"Don't stick up for him, Sharon. Little Billy's been my best friend since the first we saw each other, right after Aunt Kathy moved up Grizzly Holler to tend to Cassie. And don't you think for a minute that I don't know and appreciate how good a friend he's been. He's been more brother to me than my own kin. Heck, all of you, your whole family, has been been more family to me than all my own blood kin put together.

Now Miss Cassie, she was somehow blood kin to me, though I ain't really got it straight how that was. All I know is once she moved in to Uncle James place, I was drawn to there like a bee to honey. Aunt Cassie looked out for me, found chores for me to help her with that kept me out of the house when Daddy was drunk and mean. When things was really bad, she'd drive down out of the holler and tell Mommy and Daddy she needed me to stay with her for a few days. She'd make up some lie about feeling poorly, or her leg hurtin', or somethin' like that. I think Mommy knew what she was doin', and was grateful. Daddy would curse and threaten, but Cassie would face him down, and he'd always give in.

"Truth to tell, Daddy was afraid of Cassie. Said she could put the evil eye on people. Bottom line was, he was asceared to cross her when she put her foot down.

"Anyways, Billy has been as a brother to us both, and he was raised up to know what bein' a brother means. Now he done spit on that, knowin' exactly how serious a thing that is. He done disrespected the memory of his grandmother by the way he been actin'. He has direspected and dishonored the whole lot of you, and me as well. My heart is closed to him. And it will stay closed until he proves hisself man enough to come before us all and say he is sorry.

"You go on down to Charleston, and you do what it is you think you have to do. I've said what I can to you about that, and I know you ain't gonna change your mind. I guess women can't help but be tender hearted when it comes to these things. Even so, come Saturday week I aim to move on in that house up there. It needs some one in it, and ain't nobody will look out for it the way I will. Ain't nobody knows and loves the head of that holler the way I do, which is why Aunt Kathy signed over half-interest to me to start with, even if I ain't blood kin to her, but only to Cassie.

"You know I am not a hard person, Sharon, but there comes a time when I man has got to stand by his principles. I'm tellin' you now. Unless or until he comes, hat in hand, and apologizes, do not speak of him in my presence again. Shunning is what he deserves, and shunning is what he is going to get from me."