God Don't Make No Mistakes by Mary Monroe

if at all. I took a long shower. After that I spent twenty minutes trying to decide what to wear. I slid into my favorite warm-up suit. Not only was it comfortable, but because it was black, it made me look like I was ten pounds slimmer.
    Even though I had on Nike’s, my feet felt as heavy as lead as I made my way downstairs to the kitchen.
    â€œHello, sleepyhead!” Daddy greeted as soon as I entered the kitchen doorway. He occupied a chair across the table from Lillimae. My daughter, Charlotte, looking more like her daddy than ever, stood behind Daddy with her hands on the back of his chair. “I got over here as soon as I heard Lillimae was back in town.” There was a huge smile on my father’s scraggly face. I knew that he loved me as much as he loved Lillimae, but I had a feeling that she was his favorite of all his children. That didn’t bother me. She was the one who had taken him in and cared for him when her mother left.
    â€œGet in here, girl! There’s a mess of grits, bacon, eggs, biscuits, and home fries just waitin’ on you to dive in,” Lillimae yelled, as she made a sweeping gesture around the table with her plump hand. There was enough food on that table to feed ten people. “Me and Daddy, and this child here, we can’t eat another bite. Pee Wee and Rhoda called. They are both on their way over here, and told me to save them a plate.”
    This was much worse than I thought. A “party” atmosphere was the last thing that I needed right now. Especially when it was going to include Pee Wee.
    â€œI don’t have much of an appetite,” I mumbled, pouring myself a cup of coffee. “As a matter of fact, I don’t feel too good, so I’m going to go back to my room and lie down for a while.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with you, Mama?” Charlotte asked, giving me a concerned look. “You don’t sound too good either.”
    â€œShe don’t look too good neither,” Daddy noticed. “Annette, child, if you looked any worse, they’d be embalmin’ you.”
    Before I could respond, Charlotte ran up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me so tight I could barely breathe. “I know what’s wrong with you, Mama, and I know you can’t help it,” she said, her nose twitching like a nervous rabbit. “You’re just a miserable old woman. But don’t you worry too much. Daddy’ll be here in a little while.”
    My poor brain felt like it was sizzling on a grill. I knew that things had to be bad if a twelve-year-old was analyzing me. She was right, I was “a miserable old woman.” Even though a lot of people loved me, my life seemed somewhat empty and sometimes adrift. There were times when I didn’t know which way was up. I couldn’t stop thinking that I’d failed as a wife. I didn’t have the heart to tell my daughter that her daddy’s upcoming visit was one of the reasons I was feeling so down in the dumps.
    â€œI’m all right,” I managed. I disguised my unhappy face with a smile that was so tight it made my jaw muscles ache. “I must have eaten something that didn’t agree with me.” I rubbed my stomach and scrunched up my face like I was in pain. “Somebody holler at me when Pee Wee and Rhoda get here.” I left the kitchen as fast as I could. Not because I was being antisocial, but because I didn’t want anybody to see the tears forming in my eyes. I lumbered back upstairs, moving my feet like a woman twice my age.
    As soon as I reached my room, I looked in the mirror. I did look a bit scary. Dark circles surrounded my eyes like moats. I looked like a brown panda bear. I couldn’t stand to look at myself too long without feeling sorry. I dabbed on some liquid makeup and just enough face powder to blend it in. Once I was satisfied with my appearance, I called Rhoda.
    â€œThings aren’t going too well over