Six year old Bailey and five year old Maya learn their times tables with the ever present threat of Uncle Willie touching their hands to the hot stove on the second or third mistakes. Willie was handicapped as a child when he was dropped by a babysitter. Momma makes it a point to let everyone know he was not born handicapped. Although Willie is the butt of jokes in town, he is a proud man. Maya only sees him pretend not to be handicapped once. Strangers from Little Rock come to the store and Willie stands erect behind the counter. Maya suspects that he pretended because he is tired of being crippled and doesn't want to be pitied.
During this time, Maya falls in love with William Shakespeare. She and Bailey learn a scene.....
