DEAR GOD,

Mr. _____ finally come right out an ast for Nettie hand in marriage. But He won’t let her go. He say she too young, no
experience. Say Mr. _____ got too many children already. Plus What about the scandal his wife cause when somebody kill
her? And what about all this stuff he hear bout Shug Avery? What bout that?
I ast our new mammy bout Shug Avery. What it is? I ast. She don’t know but she say she gon fine out.
She do more then that. She git a picture. The first one of a real person I ever seen. She say Mr. _____ was taking somethin
out his billfold to show Pa an it fell out an slid under the table. Shug Avery was a woman. The most beautiful woman I
ever saw. She more pretty then my mama. She bout ten thousand times more prettier then me. I see her there in furs.
Her face rouge. Her hair like somethin tail. She grinning with her foot up on somebody motocar. Her eyes serious tho. Sad
some.
I ast her to give me the picture. An all night long I stare at it. An now when I dream, I dream of Shug Avery. She be dress to
kill, whirling and laughing.