Lost Daughters Read Online Free PDF

can’t believe those people asked me to be in this contest. What kind of funky mess are these people tryin’ to pull?” Loretta hollered, looking at Maureen like she was the one behind the funky mess.
    Ten minutes after receiving the list, Loretta called one of the sponsors and withdrew from the contest. She told him that she had a family event on the same day as the pageant that she had overlooked. When the sponsor told her that he would definitely want her to compete in the pageant next year, she promptly decided that she would have another “family event” to attend on that day too. She would come up with a lie each year until she got too old to compete, or until they stopped asking her.
    When Mona won first place, Loretta was stunned, horrified, angry, and depressed. “That’s the last time I get involved with one of these chitlin-circuit events,” she vowed.
    â€œWhat do you mean by ‘chitlin circuit’?” Maureen asked, giving her daughter a puzzled look.
    â€œBecause the sponsors were black, all the girls were black, and only the black newspapers and black radio stations covered the pageant. Just like in the olden days when black entertainers got caught up in everything that was for black folks only. I should have known better. I am not goin’ to settle for no chitlin-circuit lifestyle like you did.”
    Maureen’s jaw dropped and she flinched as if Loretta had slapped her face. “Huh? What—For your information, Miss Ann , I have a good life! If it’s what you call chitlin circuit, that’s fine with me,” Maureen retorted in a tight voice. She was tempted to remind Loretta how she always gobbled up at least two bowls of chitlins every time Maureen cooked some, but she didn’t. She decided that there was already enough tension in her residence.
    Maureen didn’t like to think about what Virgil had told her about how Loretta might turn out because of the way she was being raised and because of the high opinion she had of herself. However, Maureen couldn’t stop herself from thinking about Virgil’s comments. Especially after the way Loretta had reacted when Mona won the contest. Maureen finally admitted to herself that Loretta had begun to believe that she was too special and even better than other people. Now she understood what Virgil had meant about beauty being a double-edged sword. Because the sword had begun to swing in Maureen’s direction, and it was not a pleasant feeling. It wouldn’t hurt to nip this problem in the bud while she still could—not too aggressively, though, Maureen told herself. Just aggressive enough to keep Loretta’s attitude on a level she could tolerate.
    â€œIt would do you a lot of good to get down off that high horse you keep ridin’. You ain’t no better than nobody else. Even though you are the prettiest girl around here,” Maureen allowed, using a tone of voice that she didn’t like to use. “It wouldn’t hurt for you to be a little more humble.”
    â€œHumble? Do you think Diana Ross got to be where she is by bein’ humble?”
    â€œYou ain’t Diana Ross. Bein’ humble is a virtue that can be just as beneficial as beauty.” Maureen cleared her throat. She was angry with herself for letting things get to this point. “You can be beautiful and humble at the same time. That’s how people succeed. Even Diana Ross.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Mama,” Loretta fumbled. As weak as her apology was, it still made Maureen feel better. “I want people to see that I’m just as humble as I am beautiful.” She wrapped her arms around Maureen and hugged her so hard that Maureen had to push her away so she could catch her breath.
    â€œThat’s better,” she told Loretta. It took only a few minutes for her to forget just how sharp and painful Loretta’s chitlin-circuit comment in reference to her had