er proti porlo…soto holeo se to amar nijer maa. Ekdin dupur e khoyar somoy maa amay bollo…”tor ki hoyec...e bolto raaj(my nik name)? kodin dhorei dekhchi…tui din din kmn sukiye jachhis….sob somoy mon mora hoye thakis, thikthak khas na, porasuna korchis na thik kore…..erokom keno korchis! eto kosto kore toke porachhi, manus korchi…r tui jodi erokom koris…tahole ki valo lage”ami bollam..”koi naa to maa ,, amr kichui hoyni….thik achi ami”“dekh ami tor maa,. “If you say so,” I repeated.“You went up for drugs, did you really kick the habit?” she asked. “That was seven years ago. I’m still working on it,” I answered. “They say once an addict, always an addict. We just aren’t practicing anymore.” “That’s all crap you memorize so that you can spout it out to other junkies,” she said.“Are you a junkie?” I asked putting a plate of bacon and eggs on the table in front of her.“I ain’t no junkie,” she said.“Good, then I won’t have to worry about you. It wasn't long until I hit the river and not long after that till I found the shallows. I waded in, the water up to mid-thigh, then I sat down. It was cold but not freezing. It felt invigorating.I rubbed my body all over, bathing in the clean water. When that was done, I dunked my head underwater and ran my fingers through it, then sat up, using the palms of my hands to clean the water off my face.I got up and ran back to the cave. By the time I got there, I was dry.I checked Bev and Dad. Both. ” He remarked, blankly, his mind refusing to encompass the possibilities.“Yeah. It’s lubed up for you. Clean and prepared and lubed up all for you. I’m ready. Tonight’s the night. You’re gonna get right up my chimney. Finally gonna sweep my chimney like you’ve always wanted to, dirty boy.”She reached back to give him a playful slap, snapping him out of his incredulity and throwing him a look over her shoulder that could’ve melted the ice caps. Pants beneath her buttocks, she lowered her hips.