Not only was she late, but now she heard Ronda’s knock on the basement door above the stairs. “Come in!” she called. Footsteps came down the stairs. Ronda will want an explanation…and what will I say?Ella had suddenly thought what her response would be and suddenly the ridiculousness of the situation struck her. She threw back her head in soft laughter, her hands still in the dishwater.Seeing Ella laughing, Ronda whispered, “Ella, have you gone mad?”“I think maybe I have,” Ella said, turning toward her.“I was just teasing, you know,” Ronda said, breaking into a feeble smile.“Yes, I know,” Ella sighed. Motioning with her hand, she said, “Come, sit down. You shouldn’t be standing up so long.”Ronda took a chair at the table. “Ella, what’s happened?”Ella started to laugh again but stopped. “I’m sorry about the laughter. I suppose it’s really not funny. But laughing is the only thing that makes me feel gut right now. That and being angry, but that doesn’t make me feel gut for long.”“So what’s this all about?”
