The Beginning of My Downward Spiral

The time I spent at MC the second time around was very enjoyable, in part, because of my involvement with the Theatre department. I was fortunate enough to be cast in two major productions, “Man of La Mancha” and “Much Ado About Nothing" In the latter I played the female lead. I loved every minute of it. Being around people who loved the theatre as much as I did was exhilarating and I had forgotten how good that felt. Of course, I had a couple of gay “boyfriends” who made every minute a riot. One of them had the most gorgeous tenor voice I've ever heard and he is still a friend.

Soon, it was time for graduation day, May 14, 1994. Of course, in my family, we can't just have one major event at a time! My mother's 50^th high school reunion was that same day so we had a house full of out of town friends who had come for the reunion. I wouldn't have had it any other way. They made sure the house was full of laughter and fun and hi jinx! My dear friend, Bill, who had become a father figure to me, encouraging me every step of the way and letting me use his computer for projects, bought me two huge Styrofoam deli boxes of boiled shrimp! He told me I didn't have to share even one shrimp with anyone but, of course, I did. I will never forget Bill. He died in 2006 and he is still greatly missed by his family and friends. He was a great man.

I got a job at a bank. The first day I walked in I met the woman who would become my dearest friend in the whole world. Her name was Peggy. She was smart, confident in her abilities, gave me generous training and knowledge about my job and was/is the most hilarious person I have ever met! For instance I asked her one day if she wanted to go down to a small convenience shop in the next building to get an Icee. She looked me dead in the eye and said “I'd rather have boils lanced off my ass than go to the sweet shop with you!” She meant it, but I couldn't stop laughing – laughing now remembering it. I think she ended up going with me.

This next part is probably the strangest twist to my entire story and one that would lead to grave consequences. Guess who I ran into? Kay! She had a new girlfriend named Ann who seemed to welcome me with open arms. They lived not far from us and they would invite me over for cocktails every once in a while. I decided to forgive and forget the past with Kay and be their friend,

One evening when I was enjoying their hospitality, Ann asked me if I would allow her to give my phone number to her brother Blake. Seems he had been through a divorce a couple of years ago and she really wanted to see him meet someone new. Not being much for blind dates, I was wary he would look like a cyclops and act like Poindexter. But, I relented and gave her permission to give him my number.

He called a few days later and came to my house to meet me. He was very cute, funny, personable and honest. He told me right up front that he had been in the penitentiary for 8 months about 4 years but no longer did that. During the ecstasy craze of the late '80s and early 90's he had made a killing from selling it. He even owned his own X bar at the time. Well, all good things must come to an end and he was busted and sent to the Delta for much less time than he could have been sent away for. He was on the straight and narrow now, although he did smoke a little pot and drink socially. And we were very social. He was sweet, personable, loving and very attentive to me, Robert and he and mom shared the same birthday so he thought it was fate. He asked me to marry him and I agreed.

After 6 months of dating we got married. This made Kay my sister-in-law? Brother-in-law? Never was really sure what she was. It was really weird because Ann and Blake's parents didn't know Ann was gay and Blake did! They hated each other anyway but you've got to imagine something for me, if you will a lovely Christmas day with Blake, Ann, my mom, Blake and Ann's folks and Robert. Everyone there smoked except for, well obviously Robert and their parents. No one was allowed to smoke from the time we got there at 10:00 AM until we left usually around 4 or 5 PM. Needless to say we could have all eaten a pack of cigarettes by the time we got out of there! There were some pretty tense folks at the dinner table and that is an understatement! Much like Walter used to do, Blake liked to take this opportunity to take some jabs at Ann asking questions like “How's your girlfriend, oh, I mean roommate?” or “Don't you think it's unusual that two women buy a house together, Ann?” and “When are you and Kay getting married? It's a wonder she didn't stab him in the neck with the turkey carving knife!! It made me want to crawl under the table!

Things between Blake and I changed immediately after our honeymoon. We had received a new comforter and bedding set from my mother as a wedding gift and I put it all on our bed that day. I saw a pillow that looked like it had been through hell fire and back but I didn't throw it away. I just stored it in a closet for an emergency pillow for guests if needed. Yeah, give them the rotten pillow! We got into bed that night and after trying several pillows, Blake exploded in anger and wanted to know where his pillow was. I was more than taken aback. It was as if I didn't know this person that was my husband. He had never so much as raised his voice to me and here we are only married a few days and he's having a fit all over me! I quickly ran and got the nasty pillow from the closet, asked him if that was his pillow. It was, so I quickly put a pillow case on it and gave it to him. Of course, I'm crying by this time and cried myself to sleep with no apology from him whatsoever.

Many more bad things to come in the next post.