Moriahs Story Part 1 Remember When?

It didn’t come as a surprise that you were there with her. What was the surprise is that you didn’t think that I would show. How arrogant of you to assume my life anymore.
Did you not think that I could go on? That I was destined to put myself in that self made prison that you found me in? just because you were the one to unlock the key, didn’t mean that you had the right to put me back there. On the contrary, probation feels good, and no officer to have to report to…free at last. I laugh at the thoughts of how things were and used to be with you..

I walk in to the soirée’ with all the fancy dressed people in their fancy hair dos’. Not my kind of fun, but had to be there none the less. Shelia came over, kiss kiss on the cheek, with all of the how are yous’, and how is the family things…

The waiter comes over, with a silver tray. I had forgotten how these events went, not going in so long, forsaking as my mother would say my birth right into the family. I smile courteously at him and take a glass of champagne. Dom. The taste was foreign to me. anymore

My taste ran to the raunchy some would say, the ale: dark and hardy. I loved the stuff..if not that Jack straight no ice no water. “If you gonna drink” my gran would say, “drink it right and don’t ruin the taste by watering it down”. She was a cracker jack for sure. And she should know. She made her own moonshine and sold it out of the barn in the back of the plantation. Everybody knew her name, and thanks to the local sheriff she was never raided by the revenuers. Backwoods justice, backwoods law you would say.
But it was a what ever works world here.



I saw Philip over in the corner trying to woo some young debutante. Things never change here it seems. Time stands still for some and he was no different. I shook my head. He was tall, brown hair still with a somewhat athletic build but was getting that little wideness with age..he had dark brown eyes that were like a liquid amber pool when you looked into them. My gran would tell him that only people who were full of shit had brown eyes. He turned, and saw me out of the corner of his eye and a wide grin came across his face. I just stood, knowing he would be over as soon as he dismissed his latest prey. He came, sauntering over with that swagger of his, more like The Duke than he knew I guess.

He took me in his arms and hugged me tight. We hadn’t seen each other in years.
“Oh my, looking the same as ever Moriah.” His eyes, still as full of shit as his mouth was, and he knew it.

“well, see you haven’t changed either love. Who is your next victim? “ I ask with that smirky grin.

He smiles her way and raises the drink in his hand to her, just to let her know that he’ll be back as soon as he chats up an old friend. She smiles that girly smile of nativie that only one so young would still have, turns and whispers to a girlfriend standing there.

“she uh..is a senators daughter from Atlanta.” He nudges me and winks.

“Philip, when will you learn? Those kinds only cause problems, how much did the last one cost you? Twenty five thousand? And she still went to the gossip mags for exposure.”

He thought for just a second at that little foray into politics.. a beautiful raven haired twenty something girl. Ended up pregnant, and had a abortion thanks to Philip. Not the first wouldn’t be the last, and unfortunately would never learn.

“well yeah..but she was not my type anyway..and God knows that she sure didn’t know how to give a really good blow.”

I shook my head. Men. God forbid they aren’t satisfied with what they have or what they could get.

“well, yeah. But that one girl, what was her name? chelsia? She was good right? And why didn’t you keep her?”

he took a drink of the bubbly. “who says I still don’t have her? Pent house in the middle of town, credit card, bills paid.” He grinned. “well, what were your words to me that night? Always have a back up for your back up?”

I smiled. I didn’t realize how well I taught him. Philip was my long time friend from way back. We had grown up together as children his family house near ours and within walking distance from the fence. He was my first kiss, as we jumped out of the barn loft one hot summer day and landed in the hay below..covered in straw, he leaned over and kissed me. I didn’t close my eyes, as they always did in the old movies, I wanted to see what happened. I wanted to see his face and how his eye brows scrunched together when his lips touched mine. His arms came around me, and our heads laid on the yellow dead grass..there was no tongue involved, just a slow kind kiss that lasted an eternity it seemed.
He changed toward me after that day. No longer did he want to sleep in the same bed when he came over, no longer did he want to go skinny dipping in the pond. He would bring me flowers, just because. I thought that was great, but I wanted my old friend back, not a boyfriend. I wanted the one who would catch frogs with me to put in the kitchen for the cook to find on the stove in a cooker. I wanted the boy who would help me catch the night crawlers so we could go fishing for crappie and bluegill in the lake.

I never felt for him I guess the way he did for me. Puppy love gran would shoo shoo. “he thinks he loves you, but men, moriah, never find true love. Some just love themselves, some love what can only be done for them. Now, granted, there are some out there, who do know what love is..it is because they have already lived lifetimes and those lessons have taught them that love is within and has to be given and not kept. That’s the one you need to find..” words to live by, words to die by, but never found…

I never returned Philips advances, and he finally gave up. He started dating the preacher’s daughter who turned out to be wilder than any expert whore you could buy on burbon street. Still I guess for what ever reason, I remained in his heart. Anytime that I needed someone to lean on, he was always there. These past few years though we had grown apart. My fault I’m sure, due to what I did, my job and how things were with me..

He still had that ‘look’ in his eyes when he would glance at me. Same old same old.

I hugged him once again. “you better get back over there, she’ll get antsy and move to the next available one.” I smiled at him, and fixed his tie a little. I always loved doing that, just for a gesture..touching his tie before he would leave..

“okay, if I must get back to work, and you must mingle with the wanna be’s and the always were I’ll go.Helaughed and chucked me under the chin..his gesture back at me. He turned and got another glass from another silver platter and roamed back over to the pretty blonde.

I really didn’t need to be here, I thought. Then why was I? Just to see you? No. yes. Maybe. No. I had a job to do, and by hell you or not, was going to do it.

I walked around smiling and nodding to the ones who were mingling also. God, how I hated this, and why wasn’t some one else sent. Family event. Family charity. Made sense if family showed up for it. My uncle Danial done this every year. He had a thing for good deeds, and if that was what it took to get into heaven, Uncle Danial would be first in line. This one he was right fond of, a child abuse project he had started in the early ninety’s.
Every body wanted a piece of this action..and the tickets were always hard to come by. He would only print so many, and then they had to bid on them. Some went for thousands of dollars, but this was the big event of Atlanta. The gala ball that everybody desired a ticket for and would pay thousands for one, just to rub shoulders with the elite of Hollywood and D.C.,and I didn’t want to be here.


The dance began to start, the host held the mic and got everyone’s attention.
“ladies and gentleman, would you gather around for the first dance of the evening?”
they all went to their prospective places, as the music began to play.

I moved over, next to the wall to watch all the beautiful people in their pretty gowns and suits move and dip and sway to the melody of the night.
I never saw you come up next to me, I never felt you, which was strange, because I always did. And then, you were there. Next to me, engulfing my very essence taking away from me my breath. I looked up, and looked into your deep eyes and I fell once again under your spell.