FanStory.com - The Greyby Lea Tonin1

The silence of the night followed me throughout the house. My feet kept pace with my mind as I walked around in circles from the outside of the house into the house proper. I stirred up old ghosts today. They continue to tap on my shoulder with a "pay attention to me" kind of attitude. I think they only fade and not truly leave. They sort hang around and wait for an opportunity. I ignore them as best I can.

I wish I could say my life went on smoothly...it didn't. Everything came the hard way until I finally learned my own life lessons that should have been taught to me as a child.

I just received word of the latest injustice my mother has done. She involved my youngest son. She told him terrible things. Now he's sent me an email. He doesn't want anything to do with me and

He does not understand my mother. I never told him how deceitful my mother is or all the terrible things I grew up with. I did tell him to take things that he hears from her with a grain of salt.

Now, my tears are running like rain. I wonder what my limit is for pain? Do I really need to find out?

I cannot allow any of this to defeat me or bring me down. Nothing and no one will have that power over me ever again.

If I must live alone with no one in my life, then I will. So I can remain standing. I know myself when I'm hurt. I cry, for hours sometimes. Right after the sob session, I'm angry and my anger steers me forward every time.

I must dry my tears now... I cannot live down all the things she has done to me, all the terrible charactor assassination she has inflicted. Now she involves my own son who in turn involved my own grandchildren.

Perhaps I should have bashed my parents throughout their growing up. I just couldn't do it. I didn't want my problems to be theres. Saying anything at all would have just made the wheel go round to pass to yet another generation.

"Hey...can you hear me in there? Are you okay? Can you answer?"

It was E of course. Her voice finally brought me round.

"Ya, I'm okay. Im coming out." I said.

"Hurry up! We gotta get ready!" She said.

"Ready for what?" I asked.

"I told you. Only one night off." She replied.

"One night off for what though? I didn't realize we were working on something. So what's going on?" I demanded.

"I told you. I'm teaching you a new way of doing things. A way to keep a roof over your head." Be independent!" She answered. "I mean you can't stay here forever. Mom will find out eventually. So let's get this done so I don't have to worry about you."

"Worry about me? She wasn't too worried the other night" I thought. But I just said, "Ok, tell me what you want me to do."

"All we do is entertain men. Talk with them, dance with them, party with them. Make them feel special. Men pay for that.""Why?" I asked.

"I dunno...lonely I guess. Maybe they don't know how to pick up girls...who knows. I don't really care myself as long as they pay." E said.

"How much was my virginity." I thought but said nothing.

"Let's go." she said. "Times getting short. I'm going to teach you how to do your own make up and hair too but, not today. Tomorrow we'll have more time. Besides, I won't be around forever and you'll need to know."

She picked an outfit for me. A pink affair with fabric almost translucent. It flowed like water around me when I moved. She put my hair up this time, with small sections hanging down. Dangling gold earrings combined with with smokey makeup,completed the look.

Once again, a woman stared back at me from the mirror. Someone I didn't know, someone I didn't recognize.

"It's just as well." I thought. "This woman can deal with it. I can just hang out inside."

"Cabs here!" E shouted. Getting into the cab, E gave instructions to the cabby to take us to the same club we were at the night before last.

I started to panic. "The same place?" I asked.

"Yes, but we go to other places too. Generally we start there though." She answered. "Not the same guys either." She said. "New prospects tonight."

The cab arrived at the club took care of the fare and there I was. Standing in the same area we were in the other night. Across the lot I saw K. He was not alone. A petite blonde girl was encased in his arms.

I thought, "Thank God he's otherwise occupied."

"Hey! E baby. We're over here!"

I looked in the direction of the voice as E waved at them. "C'mon." E said and started to walk toward the two men...As we walked we passed K. I gave him a "how could you do this?" look.

The blonde girl whispered in his ear.

"Don't worry about it." K answered. "They're just the local sluts."

I don't know what possessed me. I walked over to K and slapped him hard across the face. "Fuck you asshole!"

"You know you won't make it in this business if you can't be pleasant bitch!" He shouted.

"Let's go." E said. We continued toward the other two men. One Of the men, a Ginger haired fellow said, "Wow, you got spice! I like that. Can you do that to my ass?" He chuckled.

I found myself in the same situation I was in two nights before. Just the two men were different.

But were they really that different? I suspected not.

I could feel myself drifting away.

I let it happen....the alternative was more pain....

I still feel the pain of betrayal. No one will listen here. Everyone my mother has talked to refuses to hear me out. Even my son refuses. I cannot fight this. I must leave and soon.

I disappeared once for five years. I will do it again for my remaining days. My protective shield protecting me is becoming quite battered. I am forced to choose between them and myself.

I went out into the backyard with my little dog. I said the serenty prayer which some may have heard.

"God, grant me the serenty to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

"Hey...can you hear me in there? Are you okay? Can you answer?"

It was E of course. Her voice finally brought me round.

"Ya, I'm okay. Im coming out." I said.

"Hurry up! We gotta get ready!" She said.

"Ready for what?" I asked.

"I told you. Only one night off." She replied.

"One night off for what though? I didn't realize we were working on something. So what's going on?" I demanded.

"I told you. I'm teaching you a new way of doing things. A way to keep a roof over your head." Be independent!" She answered. "I mean you can't stay here forever. Mom will find out eventually. So let's get this done so I don't have to worry about you."

"Worry about me? She wasn't too worried the other night" I thought. But I just said, "Ok, tell me what you want me to do."

"All we do is entertain men. Talk with them, dance with them, party with them. Make them feel special. Men pay for that.""Why?" I asked.

"I dunno...lonely I guess. Maybe they don't know how to pick up girls...who knows. I don't really care myself as long as they pay." E said.

"How much was my virginity." I thought but said nothing.

"Let's go." she said. "Times getting short. I'm going to teach you how to do your own make up and hair too but, not today. Tomorrow we'll have more time. Besides, I won't be around forever and you'll need to know."

She picked an outfit for me. A pink affair with fabric almost translucent. It flowed like water around me when I moved. She put my hair up this time, with small sections hanging down. Dangling gold earrings combined with with smokey makeup,completed the look.

Once again, a woman stared back at me from the mirror. Someone I didn't know, someone I didn't recognize.

"It's just as well." I thought. "This woman can deal with it. I can just hang out inside."

"Cabs here!" E shouted. Getting into the cab, E gave instructions to the cabby to take us to the same club we were at the night before last.

I started to panic. "The same place?" I asked.

"Yes, but we go to other places too. Generally we start there though." She answered. "Not the same guys either." She said. "New prospects tonight."

The cab arrived at the club took care of the fare and there I was. Standing in the same area we were in the other night. Across the lot I saw K. He was not alone. A petite blonde girl was encased in his arms.

I thought, "Thank God he's otherwise occupied."

"Hey! E baby. We're over here!"

*I looked in the direction of the voice as E waved at them. "C'mon." E said and started to walk toward the two men...As we walked we passed K. I gave him a "how could you do this?" look.***

The blonde girl whispered in his ear.

*"Don't worry about it." K answered. "They're just the local sluts."***

I don't know what possessed me. I walked over to K and slapped him hard across the face. "Fuck you asshole!"

"You know you won't make it in this business if you can't be pleasant bitch!" He shouted.

"Let's go." E said. We continued toward the other two men. One Of the men, a Ginger haired fellow said, "Wow, you got spice! I like that. Can you do that to my ass?" He chuckled.

I found myself in the same situation I was in two nights before. Just the two men were different.

But were they really that different? I suspected not.

I could feel myself drifting away.

I let it happen....the alternative was more pain....