We didn't have a service for my brothers. My Ma said she didn't wanna deal with the pity. Well, my Ma, she, uh... She didn't get out of bed, y'know, for weeks. Maybe a month. I tried all kinds of shit to get her up and going, but... Y'know, nothing took. Then, one night, out of the blue, she came to me, she was all dolled up. She goes, "Oswald, we're going out," she says. I was fuckin' thrilled. She took me to a jazz club on the east side. Monroe's. Yeah, it was the first time I ever heard live music. Whoa! And we danced all night.
You and your mom?
It's what we did. How we celebrated 'em, you know? Jack and Benny. They would've fuckin' loved it, too. Anyway, after that, y'know, she started getting out of bed, she went back to work, she took care of me...
What do you think it was that changed for her?
I'd like to think it was me, but I don't know. She died a few years back. I never asked. Shit like this, the pain of it, you gotta be careful. 'Cause it'll eat you alive if you let it. It's a hell of a lot more fun to dance.
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