Williams, BRACE YOURSELF FOR a dramatic ending to Momma’s story. One day Momma had been gone longer than usual. We heard from Mrs. Ronner before the sheriff called us. That’s how fast news travels in Rippling Creek. Mrs. Ronner’s son’s best friend’s cousin works at a Shreveport bank. His bank got a call because a Texas bank near the Louisiana state line had just been robbed. After holding up the bank, the man ran out to a car that was being driven by a young woman. The driver took off fast and lost control. The car hit a fire hydrant, and water spewed everywhere. Momma never could drive good. The car backed up quickly and didn’t stop until it hit the front door of the bank. By that time, I imagine, the alarm was going off. Momma got five years. That was thirteen months ago. I will be fifteen years old when Momma gets out of prison. I’ll have all kinds of things happen to me that she’ll miss. And she has already missed a lot. A few months after Momma arrived at the women’s prison in Huntsville, Mr.
