rybody.

At last we had a moment of peace and quiet when Mimi dozed off after the meal. But it was only a lull before another storm. When the Lius tried gently to wake her in order to leave, she got into a tantrum because they had disturbed her sleep, and

she kept raining blows ori her father all the way he carried her downstairs. Serves him damn well right, I said to myself in secret delight. At last Mimi was doing something with my full approval. I would love her even more if she did the same to her mother.

When the door finally closed on them, Mum and Dad looked at each other and burst out laughing. Soon we were all laughing.

II. Read

Read the following passages. Underline the important viewpoints while reading.

l. The Growing up of a Black Boy

One evening my mother told me that thereafter I would have to do the shopping for food. She took me to the corner store to show me the way. I was proud. I felt like a grown-up. The next afternoon I looped the basket over my arm arid went down the pavement toward the store. When I reached the corner, a gang of boys grabbed me, knocked me down, snatched the basket, took the money and sent me running home in pamc.

That evening I told my mother what had happened, but she made no comment. She sat down at once, wrote another note, gave me more money and sent me out to the grocery again. I crept down the street and saw the same gang of boys playing down the street. I ran back into t.he house.

"What's the matter?" my mother asked.

"It's those same boys," I said. "They'll beat me. "

"You've got to get over that," she said. "Now, go on."

"I'm scared," I said.

"Go on. Anct don't pay any attention to them," she said;

I went out of the door and walked briskly down the sidewalk, praying

that the gang would not molest me.

But when I came abreast of them, someone shouted, "here he is."

They came toward me and I broke into a wild run toward home. Thev overtook me and flung me to the pavement. I yelled, pleaded, kicked, but they rinsed the money out of my hand. They yanked me to my feet, gave me a few slaps and sent me home sobbing.

My mother met me at the door.

"They bea... hea... beat me, " I gasped. "They too... too... took the mo... money . " I stamed up the steps, seeking the shelter of the hcuse.

"Don't you come in here! " my mother warned me.

I froze in my tracks and stared at her. "But they are coming after me, " I said.

"You just stay right where you are," she said in a deadly tone. "I'm going to teach you this night to stand up and fight for yourself." She went into the house and I waited, terrified, wondering what she was about.

Presently she returned with more money and another note. She also had a long heavy stick. "Take this money, this note and this stick," she said. "(Go to the store and buy those groceries. If those boys bother you, then fight." I was baffled. My mother was telling me to fight - a thing that she had never done before.

"But I'm scared, "I said.

"Don't you come into this house until you've gotten those groceries," she said.

"'rhey'll beat me.

They'll beat me," I said.

"Then stay in the streets. Don't come back here."

I ran up the steps and tried to force my?way past her into the house. A stinging slap came on my jaw. I stood on the sidewalk, crying. "Please, let me wait until tomor

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