apart.
Neighbors stood across the road whispering and crying, but nobody could stop it.
Men in yellow helmets shouted orders.
Dust rose into the sky.
The mango tree shook before it fell.
By noon, the Grayson house was nothing but broken wood, smashed glass, and memories buried under dirt.
Ellis and Ruth were handed a check, $20,000.
A government man said, “This property has been acquired for development.
You must leave immediately.
” Ruth stared at the ruins.
“Our son’s things are inside.
” The man looked away.
“I’m sorry, ma’am.
