A VERY DARK tale (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 6

It started rather innocently. To be very discreet about the relationship first week we pretended to have only two dates, during which I've spent together with Georgia and Dwight.

News about Neil and I spread like wildfire and of course two stories seemed to be popular in town. According to the story number one, it was I, who initiated the breakup. Some people even said that I've been planning it for months. The second story stated that it was Neil who got tired of me and dumped me switching to Priscilla.

Neither was true, but it amused me nonetheless. I would sell my arm to know where those people were taking the facts from to use them so skillfully.

Anyhow, Neil attempted several times to talk to me, but I made sure not to meet him even when he came to my doorsteps and demanded to receive him. Thankfully, my mother dealt with him in her manner, in other words, she sweetly smiled, the way that would melt an iceberg, and then shut the front door into his face.

Later, when Neil and I's story reached its culmination, for once I was grateful to have Thomas Jenkins name in my passport. The thing is: when you have money, you can buy things, but when you have money and power, you can also manipulate something that you can't buy. In that case, being Stacy Ann Jenkins earned me a privilege. My word against Neil's, and placing my last name on the scale, my name had more to it. And if you want me to paraphrase, the last and final word belonged to me: Neil was a cheater and Priscilla was a slut.

I've never given much consideration to the fact that I ruined Priscilla's reputation. In my opinion, she deserved it even more than Neil, who got away pretty easily. He started dating some other girl and soon the scandal around him died down.

After another week Dwight and I decided to intensify the dating rumor and went into the Church on a Sunday morning service holding hands. After that, we decided to see each other up to four times a week and when another week passed, we carefully extended into six days.

At first, I didn't have problems staying in the same house with Georgia and Dwight.

Our meetings were not that long, only three or four hours at each visit. But Georgia was scared of me. Whenever I was around, she would turn stiff and mute, even with her husband. That of course, made me feel uneasy. The scam, Dwight and I tried to pull were basically for her and their baby's future.

After one month I got tired of just sitting in the untidy backyard reading books and started going into nearby town centers to have my little rendezvous with myself.

June 28, 1962

The day was exceptionally hot. After driving for forty minutes in a stuffy car, I've parked on the curve of one peaceful Washington streets and got out. On the go, I spread the wrinkles of my blue summer dress with my hands and then pulled a shawl out of my purse and threw it over my hair, tying it under my chin. Then I fixed my shades on my nose and headed to find a clothing store to look for a new light dress.

A high summer sun had exhausted me before I found the shop I was looking for. In a couple of blocks away from my car, across the street, I spotted a café with a decent outlook and decided to take a break and have a cup of coffee. When I entered, all the tables were occupied except one. I made my way to the table and fatigued plopped on a chair.

Despite that my dangerous scheme seemed to go smoothly, most of my days were occupied with some meaningless activities. Thinking about how bored I've been feeling for the past month, I took my shades off and hid them in my purse.