Young Leigh Rachel describes the first time she meets Theresa Mooney, a small girl who looks like a “dwarf.” Theresa is throwing a birthday party and invites all the neighborhood kids. When first moving in their new house, Theresa’s mother, Rosie Mooney, had no idea that their house was infested with red ants and is dismayed to discover their existence. Rosie and Theresa live with Joe Martin, a man to whom Rosie is not married to, but has an affair with. He also has a family of his own and is know to have “abandoned” them.  When the birthday party comes around, the children are busy estimating how many beans were in a jar for the grand prize. Leigh guesses 5,000 and disbelievingly hears that the answer is 600. Though Theresa gets the grand prize, her mother instructs her to offer the prize, a music box, to Leigh instead. Leigh, however, refuses. Leigh goes on to describe her own family of six children, Zip, Wanda, Leigh Rachel, Thomas Patrick, Raymond Patrick, and Carl Patrick. The kids each have their own tasks around the house, whether that be cooking, massaging their mother’s ankles, or cleaning. Leigh talks briefly about her father’s friend, Sick Slim, a bachelor who secretly pays a young girl to strip naked in front of him. Leigh’s mother wants Leigh to bring Theresa over to their house, hoping that Theresa would find their family welcoming, but above all, to hear about the drama between Rosie Mooney and Joe.  That summer, Leigh's father gets laid off at the mill and must decide if he wants to transfer to the new mill in New Mexico. Wanda and Zip are strongly against the decision.  While getting ice cream one day, Leigh and Wanda see Joe Martin talking to another woman, likely his wife. Later that day, Leigh and Theresa watch Joe pack his bags to leave town for a wile to live with his wife and kids. Leigh decides to cheer Teresa up by inviting her for a thrilling endeavor: they strip naked for money in front of Slim’s house. One of Leigh’s mother’s friends catches them in the act and the girls run away.  They hide under a rock giggling, as Leigh vows to make Slim pay them for sure next time.