Mary Anne: (grimacing at the face on the computer screen) She's doing it again I don't even know who I am anymore. Which story I came from. Seems like I've jumped from story to story.
Mary Nell: What? (reading a book as she laid on the couch in her front room.)
Mary Anne: Watch. She's playing with our names. Dang it. Now I'm Alpha. That's a weird name. Where did it come from? How do I play an Alpha?
Azalee: Alpha is short for Alpharetta. Her mother had a friend named that. I like it. At least people can pronounce it. They always call me azalea. Do I look like a plant?
Alpha/Mary Anne: I'm not sure where I fit in anymore. Am I the child in The Creek? Do I grow up to be Mary Nell's daughter? I think she's all confused now.
Mary Nell: Lord, bless my time. Can't she just leave us alone? It's so tiresome. It always changes things. (swings her swollen legs from the end of the sofa easing her way into a sitting position.) I'm too old for this.
Azalee: I know. She doesn't get it, though. She doesn't understand how we get used to a name, and go on about our business. It's who we are. Then poof! All over again. Again. She's changed my name back and forth.
Alpha: Did you hear that? (They shield their eyes against the back lit screen of her computer.)
Mary Nell: Do you see who it is? It's got to be the little kindergarten girl. What she does to that child.
Azalee: I don't know. It might be that poor baby.
Mary Nell: I don't think she gave either of them a name. Not surprising though given what she did to them. Sometimes she's just wicked.
Alpha/Mary Anne: Now, Mama. It's her world. She can do whatever she wants. Just like The Potter and the clay.
A hard knock at the door.
Mary Nell: Now who can that be? I ain't even got out of my night dress.
Another knock.
Mary Nell: What is so all-fired important? (She opens the door.)
(There stands a young man, dark skinned with brilliant blue-gray eyes. He was wearing running shorts and a college t-shirt.)
Alpha: Hey there, Oliver!
Tahj/Robert/Oliver: Nope. Now it's Tahj.
Alpha/Mary Anne: Again? How many names does that make for you?
Tahj: I don't even know. I can't keep track. Started off with something plain like Robert, but I can't find those pages anymore. She deleted them. At least it was just the name change this time. At least I'm not blonde."
Alpha: She kept those eyes, though.
Tahj: oh, yeah. I think I get to keep these. The eyes are essential to my story. The eyes get the girls.
Mary Nell: Thought you weren't supposed to like girls. Don't they have those rules about stuff like that?
Tahj: I'm a necessary evil. I move the plot along.
Footsteps from the rear of the house.
Uncle John: I hope you don't mind I snuck in the back way.
Annie: Didn't nobody notice 'cept me.
Azalee: Good Lord, Annie. You like to of scared the life out of me. How long y'all been hiding back there?
Annie: Been here the whole time. I ain't hiding. I'm just listening.
Azalee: Where are all your kids?
Annie: they ain't got no names. If they ain't got names, they ain't really here.