down payment

Mama is combing through her house for random dishes and flatware and sundries to send with me for my new home.

There's a chance I could live in Bloomington for all five years of graduate school, instead of upgrading to another university.

Of course, I'll still apply to MIT and Brown.

I mentioned "upgrading" to Dr. Dirksen (Lee's vice-president and a linguist) and she replied, "Upgrade? from Indiana?"

It made me at least feel like I'm in a good place.

I want her to start making room for me so I can go back to Tennessee and teach in five years.

The only thing that I don't like about Lee is that it's in the Tennessee Valley. I love the rivers, but not the stagnance of the air and the lack of horizons. I would prefer to live in the deep-south of Georgia, right between the ocean and the swamp, with cypress trees, Spanish moss, and palmettos.

Live oaks, black sand, and alligators.

I'd eat corn bread and collard greens every day.

Mama is suiting me up with all sorts of dishes for "entertaining". Serving bowls and cake platters.

I reckon I could throw a few dinner parties.

Not that I even know what my kitchen is like. And I don't have a dining table.

But I do have a deviled-egg serving plate.