her mind sideslipped crazily again and she was four , sitting in the bathtub with her blue plastic boat and her popeye soap ; her father , so big and so well-loved , was kneeling beside her , dressed in gray twill pants and a strappy tee-shirt , a washcloth in one hand and a glass of orange soda in the other , soaping her back and saying , lem me see those ears , bevvie ; your ma needs taters for supper .