Change Passes Us By (standard:other, 1365 words)
Author: awake	Added: Nov 16 2001	Views/Reads: 3060/2010	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
This is a short story that is written in first person with a flair of southern dialect and mannersims. The main character, an older woman is thinking of an "friend" with a colorful past. In the middle of her thought she runs into the firend and

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

for two years until one day he ups and calls her and called her 
everyday for three months straight.  Must've ran out of money. That's 
what he old buzzard deserves. By that time Neola had moved on  found a 
real good man a mechanic who knows how to work them tools and things. 
Well Vernon ain't no Billie Dee Williams but I must admit she did 
alright for herself.  I myself could never replace Charlie, there will 
never be another like him.  Being a widow woman ain't as bad as 
everybody make it out to be.  I get's plenty of rest,  a nice pension 
portion, don't have to clean cook or dress anything if I don't feel 
like it. Those few small liberties still don't make up for Charlie's 
passing though. I know darn well she ain't back for good, cause all her 
peoples done gone away; moved up north or somewhere but I thought I'd 
give her  a chance to state her business back in these parts. 

" Oh no I just passing through, tying up some loose ends is all, you
know try to make amends and all." 

She almost said that like she meant it, since when you ever seen a cow
change it's spots.  The woman done did so much wrong on this side of 
the Mason Dixon she have to move clean out west just find territory 
unscathed by the likes of her. 

Make amends my foot; she must think I'm crazy, she probably back here to
steal somebody else's man.  I tell you I have to got to pray for this 
child. And I will just as soon as I tell Neola whom I ran into today. 

With all southern manner I could muster I said , 

' Well, chile don't be no stranger you come on pass before you leave so
we can take a walk down memory lane. 

"I'll do that Mayme, and maybe I can get a taste of those lima beans,
rice and cornbread you always made." 

What the hell she know about my rice and beans, I only made that for
Charlie to take with him when he was working overtime down at the post. 
She done really lost her mind, crazy bitty must've got me confused with 
Goergetta Green or something, the woman who used to sell soul food out 
her kitchen window.    Where she get a notion like that, I'm telling 
you quiet is kept I can't stand that woman. 

""All right, you take care now" I smiled my biggest sister girl smile
and waved as she caught an up coming cab. 

And as if she isn't obvious enough, she makes it her business to yell
out her destination to the cab driver, as if I give two cents about 
where she taking her tail off to.  That woman is out of her mind if she 
thinks she'd ever sit at the likes of my kitchen table. No good man 
stealer, she just better be happy she ain't run off with my Charlie. 
I'd walked completely to Nevada or Kansas wherever she was and skinned 
her wide hide raw.  How could a woman go for so many years and not 
change a bit?  I sees through all that prim and proper nonsense.   Let 
me make my way to get these eggs before the sale be over. 

Hold up, did that hussy say what I thought I heard her say . . . take
her to 1213 Stribling Avenue. Boy I might have to play that number it 
sounds so familiar.  Wait a minute 1213 Stribling Avenue, that's 
Neola's place. Lawd, get me to a pay phone quick, she's on her way to 
steal Neola's Vernon. 

THE END 


Tweet