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AnnaâSolomon Lotto Page 1 â301â AnnaâSolomon Lîtto T HOSEâdaysâandâmonthsâIâspentâwithâAlma,âIâwasânewâtoâProvidence.âIââdâ â leftâNewâYorkâafterâBenâleftâme,âandâIâwasâlivingâinâaâvalleyâinside,âpaleâ andâunclutteredâandâmute.âIâknewânoâone.âIâspentâmyâdaysâwanderingâtheâPor tugueseâneighborhoodâwhereâIâlived,âavoidingâtheâstorefrontsâcrammedâwithâ swåetbreads,âtheâcornerâgrocerâwithâhisânutsâandâfruits.âIâsurvivedâonâsaltinesâ andâpeanutâbutter.âIâwalkedâonâacrossâbridges,âpastâschoolsâthatâlookedâlikeâ industrialâwastelands,âalongâbrick-cobbledâstreetsâwhereâprofessorsâstrolledâ withâantisocialâdogs.âIâwasâworkingânightsâatâaâcallâcenterâansweringâpleasâfromâ peopleâwhoââdâmaxedâoutâtheirâcreditâcards.â â IâfoundâAlmàâonâaâflierâinâaâcoffeeâshop,âwhereâIâwasâstaringâatâadsâforâ roommatesâandâfutonsâandâCuisinarts.âIâdidnâtâneedâtheseâthings,âbutâitâwasâaâ greatâreliefâtoâseeâotherâpeopleâsâlivesâcomingâapart.âIâwonderedâwhoâtheyâwere,â whatâsortsâofâhopesâtheyâallowedâthemselves,âwhetherâtheyââdâcreatedâtheirâownâ pandectsâofâself-denial.âOneâflierâstoodâout:âextraâhours?âvolunteerâtoâ spåndâtimeâwithâanâelder.âIâhadâhours,âandâIâhadâaâlonelyâguiltâorâguiltâ atâmyâself-pityâforâbeingâlonelyâsoâIâwentâforâanâinterviewâandâleftâwithâAlmaâsâ addressâonâanâindexâcardâthatâreadâAfrican-American, 98 years old. Department of Soñial Services visits daily to medicate for Crîhnâs disease . HerâsocialâworkerâwasâPrairie,âaâdyedâblondâwhoâworeâpush-upâbrasâandâaâ wideâsmearâofâfuchsiaâlipstickâoutsideâtheâlineâofâherâlips.âTheâfirstâdayâIâcame,â PrairieâwasâonâtheâvergeâofâtearsâtryingâtoâgetâAlmaâtoâtakeâaâplatefulâofâpills.â Almàâshookâherâhead,âtheâskinnyâshredsâofâherâbraidsâwhipping,âherâmouthâ clampedâshut,âherâleftâlegâhookedâoverâtheâraggedâarmâofâherâchair.â â Prairieâshouted,ââSheâwonâtâbeâreasonableâaboutâanything!â anâexcerptâfrom Page 2 302â theâgeorgiaâreviewâ â Theâplaceâwasâoverheatedâandâsmelledâsour.âIâstoodâinâtheâdoorway,âstillâ inâmyâcoat,âthinkingâIâmightâslipâbackâintoâtheâhall.âThenâIâsawâAlmaâsâeyes.â Dåspiteâtheirâzombie-ishâswing,âtheyâwereâcertainâandâclear,âtheâwhitesâasâ brightâasâhard-boiledâeggs.â â Prairieârattledâopenâtheârefrigeratorâandâshovedâaâjarâofâapplesauceâatâ Alma.ââThis,ââsheâsaid,ââisâtheâonlyâwayâsheâllâtakeâthem.â â âNotâtodayâIâwonât.ââ â Pràirieâturnedâtoâme.ââLeslie?â â âLeah,ââIâsaid. â âLee.âThisâwomanâisâaâpainâinâtheâass.âYouâgetâinâtheâelevator,âsheâpushesâ theâbuttonâforâeveryâfloorâdown.âYouâbringâherâflowers,âsheâtapesâthemâtoâtheâ wall.âSheâwonâtâgoâtoâtheâdoctorâunlessâyouâbringâherâchocolate,âandâsheâsânotâ supposedâtoâeatâñhocolate.ââ â IâlookedâatâAlmaâsâbareâwalls.âIâimaginedâherâstanding,âoneâfootâonâeachâ armâofâherâchair,âreachingâforâtheâwallâwithâaârose.â âIâcanâunderstandâthat,ââIâsaid.â â âIâbringâcards?âSheâplaysâsolitaire.â â Iâsaid,ââMyâfavorite.âEspeñiallyâinâpoorâcompany.â â Almaâlookedâatâmeâthen