Change Passes Us By (standard:other, 1365 words)
Author: awake	Added: Nov 16 2001	Views/Reads: 3230/2150	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

Story: Change Passes Us By 

by Diamonte Hamlett 

Quiet is kept; I've never really cared much for Vemillle Toulaborne.  I
guess I could be considered brave just thinking a thought like that out 
loud. Everybody else in this town act like she the best thing since 
microwaveable popcorn, but not me I'm an old fool.  I've known her for 
more than 2 decades and in all that time you think a woman like that 
would become grown enough to change.  I hate to say it but she is still 
the same ole Vemille she was when up ran off Neola Brown's husband, 5 
years ago, yes she did.  Ain't nobody heard from or seen her since.  I 
have to admit though thinking of  Vemille brought a lot of memories 
back. Got me to thinking about my Charlie, God rest his soul.  She 
swear up and down he was trying to get with her first but I know 
better, Charlie Turner didn't have a tasteless bone in his body, so why 
would he go against his own grain and try to date something as tawdry 
as Vemille Toulaborne? It just ain't gonna happen. I'm on my way to the 
supermarket, this weeks paper say you can get 3 cartons of eggs for a 
dollar, and honey that a whole lot of bang for my buck. There goes 
Verde's old-fashioned press and curl.  I' been meaning to make an 
appointment but I just haven gotten around to it.  Anyhow as I was 
saying, you just can't catch sales the way you used to. So it's my best 
interest to catch this one while it lasts. Oh my word, speak of the 
devil and she shall appear, who do I see strolling down Heming Way 
except for Vemille Toulabourne herself. I've got to make it my business 
to greet the old girl. 

"Vemille Esther Toulaborne is that you, I was just thinking about you "
I say in my best girl-I-haven't-seen-you-in-so long-voice. 

"Mayme Turner is that you, I aint came clean all the way from Las Vegas
Nevada not see my girl Mayme." 

Now Vemille was at least 10 years younger than me but to look at her
you'd think it was the other way around.  Las Vegas Nevada, I'm 
thinking to my self is that where she purchased that gawd awful looking 
knock off mink from, with that dress I'm sure my mama would have loved 
to see in her day. I was raised with better manners than that so I say, 


"Girl don't you look good, life sure been treating you good."  I didn't
even bother to mention the 20 lbs. she put on. Which is a shame cause I 
still coats I had since I was young woman.  But that's all up to them 
genetics, my momma stayed slim like that. 

"Chile I can't complain, you haven't changed a bit, How is that fine
husband of yours Charlie doing he still at the post office?" 

"Girl, Charlie been dead about 2 years now, that sugar and pressure
ain't do him no good." She still had it, just her mentioning my 
Charlie's name was enough to send my pressure through the roof. 

But uh uh not today, Dr. Kudowski told me one more episode like that one
a few months ago when I hit bingo for $500.00 dollars and found out I 
had the wrong numbers. I'd be the intensive care unit for sure.  I 
aint' gone let this heifer get me worked up. 

"Oh Mayme no, I hadn't heard a thing about it." 

This huzzy put a performance better than Betty Davis could in her prime.
Everybody know Charlie gone, Just before she got to hootin and hollin 
too bad and vowing she'd jump in the grave, I asked her with the 
slightest twinge of nosiness, something for which I'll ask for 
forgiveness later. 

"Vemille, I tell you it's been great seeing you again, are you back for
good?" 

Thought I should ask just in case I needed to warn the rest of the women
before she try to steal to they man like she did Neola's Isaac, who by 
the way wasn't with her, but  I contained my self like any church going 
woman would.  Besides rumor already had it that once Isaac got her as 
far as Kansas she took off with some ole truck driver and left him 
cold. No better for the old buzzard, Neola say she didn't hear from him 


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