My guess is that Mother did not speak English, nor was she from that city. Such a fact would help her not to feel any sense of shame or responsibility by creating such a stink.
And maybe not. There are some folks all over the world who have their own way of doing things, and don’t give a flip what anyone says about it. These are the kind of folks who change lanes on the highway without signalling, or tie up the checkout counter for 10 minutes while they suddenly realize they’re going to need money.
“My guess is that Mother did not speak English, nor was she from that city. Such a fact would help her not to feel any sense of shame or responsibility by creating such a stink.”
That was where my thoughts were going. Did she have a prayer rug with her?
Did the kid wipe with his left hand, or a stone?