Summary

Pop has been having nightmares and is groaning in his sleep while Ma tries to comfort him. Leda, Deja's little sister, squirms but she calms her back to sleep as they share a bed. Raymond is alseep on the floor. Nothing wakes him. Pop is unemployed and Ma works as a waitress. Her money barely covers food for the family. They live in a shelter called Avalon Family Residence. The narrator notes that the name sounds nice, but the place is nasty. The paint is peeling and the narrator, her two siblings, and their parents all share one small room with no water, refrigerator, or stove in it.

Ma tries to remain positive and encourages Deja not to complain because complaining solves nothing. Still, Deja feels angry. As the oldest child, she is responsible for her little brother and sister. She gets...