God Still Don't Like Ugly Read Online Free PDF Page B

toward Daddy remained so strong after 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 GOD STILL DON’T LIKE UGLY
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    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 pale-face