Titi Wepa could always love-bully me into being calm. She and my mom existed in this polar opposite energy field. Wepa was the fire starter, the one who stood in your face and pounded her fists on the table until her truth was heard and her love was felt. Mom rubbed worried heads, found nervous hands under blankets, and held them while she cooked pots of rice and beans. I should have called Mom, but I was afraid that her bedroom door would still be closed.
