so many years. Despite Daddy’s departure and all of the obstacles we had encountered because of it, Muh’Dear and I still had a lot to be grateful for. We both had nice homes, jobs, decent friends, and our health. I had a man and he was a good man. Muh’Dear loved Jerome as much as I did. “As much trouble as men is, we still need ’em,” she had told me a few years ago.
I didn’t agree with Muh’Dear’s old-school belief about women needing men. But the one man I felt I did need in my life was my daddy. A bloodline was one thing a person couldn’t change. It bothered me, knowing that part of my blood had run in so many different directions. I had a real daddy and siblings. I wanted to unite our blood while there was still time. The brief time that I had had Daddy in my life had meant a lot to me. Having him back meant even more. I knew that if I had never reunited with him, I would never feel like a whole person again.
I didn’t appreciate Muh’Dear’s negative attitude, but she had every right to still be angry.
“Annette, Frank brought you all the way to Florida to tell you more lies. Once you see what a snake he is, you’ll get him out of your system once and for all. I sure enough did.”
“Daddy hasn’t told me any lies, Muh’Dear. He was glad to see me,” I replied, speaking low.
The cat had finished the slice of bacon and had returned to sniff at the refrigerator once again. This time, I tossed him a huge pork chop, hoping it would keep him occupied until I completed my conversation with Muh’Dear.
“Well, Frank’ll be lyin’ like a rug as soon as he tune up his lips. That no-good jackass. How he lookin’ these days? I bet he look like he been whupped with a ugly stick. When you act ugly, you get ugly sooner or later.”
“He looks the same way he did the last time we saw him,” I lied. Without going into detail, I added, “He’s still one of the best-looking Black men in town.” I paused and sucked in my breath. “He still goes to that Baptist church on Greely Street that we used to go to when we lived down here. He’s an usher.”
“That don’t mean nothin’, girl. The Church is full of devils,” Muh’ Dear snapped.
I was exasperated. I covered my mouth with my hand to keep Muh’Dear from hearing my deep sigh. “Muh’Dear, let’s forget about what Daddy did to us. We can’t change the past.”
“I know that. But Frank Goode is goin’ to rue the day he run off and left us the way he done. He goin’ to be sorry.”
“He’s already told me he was sorry,” I said dryly, my fingers twisting the telephone cord.
“Oh, he did? That’s a surprise.” Muh’Dear sucked her teeth and took her time continuing. “You called Jerome?”
“Not yet. I’ll call him tomorrow.”
“Well, you better. You ain’t never goin’ to find another man as good as him at your age. And you better hurry and marry him before he change his mind or before he take a real good look at you. Makeup is a mask you can hide behind but for so long.” Muh’Dear laughed. “It was years before your stepdaddy found out what I really looked like.”
“Go to sleep, Muh’Dear.” I sighed. “Don’t forget to go water my plants. I’ll be home in a few days.”
“Wait a minute, girl. I ain’t finish talkin’ to you yet.” Muh’Dear lowered her voice to a whisper so I knew what was coming. “You seen that white woman? Your auntie told me that that she-puppy done dragged her white-trash tail on back to Miami.”
“You mean Edith?” I saw no reason for me to whisper the way Muh’Dear often did when she and I talked about white folks.
“Who in the world is Edith?” she hissed, still whispering.
“The white woman Daddy was with.” I didn’t like saying things that hurt my mother but she made it hard for me to avoid.
“Oh, excuse me! So now you on a first-name basis with that paleface Jezebel?”
“No, I’m not. I saw her at a vegetable stand that Lillimae took me to today. Uh…Lillimae is Daddy’s oldest girl.” I paused and added with a chuckle, “She looks just like me. She took off from her job at the post office to spend time with me. Daddy lives with her.”
“You is Frank’s oldest girl,” Muh’Dear reminded with a hiss. “And how she look like you is a mystery to me, since you took after me.”
“Well, I take after Daddy, too. Listen—I’m tired and I really need to get some sleep. It’s been a long day. I’ll call you again tomorrow.”
“I still can’t get over what possessed Jerome to let you go down there, by yourself, to prance around with—”
“Jerome didn’t let me do anything, Muh’Dear. He doesn’t own me and I do have a mind of my own. You should know that by now.”
“Which is why you still single at thirty-five and I ain’t got no grandchildren.” Muh’Dear let out a heavy sigh before she started grinding her teeth. I rolled my eyes and shook my head as she continued. “Where is that Frank at now? Up in some bootlegger’s house gettin’ drunk and lookin’ for another white woman to joog his pecker up in, I bet.”
“He’s in bed. He’s not well, Muh’Dear. I think his barhopping days are over. And for the record, the lady friend he’s got now is Black. Miss Pittman.”
“Oh. Well, you try to enjoy yourself down there. Like I told you before you left, all I want is for you to be happy. And…and I’m glad Frank still in the Church. You can tell him I said that.”
“I will, Muh’Dear.” I hung up and smiled. I couldn’t wait for that arrogant old cat to finish the pork chop. He dragged what was left of it across the floor as I shooed him back out the door.
CHAPTER 8
Long after Clyde the cat had disappeared from the kitchen, I stood in the doorway looking out into the night. Even with the back porch light on, I couldn’t see much. Green vines crawled up the sides of the porch walls. There wasn’t much of a backyard. But it had a clothesline, an old picnic table with three mismatched chairs, and what appeared to be an orange tree. In the yard of almost every one of the sorry shacks I had shared with Muh’Dear and Daddy during my childhood, we’d had an orange tree. I felt like I had come home. In a way, I had.
I was surprised to turn around and find Lillimae standing by the table in a muslin nightgown that barely covered her body.
“I hope you don’t think I was eavesdroppin’ on your conversation with your mama,” Lillimae said, removing a pitcher from the refrigerator. She poured us both a glass of water and waved me to a chair at the table as she sat down across from me.
“That’s okay. I don’t really have anything to hide from you,” I said, plopping down with a groan, drinking water I didn’t want. “Uh, that reminds me of something I’ve been thinking about all evening.” I drank some more water, wishing that it was something stronger sliding down my throat.
There was a blank look on Lillimae’s face. “What’s that?”
“I know you must be hurting right now about your mother.”
Lillimae sighed and clutched her glass with both hands. “And you’re probably wonderin’ why I care about a woman who don’t care about me.”
“She does care about you,” I said firmly.
Lillimae gasped and gave me a dry look. “How would you know that? You didn’t know her. And what about the way she behaved at the vegetable stand this evenin’?”
“I didn’t want to tell you,” I paused because I could barely form my sentences. “Your mother came outside as we were getting back into your car. She had a smile on her face, but she looked like she wanted to cry when we drove off. I bet if her boss hadn’t been around, she would have run out to the car and