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After ere older and Daddy continued to refer to eneral, Belinda would teasein the hallways or at the dinner table Then she would laugh and hugwith you, Olivia Don't look so hateful"

"Being serious about yourself and having so hateful, Belinda You should try it"

"Oh, I can't My face won't make those lines inaith her giggles trailing behind her like the ribbon tails on a kite

She was so frustrating all the time Why was it that neither my mother nor my father sahat I saw? Our daddy was rarely displeased by anything Belinda said or did, and if he was, he would get over it so quickly, it was as if it had never happened The moment after he raised his voice to her, he would check himself and seize control of that otherild and fiery temper

Many tiainst politicians, government officials, lawyers and other businessmen I saw him take servants to task so harshly they left his presence with their eyes down, their heads lowered, their faces pale He was so biting and sharp with his words, he could skin someone alive with a sentence

However, the an his retreat I could almost see him reach out and pull the words back to his lips If her eyes so lassed over with tears, he would treat her like she'd been fatally wounded, and in the end either buy her so wonderful It was as if her sh the day

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Soether at dinner or after dinner in the sitting roo, I would look at Daddy and see hi at Belinda, his face full of ad on her delicate features the way an art collector ht appreciate some rare antiquity, some masterpiece

Why didn't he look atthat made him ashamed or unhappy I kneas proud of my accomplishments, but he behaved as if he expected no less I realized he took ranted, but I always delivered, whether it was an award at school, compliments from his business associates, or

accomplishments at home

When I cohest possible commendation, he kissed me on the forehead and shook my hand I alive iven a place of responsibility in the faentlee I never understood from ell he drew these buckets of hope and expectation Daddy si men looked for women with qualities other than a "fine family" and didn't behave so formally anymore It was almost as if he believed he and our faes that affected everyone else

If he was ever challenged in his beliefs, he would shake his head and say, "It's siood business for people to behave badly There's no profit in it Whenever you do anything in this life, you should stop and ask yourself What's the bottoht choices"

That was soht, but he never lectured her In fact, he rarely gave her any advice She was perh our home and our lives, carefree, spontaneous, unrepentant and forever free of obligation, worry and responsibility

When I questioned Daddy about her, he would nod his head, giving ht, and then he would stop and say, "You've just got to watch out for her, Olivia"

"When does she start to watch out for herself, Daddy? She's a high-school senior this year," I retorted