Thank You,Ma'am?
Langston Hughes

She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but hummer and nails.She carried the purse slung across her shoulder.It was about eleve o'clock at night,dark.She was walking alone when a boy ran up behind her and tried to snatch her purse.The purse strap came off,but he pulled so hard that he lost his balance.He fell on his back on the sidewalk,and his legs flew up.The large woman turned around,picked him up by his T- shirt and shook him hard.

After that,the woman said,”Pick up my purse,boy.Give it to me.”She held him tightly.”Now aren't you ashamed of yourself?”
Held up by his T – shirt,the boy said,”Yes'm.”
The woman said,”What did you do it for?”
The boy said,”It was a joke.”
She said,”You lie!”
“Lady,I'm sorry,”whispered the boy.
“Um – hum!Your face needs washing.Don't you wash your face at home?”
“No'm ,”said the boy.
“Then it will get washed this evening,”said the large woman,starting up the street,dragging the frightened boy behind her.He was thin and looked as if he was fourteen.He had on tennis shoes and blue jeans.
“You should be my boy.I would teach you what is right.All I can do for you right now is to wash your face.Are you hungry?”
“No'm.I just want you to let me go.”
“When I get through with you,sir,you are going to remember Mrs.Luella Bates Washington Jones.”

Sweat bathed the boy's face and he began to struggle.Mrs.Jones continued to drag him up the street.When she got to her door,she dragged the boy inside,down a hall and into a room at the back of the house.She turned on the light and left the door open.The boy could hear people laughing and talking in the house.

She said,”What is your name?”
“Roger,”answered the boy.
“Roger,you go to that wash basin and wash your face,”said the woman.She let him go – at last.Roger looked at the door.He looked at the woman.He looked at the door – and then he went to the wash basin.
“Let the water run until it gets warm,”she said.”Here's a clean towel.”
“Are you taking me to jail?”asked the boy,bending over the wash basin.
“With that face,I would not take you any where.Have you been home to eat yet?”
“There's nobody at my house,”said the boy.
“Then we'll eat,”said the woman.”I believe you're hungry.So you tried to snatch my purse.”
“I want a pair of blue suede shoes,”said the boy.
“Well,you didn't have to snatch my purse to get some suede shoes,”said Mrs.Jones.”You could have asked me.”
“Ma'am?”

With water dripping from his face,the boy looked at her.There was a long pause.After he dried his face,he turned around,wondering what to do next.The door was open.He could make a dash for it down the hall.He could run,run ,run,run run!

The woman was sitting on the bed.After a while,she said,”I was young once.And I wanted things I couldn't get.”There was another long pause.The boy's mouth opened.Then he frowned.

The woman said,”Um – hum!You thought I was going to say but,didn't you?You thought I was going to say,but I did not snatch people's purses.Well,I was not going to say that.”Pause.Slience.”I've done things,too,which I wouldn't want to tell you.So you sit down while I find us something to eat.”

In a corner of the room behind a screen was a small gas stove and a refrigerator.Mrs.Jones got up and went behind the screen.She did not watch the boy to see if he was going to run now,nor did she watch her purse,which she left behind her on the bed.But the boy took care to sit on the far side of the room,away from the purse,where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye.He did not trust the woman not to trust him.And he did not want to be mistrusted now.

“Do you need somebody to go to the store?”asked the boy.”To get some milk or something?”
“Don't think I do,”said the woman.”Unless you want fresh milk yourself.I'm going to make cocoa out of this canned milk I've got here.”
“That'll be fine, “said the boy.
She heated some beans and ham,made the cocoa,and set the table.The woman did not ask about where he lived,or about his family,or anything that would embarrass him.Instead,as they ate,she told him about her work in a hotel beauty shop that stayed open late.She told him what she work was like.Then she cut him a half of her ten – cent cake.
“Eat some more,”she said.

When they had finished eating,she got up and said,”Now here,take this ten dollars and buy some blue suede shoes.And next time,don't snatch my purse,nor anybody eles's – because shoes got by bad ways will burn your feet.I've got to go to bed now.But from here on,I hope you'll behave.”
She led him down the ball to the front door and opened it.”Good night!Behave yourself!”she said,looking out into the street as he went down the steps.

The boy wanted to say something besides,”Thank you,ma'am,”to Mrs.Jones.His lips moved,but he could not even say that as he turned at the foot of the steps and looked up at the large woman.Then she shut the door.And he never saw her again.