A big roundish woman stepped out on the rickety porch. "Fuh Gawd's sake!
Is you Tom?"
"Sho' Ah is." There was an aggrieved whine in his voice.
"You come back? Whar you been?"
He emptied the bucket, and brought the other to the bench under the back
steps. "Ah been wu'kin'. Ah come back."
"We done got a letter sayin' you wuz dead."