Looks Can Be Deceiving
May 1995
Lorilei Riley ran over to her friend Micah as a crowd had gathered around him, taunting him. She hated the way they treated Micah.
He was sitting on the ground with his hands over his face, trying to hide the huge blue black growth that was the object of their scorn.
“Monster, monster!” they chatted maliciously.
Lorilei wasn’t surprised that Jessica and Craig were the ring leaders. She despised them both.
“Leave him alone!” she said pushing her way through the crowd.
Most of the kids dispersed after she came over. Lorilei Riley was a big girl and she was only one of a few black kids in the community. She towered over the other kids her age and most were afraid of her. She had a large frame with thick arms and legs. Even though she was somewhat overweight, she appeared to have more muscle than fat.
She reached down and helped Micah to his feet. He was the complete opposite of Lorilei. His frame was small and upon first glance, no one would know that they were the same age, only three months apart. He was her best friend and she was his protector. They were inseparable.
“Come on, Micah”
“You’re both freaks!” Jessica yelled as they walked off. “You’re a big black chimp and he’s a monster! You’ll both make some ugly spotted chimp babies together.”
Craig, who had a crush on Jessica, laughed at her joke and followed the two as they tried to walk off.
“Monster, monster, monster!” he chanted trying to impress Jessica.
Lorilei put her arm around Micah and tried to control her temper, but she knew that her patience was wearing thin.
((***))
Sabrina Manchester sighed as she drove through the winding roads of Wise County, Virginia.
She had never understood why her sister would move to the hick coal mining town of Appalachia in the first place! So what if her husband had inherited some land? Did it matter when it was so far out in the far western tip of the state of Virginia? She shook her head in disbelief!
Her sister Candice had fallen happily in love with some white hillbilly she had met at the Pork Festival in Emporia. It had been love at first sight, or so she claimed anyway. Sabrina had been immediately suspicious as her sister had a young five year old daughter to consider. Did that stop the budding romance with Joe Bob Newton? Of course not!
They had dated for all of six months before she married him and took her young daughter with her back to the god forsaken backwoods of Wise County!
Sabrina had to admit that she missed her niece and sister and Joe Bob had grown on her a bit. She surmised that he really did love her sister even if he was a back woods country hick! Her sister after all deserved to be happy after her first husband, Ronald Riley had beat the crap out of her all through their rocky marriage. Sabrina had taken in both her sister and her daughter, Lorilei several times until she put her foot down and demanded that her sister leave the bastard for good.
Candice had finally divorced Ronald after she saw him smack Lorilei. She then promptly packed her bags and moved in with Sabrina for the eighth time, and took out a restraining order. Sabrina was happy when her sister’s divorce was final.
The two of them were all the family that Sabrina had left and she had to admit that she was pissed when Joe Bob had taken them away. It pissed her off more that Joe Bob knew her dilemma and appeared sympathetic; inviting her to visit them in good old Wise County anytime she pleased. What the hell was she going to do in Wise County, milk a cow?
Still she had to admit that her sister appeared happier than she had ever seen her, and she did visit them during Christmas holidays. Candace had worked retail management when she lived with her in Virginia Beach, but there was no retail malls in the town of Appalachia, population 1800, so she depended on good old Joe Bob’s meager income and the child support she received from the ass wipe Ronald!
Sabrina had taken a week off to visit Candace, after Joe Bob had told her that her sister wasn’t feeling well and that he couldn’t make her go to the doctor. The damn hillbilly was twice her sister’s size, but Sabrina thought he was the biggest teddy bear she had ever seen. She pulled up to the grey frame house on their land and drove up the bumpy dirt trail to their front door. She got out of her car and walked up to the torn screen door and opened it. She knocked on the door, waiting for her sister to answer.
Joe Bob opened the door grinning. “Hey Rina!”
“Hi Joe Bob” she said trying not to roll her eyes.
“Your sister’s feeling mighty poorly. I tol’ her to let me take her to the clinic, but she refused. That’s why I called ya. I knew you could make her do right.” He said hugging her. “She won’t tell me nothing!”
“Where is she?” Sabrina asked looking around the kitchen.
She followed Joe Bob to the bedroom and saw her sister sitting up in bed.
“So what’s up with you?” Sabrina asked looking at Candace.
“What are you doing here?” Candace snapped surprised. She turned angrily to Joe Bob. “I told you not to call her!”
Sabrina sighed and pulled out her stethoscope and blood pressure cuff. “Let me take your blood pressure.”
“I know you didn’t drive eight hours over here to take my blood pressure!” Candace snapped angrily. “Don’t you have something better to do?”
“No I had nothing better to do, Candace” she said taking her arm and putting on the cuff.
Sabrina looked at her sister after removing the cuff. “It’s high. Are you taking your meds?”
Candace rolled her eyes and looked at Joe Bob.
“Money was a little short-“ she stammered.
“That’s no excuse!” Sabrina snapped interrupting her. “You’ve had blood pressure issues since you had Lorilei! You know better Candace.”
She turned angrily to Joe Bob who threw up his hands in surrender.
“I give her my check and she pays for everything!” he said defensively. “She could get her medicine if she wanted to.”
“I’ll go into town and get it myself” she said glaring at Candace after picking up the empty prescription bottle that was on the dresser. She quickly dialed the pharmacy and called in the order. She looked around after she snapped the phone shut. “Where is Lorilei?”
“She’s with her best friend Micah.” Candace replied. “You’ll probably run into her when you go into town. They should be on their way home from school.”
Sabrina tried not to be irritated. Lei was only ten! Her sister was talking like she was grown or something! Shouldn’t he be out there meeting her niece when she got out of school? She looked at Joe Bob who grinned stupidly at her.
“Excuse me!” she snapped rudely pushing past him. “I’m going to pick up the medicine and I’ll see if I can find Lorilei!”
She walked to the car and slammed the door, totally frustrated with both her sister and Joe Bob Newton!
She drove the half mile to the drug store and pulled up and looked around. Immediately she spotted Lorilei. It wasn’t hard to miss her since she was most likely the only black kid living in this backwards hick town!
Lorilei was walking with a smaller blond boy and they were being followed and taunted.
“Monster, monster” the older boy yelled behind them as he followed them and Lei put her arm protectively around the blonde boy who hung his head.
“You better get!” Lei screamed at the bully. “Shut up, or I’m gonna punch your lights out!”
The boy laughed and Lei turned and quickly punched him in the nose.
Sabrina gasped and ran across the street.
“Lorilei Riley!” she snapped.
Lorilei looked up shocked. “Aunt Beanie!”
Sabrina looked at the bully who was holding his nose. Her niece was a big girl and Sabrina knew that she could take care of herself. Still, she didn’t approve of her fighting.
“She hit me!” The bully accused angrily holding his bleeding nose.
“Go on home.” Sabrina snapped angrily at him and she watched the boy run in the opposite direction. She turned to Lorilei. “You know better than to hit young lady!”
“He was picking on Micah. They always pick on Micah!” Lorilie declared. “I have to protect him. He’s my best friend!”
Sabrina tried not to smile. Lei had been twelve pounds when she was born and she was a big girl. She always had been a head taller than other kids her age, and she looked older than her ten years. Unfortunately she had her father’s plain looks to match and Sabrina knew that her niece would not have that many dates. Still, Sabrina loved Lorilei and tried to instill within her high self esteem in order to combat what she felt was coming down the road. Lorilei had a dark brown complexion with her mother’s expressive eyes. He face was in a frown and her shoulder length hair was pulled back in a messy pony tail. Her anger was evident as she looked at the retreating back of the boy who had taunted them.
“You should let your friend fight his own battles” Sabrina admonished her.
“They call him monster. He’s not a monster!” Lei snapped angrily. “Craig Dodson is a prick”
“You will watch your mouth young lady!” Sabrina snapped even though she agreed with Lei’s assessment.
Sabrina looked at the young boy who was still hanging his head.
“Hold your head up, boy” she commanded.
She tried not to gasp as his eyes met hers. Micah was a beautiful boy with pale blond hair and large blue eyes. His face had a large mole or melanoma on it that started on his forehead and came down the bridge of his nose and extended to his cheek. It was shaped like a backwards “L” and was raised and blue.
“Come here. I’m a nurse” Sabrina said touching it. “Has your mommy taken you to the doctor about this?”
The boy nodded, but wouldn’t meet her gaze.
“He don’t talk much” Lei said. “But he talks to me.”
“Did the doctor say it could be removed?” she asked concerned.
“We don’t have no money” Micah replied, speaking for the first time.
Sabrina was taken aback. There were hospitals all around that she knew that would be willing to take care of this problem. This child should not have to suffer with this thing on his face!
“I know some people that would remove it for free” Sabrina replied. “Maybe I could talk to your mama.”
Micah suddenly grinned and Sabrina thought that his smile was breathtaking. He really was a beautiful boy despite the ugly birthmark.
“Lorilei, I have to pick up some medicine for your Mom. Come on with me and I’ll drive you home.”
“What about Micah?” Lei whined. “He can’t go home by himself. Someone might beat him up.”
She looked at Micah who hung his head again.
“Where do you live, Micah?” Sabrina asked.
“He lives a little bit from our house.” Lei replied. “We walk to school together.”
“Alright then” Sabrina said smiling. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”
Micah hesistated and looked at Lorilei.
“It’s alright Micah” she reassured him. “This is my Auntie. She’s not a stranger.”
Micah nodded in agreement and followed Sabrina into the pharmacy.
Sabrina picked up the medicine and the kids climbed into her car. She drove back towards Candace’s house and Lorilei pointed to a white trailer on the opposite side of the road not far from hers.
“That’s Micah’s house” she said.
Sabrina pulled up into her sister’s yard and handed the medicine to Lorilei. “Take this medicine to your mama” she instructed She turned to Micah. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”
She walked across the road with Micah and a beagle ran out to greet them.
“Hi Bailey” Micah said grinning. The dog wagged his tail and licked his hand.
They walked up to the house and Micah opened the door with Sabrina following him.
“Hello. Anybody home?” Sabrina yelled out.
“In here!” A voice said from the back of the house.
Just then a blond woman walked up. She was wearing some cut off jeans and a checked shirt. Her long hair was in one braid down her back. She looked at Micah who was standing next to Sabrina.
“Hello” she said curiously. “Is everything alright? He ain’t get in no trouble did he?”
“No.” Sabrina said smiling extending her hand. “I’m Candace sister…you know my niece Lorilei. She and Micah walk to school together.”
“Yeah. I’m Betsy Hamilton” the woman said wiping her hand on her jeans before shaking Sabrina’s hand. “Lorilei is his little protector. They pick on him so much you know, because of his condition.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about” Sabrina ventured. “I don’t mean to intrude, but I’m a nurse and I was wondering if his melanoma is malignant or benign.”
“Doc says it ain’t no cancer or nothing.” Betsy replied. “He said its..uh be-nine like you said. Doc says it’s a blue nevue I think.”
“Blue nevus” Sabrina said smiling. “You should have it removed. Lots of doctors do it for free because it’s a child.”
“No one round local want to do it and Doc said it would leave a scar cuz it so big. I figure he could get it off when he gets grown.” Betsy replied.
“Betsy…Like I said, I’m a nurse and I know some people…” Sabrina said hesitantly not wanting to offend her.
“Please, Ma” Micah said. “Can you get it cut off? Lei’s auntie says it can be done for free.”
Betsy looked at Sabrina. “You had no right coming in here getting his hopes up! I don’t have no money to take him to some big city and I don’t have no money for no hotel or nothing. We barely making it as it is, and I have two other children to take care of. I’m a widow and I don’t have no man to help me.”
“Look I want to help.” Sabrina replied. “I’m sure we can work out something.”
Betsy stared at her suspiciously. “You don’t know us. Why you want to help.”
“Because he’s Lorilei’s friend and I love her. She’s upset that kids pick on him so much.”
Betsy grinned. “She is a sweetheart. I should have known she’d ask her nursing Aunt to help her best friend out.”
Sabrina didn’t correct her on the conclusion she drew and just decided to go with it.
“I’ll have to think about it.” Betsy was saying. “School will be out in another month. Maybe we could work something out over the summer.”
“Maybe” Sabrina replied grinning.
“Where you from?” Betsy asked.
“Virginia Beach” Sabrina replied. “But there’s a good hospital in Richmond. I know a doctor there that would do it for free.”
“I can’t let my boy go by himself.” Betsy reasoned. “I would have to go with him, but I have two other children. Jeff is twelve and Lamar is eleven. Micah here is my baby.”
“Maybe we can work something out.” Sabrina replied.
“Maybe” Betsy said nodding.
((***))
Sabrina stayed a week with Joe Bob and her sister in order to keep an eye on her. She was somewhat angry at the two of them when Candace finally told her that she was pregnant. How were they going to take care of a baby? She confronted Joe Bob out of her sister’s hearing.
“Joe Bob, a baby? What in the world possessed you two to have a baby?” she hissed angrily at him.
“I wanted a baby” Joe Bob insisted. “Rina, I don’t have no kids. We’ll be alright. I didn’t know until she told you. I’m glad she’s giving me a baby.”
Sabrina tried to hold her temper. “My sister is almost forty years old! There are risks!”
“I know you don’t think I’m good enough for her” Joe Bob replied. “I know I don’t have all that much learning and such. Candy told me that her other husband was a professor over at one of them colleges in Norfolk, but did he treat her right? He had all that money and learning and he didn’t do her right. He don’t even try to see Lei. That’s not right.”
He stared at Sabrina’s angry back and then turned her around to face him.
“I know I don’t have much. I don’t make the money that the professor did, but I love your sister, and I love Lei too. We have a garden here and some chickens and I make money at the BP station in town. I’m a good mechanic. I’m still a man and I takes care of my business. We do alright.”
Sabrina smiled. “I know you love her, Joe Bob. I just worry about her.”
“That’s what sisters spose to do.” He said grinning. “I asked her why she didn’t get her medicine and she said the money ran out and she was waiting for my check Friday. She didn’t tell me Rina, honest.”
Sabrina patted his beefy arm. “Yeah, I know Joe Bob. I have some money-“
“No way” Joe Bob declared interrupting her. “Taint right. I told you I’m her man and I can take care of my business.”
Sabrina respected him for that. “She’s all I have” Sabrina said tearing up.
“You got me and Lei” Joe Bob declared putting his arm around her. “And now you gonna have another baby to fuss over.”
“I guess” Sabrina said sniffing. She looked at Joe Bob trying not to smile. “I tried so hard not to like you! Your goofy ass makes me sick!”
“What’s there not to like?” he asked grinning at her with that stupid grin that she had grown fond of.
“What you two doing out here, bonding?” Candace yelled from the porch.
“No, we’re fighting!” Sabrina declared wiping her eyes with Joe Bob’s handkerchief.
“So what else is new?” Candace sighed slamming the screen door and going back into the house.
Sabrina made several more trips over to Betsy’s house trying to gain her trust. Candace had told her that she would take her some food to help out and Sabrina was amazed seeing that her sister didn’t have much herself. She carried some food for Betsy’s family several times during her visit.
When she was about to return to Virginia Beach, she put five hundred dollars in her sister’s hand.
“Joe won’t like it” Candace declared looking at the money.
“I don’t give a damn” Sabrina replied grinning. “Tell him I said that!”
“You like him, don’t you?” Candace said grinning.
“A little.” Sabrina admitted. “His goofy ass is growing on me, alright?”
Candace snickered. “We’ve been married now five years, Beanie. You ought to see that I’m happier with him than I’ve ever been with any man.”
“Yeah I know…it’s just…”
“What?” Candace asked grinning.
“I don’t get you two. What is it about Joe Bob Newton that has you out here in the back woods feeding chickens?”
Candace giggled. “Girl the sex is mind blowing.”
Sabrina’s mouth fell open. “You’ve got to be kidding!”
“Nope…and I was his first. He told me that he had been waiting for the right one. We met at the pork festival and he had on these overalls with no shirt under it. I was immediately turned on and he grinned that grin at me and I was lost.”
Candace linked her arm in her sisters as she leaned against her car.
“Girl I had to have me some of that! I admit I seduced him. He never knew what hit him. I asked him if he had a girlfriend and he turned red as a beet. He told me that he was a Christian man and that he was looking for a wife.” She giggled at the memory. “Then he told me that he had told God that he wanted a brown wife, because he always thought brown women were pretty. I told him that I was brown all over and you should have seen the look on his face. He was practically drooling right there.”
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself” Sabrina said shaking her head. “You took advantage of that poor imbecile!”
“Well I told him that God sent him to me because I wanted a big strong man to look after me. Well he grinned that grin of his and told me that he was big and strong, and then he declared that God had sent me to him and that he was going to court me. It took a whole month to get me some of that and then he said we had to get married, because he didn’t want to fornicate.”
“You’re thirty nine years old and Joe Bob is what…twenty five?” Sabrina snapped.
“He’s thirty!” Candace replied. “That wasn’t so bad. He was twenty five when we met.”
“You probably rocked the poor man’s world. He didn’t stand a chance after you laid it on him with his goofy ass!” Sabrina snickered.
“Nope” Candace agreed slamming the door. “When you coming back?”
“I’ll be back next month” Sabrina declared. “I have to talk to Betsy some more about Micah. Besides I have to take three more weeks before the end of the year or I’ll lose the time. I want Betsy to trust me. I’m going to try to set up Micah’s surgery.”
“I think that’s great what you’re doing for him.” Candace declared as Sabrina got in the car and started the engine.
Sabrina waved as she pulled off. “I’ll see you later.”
((***))
September 1995
Lorilei Riley ran out of the house with her bagged lunch in her hand and with the new bookbag that her Aunt Beanie had bought her. Micah was waiting by the mailbox and smiled at her.
Micah Hamilton had been her friend since first grade. He was the only one who would talk to her when she started class. The move had been traumatic and Appalachia was nothing like Virginia Beach. The other kids stared at her and called her names. Even Miss Pritchett the teacher would stare and she heard her tell another teacher that she was the biggest, blackest kid she had ever seen who was five that looked like she was eight. It was that point that Lorilei realized that there were no other black children in the class.
Even though her Aunt Beanie had always told her that she was beautiful, she knew that other people didn’t think so. Micah had smiled shyly at her as he sat next to her and she didn’t care that he had that thing on his face, she thought he was handsome.
Lorilei didn’t like them picking on Micah just because he was different and they were scared of her, so she and Micah became buddies right off. She hoped that her Aunt Beanie could help him like she said.
“You heard from Miss Bina?” Micah asked as they walked to school. He always asked her everyday if she had heard from her aunt.
“Nope.” Lei said. “But my Aunt is a keeper of her word. She’ll call. She’ll be here in December for the whole month cuz Mama’s having twins!”
Micah nodded. “She called Mama the other day and said that she was setting things up.”
“Aunt Beanie was down here a lot this summer.” Lei declared. “She was working on it then. I guess things take time.”
Micah nodded.
“Micah…” Lei said as they approached the school.
“Huh?” he asked looking at her.
“Do you think I’m ugly? Some of the kids say I look like a gorilla.” She whispered.
Micah clucked his mouth. “What do they know, Lei? You don’t look like no gorilla to me. They just jealous cuz you can whup all their asses.”
Lei giggled. “I guess.”
“You’re my bestest friend” Micah said seriously. “You always will be, Lei and if nobody else likes you, I will always like you.”
Lei grinned. “So you’ll be my boyfriend?”
Micah frowned up his face. “Sure. But I don’t have to kiss you, do I? I don’t want to do all that slobbering I see my brother doing with Amy Jones.”
Lei giggled. “You don’t have to kiss me if you don’t want to.”
“Good” Micah declared. “Wanna race the rest of the way?”
Lorilei watched as he took off running and she followed him trying to catch up.
((***))
September 1997
“Whatcha think?” Micah asked grinning broadly as he and Lei were riding the bus on their way to school.
“I think you look just fine” Lei said grinning.
She was happy that Micah had finally had his surgery to remove the big blue nevus from his face. There were scars, but Aunt Beanie, as he now called her had told him that he would have plastic surgery later on.
“ We’re twelve now” Lorilei exclaimed. “Everyone has dating on their minds and they won’t pay any attention to your face.”
“I hope not” Micah mumbled.
Later on they sat in Math class and Jessica Finch looked over at Micah. Lei couldn’t stand her as she had always teased Micah and she was the one that said that she looked like a monkey.
All of the boys liked Jessica with her strawberry waist length hair and her nice clothes. Her father was the Police chief and she always bragged to the other children about her possessions.
“So Micah” she said snidely when they had sat down to lunch. “I see you had that cancer cut off your face.”
“It wasn’t cancer” Lorilei declared biting her sandwich
“Who was talking to you, chimp?” Jessica replied rudely. “I was talking to your monster boyfriend.”
Lorilei jumped up. “Shut your mouth, Jessica!”
“Hit me if you dare, chimp. My father will throw your ass in jail.” She snapped looking at Lorilei.
“You’re not worth it” Lei replied rolling her eyes.
She grinned at Micah who wouldn’t meet her gaze. “You’re still ugly as sin. Those scars on your face give me the creeps!”
“Then stop looking.” Micah said bravely still not meeting her gaze.
“Come on, Micah” Lei said pulling him by his arm.
Jessica was still talking, but they ignored her and walked outside for the remainder of their recess.
“I hate her!” Lorilei said.
Micah shrugged his shoulders and sat down under a tree to finish his sandwich.
“Don’t you ever get mad?” Lei said crossing her arms.
“No need. She’s still an asshole” Micah replied. “Not worth wasting my breath on the likes of her.”
“Does it hurt?” Lei said touching his scars.
“Nope” Micah replied grinning.
“When you get your other surgery, you’re going to be beautiful” Lei sighed.
“You said I was already beautiful” Micah replied getting up.
“More beautiful then” Lei said as they walked back to class. “Will you still be my boyfriend after your face is all perfect?”
“Yup!” he responded enthusiastically.
((***))
Joe Bob Newton was a simple man. It didn’t take much to please him. Appalachia was a small coal mining town and it was a small town where everybody knew everybody else.
He and his brother Teddy Lee had been children whose father had died mining coal. Their mother had made them promise that they would get an education and seek work other than the coal mines, even though there wasn’t much else round those parts.
Joe Bob had decided to be a mechanic because he liked tinkering with things. He had finished Appalachia High School and had gone on to the Wise County Technical Center where he had taken Auto Mechanics Engineering. He had sold some acres of his portion of land that his grandfather had left him in order to purchase the BP and Auto Body Shop that had closed down on Route 23.
Joe Bob’s brother, Teddy Lee decided that he wanted to be a teacher and he attended Mountain Empire Community College and then went on to Weatherford College. He had recently learned that he had been promoted to Principal at Keokee Elementary School.
Their mother Miriam had encouraged both her boys to start a family and give her some grandchildren. Teddy Lee married his High School sweetheart, but she had died unexpectedly in a car wreck only one year after they were married.
Joe Bob was five years younger than his brother Teddy Lee, and after opening the shop and moving into his grandparents old frame house, he decided that he would look for a wife. The problem was that he wasn’t exactly sure where to look. After all, he wasn’t as smart as Teddy Lee. Besides, the girls that he went to school with didn’t really appeal to him. All of them had preferred the more handsome Teddy Lee and he didn’t want them by default.
While attending the Technical Center, one day he had gone to the library and discovered a shelf with a row of Jet magazines and had sat down and flipped through them discovering the centerfolds. Joe Bob had seen black people before, but hell, there weren’t all that many around Wise County and certainly not ones that looked like the women in the Jet. He thought the women in the magazines were beautiful and sexy. When he did see a black woman, he tried not to stare, but he couldn’t think of what he could say to them to start a conversation. Hell, truth was that he didn’t know what to say to any woman to start a conversation!
His mother had hinted to him after he turned twenty four that he needed to find a wife. She had brought several of her friends daughters and introduced them to him during the Coal/Railroad Days celebration. He didn’t want to tell her that he wanted a brown wife like the pretty women he saw in the Jet Magazines. She probably would tell him to stop daydreaming, and then proceed to slap him up side his head as she did whenever she thought that he was saying something stupid.
When they attended services at the Appalachia Pentecostal Church, the preacher was speaking on asking God for what you need and believing, so Joe Bob had prayed for a pretty brown wife.
It had been three months later that he attended the Pork Festival with Teddy Lee that the prettiest brown woman he had ever seen in the flesh, had smiled at him and started talking to him. Joe Bob believed that God had answered his prayers. She wasn’t small like the women in the Jet. Her hips were bigger and he liked that. He thought that she was perfect for him.
His Candy was pretty and sweet and best of all she was experienced; and he loved the fact that she had taken the time and taught him wonderful things to do in bed. Now he had two twin boys and a daughter too! Life couldn’t be better!
He came home from the Mechanics Shop and saw Lei sitting out on the stoop. He could tell that something was bothering her and wondered if her brothers were getting on her nerves.
“Hey Lei” he said grinning. “Is Joseph and Robert getting on your nerves?”
“Hi” Lei said sourly. “No. They’re asleep right now.”
“What’s eating you?” he asked sitting beside her.
“Do you think I look like a monkey?” she asked. “Jessica tells everyone I look like a monkey. They make monkey sounds and say that I’m ugly.”
“They just jealous” Joe Bob replied. “You not ugly.”
“You’re just saying that” Lei replied, holding her face in her hands.
“I’m your daddy and I say you’re not ugly” Joe Bob said sternly.
“You are not my daddy!” Lei retorted. “My daddy is Ronald Riley”
Joe Bob was quiet for a minute. “I want to be your daddy. He ain’t here, Lei. Why can’t I be your daddy?”
Lei looked at his sad expression. She didn’t mean to hurt Jo Bob’s feelings.
“When the babies get bigger, they will say what you say. You’ll be the big sister and if you call me Joe Bob, then they will want to call me Joe Bob.”
“I don’t want to call you daddy because that’s what I called him.” Lei reasoned. “You’re better to me than he ever was.” She grinned and patted him on the arm. “I’ll call you Papa. Do you like that?”
Joe Bob hugged her and grinned. “I like that even better than daddy. Call me Papa!”
“Alright then, Papa!” she said hugging him and kissing him on his hairy cheek.
“I’m just the luckiest man in the whole wide world.” Joe Bob declared grinning. “Come on. Let’s go see what’s for dinner.
((***))
