Current...Past...Sin...Alexander...Forum...Notes...Survey...D-land

Thoughts of the Past
2002-07-07 - 7:10 p.m.

I shifted nervously in my chair. He had a� girl with him. One of those girls. I found it hard to believe that Alexander had someone like that as a friend. Oh, what am I saying? Who cares what kind of friends he has� It's none of my business. But� seeing him with that girl� It makes my chest hurt. It can't be jealousy� right?

"Well�" My face felt hot, and I was more nervous than I thought I was going to be. Oh, this is so awkward! I shouldn't have came! "Henmi thought it would be a good idea if we� talked. I guess� that's what friends do."

"I see." He smiled at my flushed face and leaned back in his chair. "Please, tell me everything."

"Every� thing�?" Oh, of course. He can read my thoughts. I don't like it when he does that.

"Forgive me, I cannot help it." He looked at the awed look on my face for a moment before saying, "Please, tell me about yourself."

I looked away from him. "�I don't know if you'd be interested--"

"I am interested," he assured me. "I want to know everything about you."

I was surprised by his insistence, and I began speaking reluctantly, as if I was expecting him to stop me at any moment. "Well� I've always lived here in New Orleans. My mother died during Henmi's childbirth, and so only my father lived with us. I don't remember her at all. I was too young, after all. But my father was very kind to us, and Henmi and I wanted to make him proud, because we were everything to him. We were all that was left of my mother."

I paused and looked over at Alexander to make certain that he was listening. He was of course, with much concentration. "Please, continue."

"Well," I began, "He died of illness when I was fifteen. Henmi was heartbroken; he wouldn't speak to anyone for atleast a year after my father's death. When it happened, my uncle took us in. He was my mother's brother. I don't know if he really loved us. No� I don't suppose he did. He always said that we were only living with him because he felt that he should honor his sister's spirit. When I turned eighteen, he thought I was old enough to live on my own with Henmi, so he made plans to move up to Virginia. I told him that I couldn't live by myself, that it wasn't possible, but he didn't listen. He owned a tavern here in town called Impuret�, and he said that I was to be the new owner. I knew nothing about taverns. I certainly didn't know what to do as owner. I told him all this, but he still wanted to move away from us. After about a week, he moved Henmi and I into the spare room in the bar, and sold his new Orleans house and moved to South Carolina."

I paused for a moment, looking at Alexander again. He nodded, so I continued. "We haven't heard from him since then. I don't know what's happened to him. Being owner was hard for me at first. I might have run away from it all if it wasn't for Henmi. He said that we'd be all right no matter what, and I believed him. We didn't get paid much. We still don't, in fact. People think the Impuret� is a good bar because the service is so fast. That's how my uncle wanted it to be. So, in order to have fast service, there have to be lots of employees ready to take orders and so forth. Many employees means many salaries to give out. Even though the bar is popular, the employees don't get paid as much as they would like, just because there is so many of them. Well, that's how it's been ever since. We don't have a lot, honestly, Henmi and I. I wish it were otherwise, though. I wish we could live like nobles. I want to give Henmi everything, but I can't. I try to make extra money running errands for people, and so forth, but that doesn't always work out. I mean, look at Andre�"

I sighed and said, "My life hasn't been glamorous. I'm sure yours has been. I feel strange walking about your house like this. I feel� like I shouldn't be allowed to walk here� But, please tell me about yourself. I've said all there is to say about me. I� want to know about you. Won't you� Tell me about yourself?" I straightened up in my chair and waited for Alexander to answer.

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