Summary

In Chapter 3, Bessie died in the spring of 1954. Less "than a year later," Gus also died (51). They left their property to Zorrie. She used the money to buy "twenty acres of fallow land" (51). She hired help and planted the fields. Because she no longer had anyone "to drop by and check up on her," Zorrie worked harder and harder (51). Sometimes Ruby asked her if she was okay, but Ruby was distracted by her husband Virgil's poor health. He fell into silence and took to wandering off, often getting lost.

Ever since Harold's death, Zorrie had learned to use hard work as an escape from grief. She kept seeing Harold "around every corner," but whenever she talked about him, she felt even worse (52). One night while looking at her keepsakes box, she realized how much time had passed. She learned to rub her memories away...