This excerpt from my soon-to-be published book features the completed first chapter. Five female college friends get together for a much-needed Happy Hour celebration, to help them unwind and catch up on each other's lives after two years apart. The book shows how faith in God first, and also in each other, brings them through all types of adversity or situations.

SHE COULD HEAR THE SILENCE

HAPPY HOUR

          After a long two years, five female college friends decided to frequent happy hour at a jazz club near DuPont Circle in Washington, DC.  They don’t get together often, but they call each other occasionally to keep up with each other. The different directions their lives have taken makes getting them all together at one time a major feat.
        The mellow atmosphere, low hum of hushed voices, dim lights, tabletop candles and the inviting rhythm of live jazz automatically began to mellow them out as they found a table near the rear of the crowded but cozy club and ordered drinks.

          “Do you guys realize it has been almost two years since we’ve all been out together like this?” Janae announced.  “How did you manage to break out of that ‘prison’ you call home, Daphne?”

          “Honey, trying to keep up with my boys and my husband wears a sister out, you know,” Daphne explained.  “Now that the boys are older and the season is over for the year, Tony is home and I am finally getting some free time to do my own thing.”

          “ Girl, I know if I didn’t have to work and STILL be able to live in a mansion like you do, damn if I would leave it either!” exclaimed Sarah.  “Here I am, stuck in the same apartment for the last five years that I hardly ever get the chance to see, let alone clean, still working my ass off every day to keep what little I got.  You living the life, Girl,”  Sarah says as she points her finger at Daphne.  “You’re married to a professional basketball player, driving a Benz, dripping in diamonds and designer clothes, and having somebody provide everything for you without having to work – hell, I’d stay in ‘prison’ too.” 

        “My life is NOT all peaches- and-cream, Sarah!” exclaimed Daphne.  “My house may seem big to you, but it is NOT a mansion.  I cook every day since Tony absolutely hates any kind of fast food, and I have to clean every inch of that house myself.  I have two teenage boys that are always driving me crazy for one reason or another, and my husband is literally gone half the year. I hardly see him even when he is home between photo shoots, interviews, press conferences, and you know he is a golf fanatic in the off season.  He’s always going off to play with his buddies, so he is literally never home.”

      “Girl, those are some problems I would LOVE to have,” replied Sarah.  “Seems to me that if I had to cry myself out of my misery, I think I’d be able to handle it better if I were wearing a Rolex watch, a Cartier bracelet, Prada shoes, and my tears were caught in my silk sheets while watching the ocean waves crash on the beach from my California King rice bed in my million-dollar beach house – like you can!”

        “Don’t let appearances fool you, Hon.  My life is definitely not as easy as it may seem to you.  I have to handle EVERYTHING myself. I might as well be a single mom during the season, and we always have adjustment problems when he is home because I am so used to being by myself.  I always miss him when he’s away, but he gets on my damn nerves sometimes when he’s home.  I can’t win for losing it seems. At least you don’t have kids and a husband. You can do what you want when you want.  You get to travel all over the country, Sarah.”

        “Yeah, I travel and I get to WORK while I am at it!  My job sends me all over the damn country to attend these boring-ass day-long meetings and meet boring-ass people, then I go back to my hotel room to get three hours sleep before I have to catch the red-eye back here.  I sure don’t get to see anyone or do anything.” 

        “I thought you hot-shot advertising execs enjoyed jet-setting and hob-knobbing with the rich and famous,” Phaedra chimed in.  “You want to talk about a boring life?  Try living the life of a college English professor.  You would not believe the level of illiteracy of your average college student these days – makes me want to cry sometimes.  I teach, I read, I write, I grade, then I go home and go to sleep.  If I didn’t talk on the phone with you guys a few days a week or meet with one of you every once in awhile, I’m afraid I’d have no social life at all.”  

“All I know is that I work all the time, I’m never at home and I’m still broke as hell!” cried Sarah.

       “Perhaps if you quit supporting your broke-ass deadbeat boyfriend and made him get a real job, you just might have a little something by now,” said Phaedra dryly.

         “Fuck you, Phaedra!  You’re a fine one to talk about relationships after you decided to go straight for once and married that con-artist of a husband who took you to the cleaners,” Sarah shot back angrily.  “My Jason may be an artist who doesn’t make much money, but at least I know he’s fucking only ME, and not married to six different women at the same time, unlike YOUR ex-husband!”

        “Oh, my!” exclaimed Daphne, who was obviously both surprised and enlightened by this little exchange of dirty laundry between the two. 

         “Ladies, LADIES!  We are supposed to be out enjoying ourselves and having a good time,” said Simone, standing up to emphasize her urgency at getting their attention.  “Let’s not turn this into a bitch session between us, please.  NONE of us are perfect nor do any of us lead perfect lives.  We came here to have fun, and after waiting this long to get together, I’m not about to have my fun ruined.  Now, let’s kiss and make up, Phaedra and Sarah,” Simone said playfully as she gestured toward them.

        “Right up my alley!” Phaedra said excitedly, and winked as she blew a mock kiss toward Sarah.

         “Now why you wanna go and say something like THAT, Simone!  You are all full of shit,” Sarah remarked with mock anger, folded her arms in front of her, then giggled.  
        
           “OK crisis averted," said Simone.  "Now, getting back to the subject at hand - selling real estate is not the most exciting profession either, but it does provide a comfortable life for me and Alexis.   I am just thankful that I don’t have to struggle anymore to feed and clothe us like I did for so many years.  The only thing that unnerves me sometimes is that if I don’t sell, I don’t get paid.  But I do love the rush I feel when I sell a nice piece of property, like the kind you live in, Daphne. I have been fortunate so far and have managed to put away a small nest egg for hard times, so while I’m not too worried now, it’s always in the back of my mind.”

           “I can definitely relate to that, especially since my divorce,” stated Janae. “It’s not easy raising kids alone, and right after we split up we were almost destitute.  I was home taking care of the kids and not working, and he hadn’t paid any bills for the prior two months before he walked out on us for another woman.  Thank God I had worked before we got married and I had some marketable skills under my belt, and was able to land this executive secretary gig.  God, my kids, my family, my friends and my job helped me make it through.”

          “You have a lot of strength and courage, Girl,” said Daphne.  “I don’t know what I would do if Tony and I ever split up.  I am not as strong as you are and the thought of breaking up scares me.  How did you deal with the pain?”

         “I harbored a lot of hurt, pain and anger at Greg for a long time, but not anymore.  I did a LOT of praying, a shitload of crying, and I finally just made it up in my mind that we were GOING to make it.  I hated going down to social services, but I was able to qualify for food stamps to feed my kids, then I went to job service and started working temp until I landed this job.  The sweetest revenge is making it through and living good, in spite of the fact that he clearly expected and intended for me to fall flat on my face.  Don't you understimate your strength, Girl.  When you need it, you will find that God will miraculously provide it.”

        “You Go, Girl!” announced Simone, and raised her wine glass in the air.  My hat’s off to you for making it through this one!”
       
         “We Black women have more strength than we realize.  We just have to learn how to use it.  We are survivors!,” Janae said triumphantly, as all five raised their glasses in a toast to all strong Black women.

         They continued to talk, drink wine and nibble appetizers for hours until one by one each left for home for various reasons... husbands, children, boyfriends, etc. until Janae was the only one left. 

 JANAE

        Being newly divorced Janae didn’t feel like going home to her empty house yet, especially since her kids were at her Mom’s until next week, so she sat and listened to the soft mellow jazz performed by the quartet onstage.  Besides, her eye had been on this particular guy ever since he walked into the club.  It was time to start emerging from the rubble of her failed marriage and start living.  Feeling bolder than usual since she had a few drinks under her belt, and knowing her friends were now gone, she decided that now was a great time to begin.
          The physical wounds had long since healed, but the mental scarring was still fresh in her mind.  Janae yearned to be held tenderly by a man, to have a man’s touch feel good and bring her to the plateau of physical ecstasy rather than have his touch bring hurt and pain, which she was so used to and had endured for many years.  She needed to feel like a woman again.  Could this stranger make that happen for her, make her feel alive again, like a woman?  For just one night?

  SARAH
       
        Sarah pulled her Jetta into the garage of her condo.  She felt great after sharing a much needed break with her friends, and the fact that she was a bit tipsy didn’t hurt either.  She walked in her front door and found Jason sprawled out on the couch asleep, and her elation from the evening seemed to evaporate almost immediately.  He obviously had not dressed all day, the condo was a mess and she was not the only one who had been drinking – she counted eight empty beer bottles as she scanned the living room, kitchen and bedroom, and there were empty Chinese food boxes on the coffee table.  He doesn’t work, the least he can do is cook and keep the house clean, she thought disgustedly to herself.
        Sarah has felt that something has been missing for some time, but what exactly is it?  The disgust she feels due to Jason’s apparent lack of ambition certainly has been festering for awhile inside her, and she intended to do something about it soon – very soon.  But how can she flip the script on Jason after three years together?  Is it even fair to change the rules now? 

    
DAPHNE

        Daphne had a lot on her mind as she drove back to her estate near Springfield, Virginia.  It was great to finally see and be with her old college friends, and get a chance to break the monotony of being at home – alone.  No one knew how much she yearned to break free of her boring, lonely life.  How did Janae put it? 

“How did you manage to break out of that ‘prison’ you call home, Daphne?”

         Janae was only joking, but she just didn’t know how right she was.  Yes, she was able to go out and buy practically anything she wanted; her husband just landed a $15 million contract to play four more years for the Wizards.  She lived on a private, guarded estate and had both a Benz, which she drove herself, and a chauffeured Maybach at her disposal any time she wanted.  She possessed a closet full of designer clothes, jewelry, Prada shoes and does not want for anything – material.  Her husband always provided for her and the boys well.
       But she would trade ALL of her possessions for the two things she craved most – affection and peace of mind.
         How much longer can I go on living like this?  She thought to herself as she pulls in the long, circular driveway, walks up the steps and opens the door to her own private hell.

PHAEDRA

         Phaedra dreaded leaving the club after seeing her old friends together again after such a long time.  She actually felt like she belonged, and she had a wonderful time; she hadn’t felt this good in a long time.  Seeing them and being with them brought back many memories… mostly good memories.  Especially when it comes down to Sarah.
         Phaedra pulled her Escort into the rest stop along I-95 near Wheaton and walked over to the Arby’s and ordered a roast beef combo. After she ate, she walked into the amazingly well-kept ladies’ room, washed her hands, rinsed off her face, then she took off her shoes to exchange them for the bedroom slippers she had brought in with her from the car.  She slowly walked from the ladies room out to her car, pulled a blanket from the back seat, unlatched the seat and leaned all the way back.  She locked the car door, she pulled the blanket over her, then placed her right hand between her legs and stroked herself while dreaming of being with Sarah until she fell asleep.
         She was home.

SIMONE

         Simone left the club feeling so good, she didn’t want the evening to end.  She had seen all of her old friends and they all seemed to have a ball being with each other, forgetting about their cares and worries for the moment, sharing drinks, laughing and talking about everything and anything.  She felt good about Janae being proud of herself, making it out of her abusive marriage, and the rest of the ladies giving her the encouragement and support she deserved.  She needed this break and rejuvenation - they ALL did.
        However, after the events of last week, nothing could totally stop the nagging thought that has been plaguing the back of her mind ever since.
        I will make an appointment with the doctor in the morning to get this checked out, she thought to herself as she pulled into her driveway.  She quickly studied the curious reddish-brown spot on her chest one last time before getting out of the car. She walked in the house, kissed Alexis as she lay sleeping, and went to bed.

Copyright .2006, RM Green