Chapter 8 Summary

The nurse in the dental office continues to call patients in, and people keep coming in, all of them wearing heavy winter coats and talking about the sleeting, ugly weather outside. The room is filled with smoke and noisy now, because multiple conversations have started up again. James wants to sleep, but he's afraid he and maybe his mother might fall asleep and miss their turn. He begins thinking about his Mama. James plans to get her a new coat when they have money from the next cotton crop. The coat will be red, not black.

The lady sitting next to Octavia starts up a conversation, commenting on how grown-up James acts and asking his mother if she wants a book to read. Octavia doesn't say anything back, and soon the lady starts talking to the young man who had argued with the...