It's An Elementary Murder, Holmes

The police had been to question her, or perhaps she should call them precisely what they are; Homicide Detectives. Although she was very sure that they would come, and that it was certainly a routine part of any murder investigation; to question everyone that could even be remotely involved or would have any information relative to the investigation. But, she had to admit that they certainly did not waste any time coming round to see her. Alexis had maintained her calm and answered their questions with an honest clarity. She simply told them what she herself had been told by Abigail Vanderberry during that life-changing phone call yesterday. Really? Was it only yesterday that all of this had happened?

Yes, it was only yesterday as far as her part in this was concerned, but the murder of Bryce Meyers had taken place two days ago. Forty eight hours from meeting his bride-soon-to-become-his-wife at the altar, forty year old Bryce Alexander Meyers had been been the victim of a fatal close-up gunshot to the heart, dealt him by that same bride-soon-to-become-his-wife.

Alexis had met Bryce on several occasions when he and Abigail had come to her office to discuss and finalize the wedding/honeymoon plans that required them to make decisions as a couple. He made a good impression on Alexis; not because of his deep pockets, but because he seemed to be a genuinely nice guy. He wasn't an in-your-face type of guy. He was sort of quiet with impeccable manners and a soothing persona. Physically, he was tall and just average looking. He wasn't a very handsome guy, but he definitely possessed a confidence that was attractive in itself, and he had a strong magnetism about him that was almost palpable. He had never given Alexis any hint of a dishonest streak. This is exactly what she had told the two officers who had come to question her.

Detectives Mercer Holding and Artie Callahan had looked at her and then at each other with a smugness that bordered on arrogance. They were already to wrap this case up and charge Abigail with first degree murder. Detective Holding had snapped her laptop closed with a finality that she expressed in words as she stood to leave. She had said that it was probably an open-and-shut case, and as she looked to her partner for confirmation, she made the remark, " It's an elementary murder, my Mr. Holmes!" Detective Callahan nodded in agreement. He then added that "We have got your client, Abigail Vanderberry dead to rights. We've even got the smoking gun." I swear they both laughed as they prepared to leave.

Their enthusiasm seemed to be out of place and their eager-beaver attitude to see Abby behind bars  was almost obscene. No matter the circumstances, a man was dead. He had family who loved him, ...and oh mercy...his poor mother! This was the first time Alexis had thought about his mother.  Megan Meyers must be beside herself with grief. There was no imagining the anguish she must be feeling; the helplessness and the pain of knowing her son had been murdered.

Alexis had wished for the thousandth time that Abigail had told her more during that phone call. After Claudette had come over, and she had poured enough brandy down her throat to revive her into a semblance of reality, Alexis had tried to call Abigail back on both her cell and her land line phone. Of  course there had been no answer on either, and surprisingly, the voice mail greetings had been erased.  She had had no other chance to contact Abby, having seen news of her arrest on the morning news earlier today.

It appeared that the noise from the gunshot had been called in to 911 by an "anonymous" person who didn't wish to be identified, and when the police arrived they found Abby at the scene, sitting on the floor beside the body of the love of her life...her soul mate who was dead from the .9mm bullet that went straight through his heart.

She was still holding the gun in her hand. Sherlock and Holmes must have wet themselves with glee.

On the Road to Perdition...Part One

Myranda Clayton Rice felt and looked the worse for wear. She had been out fall night partying with some people she was friendly with because she certainly could not call them friends. The word 'friend' in its definitive term did not factor into her vocabulary because truthfully she did not know of one single solitary soul she could pin the word to. At the ripe old age of thirty-eight, she had very little to show for her life on this earth. So very different from her la-DE-da younger sister Regina, or her bourgeois older brother Stanford Jr.

Her life had been on a steady downward spiral for the past two years. And typical of people with her particular brand of personality and who possessed the long list of disorders that she did always put the blame on others. They did not take responsibility for their own actions and out of an exaggerated sense of entitlement never failed to see their wrongs as a conspiracy against them. The world was to blame and all of the more fortunate folks in it had conspired to hold her and those like her who were down on their luck back from achieving any kind of a better life.


Why should she have it so hard? Ever since that bastard Palmer got into trouble and went to prison she had not been the same. Sure, she realized that she had some problems...who wouldn't have after going through what she went through? Losing her financial freedom, losing her husband (who she discovered was a liar, a cheat and on the down-low as well to add insult to injury) and most of all having to leave her own children. While she was in rehab the first time right after all this happened, her parents took the kids to care for. They didn't exactly turn them against her, but when she got out and tried to put her life back together, they acted like she was a stranger. That hurt like hell.

The men and women with whom she caroused the night away with were a rag tag collection of losers made up of druggies, prostitutes and some cons on the run from the law. She didn't care anything about their backgrounds. All she cared about was where and how she'd get her next fix or drink. Long as they kept coming, her companions mattered little to her. They were just disembodied faces with no names.

Thankfully, her sister Regina sent her money once a month that was supposed to be going toward her education expenses for the courses she had enrolled for at the local community college. Her classy, upstanding parents would not hand over a dime in cash to her, but agreed to pay for books and class essentials, but Regina's money was meant for her personal use. She had started classes and was aspiring to be a gourmet chef, but after only one semester she had dropped out. Naturally, Helena and Stanford soon found that out, but it was a miracle that Regina didn't know.

It wasn't a loss of interest that caused her to do so, it was because she had met up with this guy (lets' call him Dwayne) who convinced her that she'd be better off working as an apprentice of sorts and getting her training on the job. So, he introduced her to another guy (lets' call him JT) who worked as a chef in a mid-town restaurant and he agreed to speak to the manager on her behalf. It was all on the up and up with the chef guy. He was really intending to help Myranda get a job in his restaurant, but Dwayne was planning on running a con game.

Well, Dwayne told her that his chef friend JT was looking to strike out on his own and if he did, she could probably be co-owner with him. Trouble was, he needed some investors to help him get his business off the ground and if she could manage to raise five thousand dollars she could get in on the ground floor.

Long story short, Myranda managed to raise the five grand by selling an heirloom piece of jewelry she lifted from her mother's house on a rare occasion she went to visit. The diamond studded brooch sold for seven thousand five hundred dollars and she promptly handed over the five to Dwyane and tried to save the rest. That did not last long. As soon as she found out that she had been scammed, she sank into a depression so deep she wanted to die. In fact, she had been placed on suicide watch for the first month of her committ,ment. Once again, Helena and Stanford took Julia and Kirk home with them.

Palmer's parents; Walker and Ruby Hendricks and Steve and Linda Rice (his father's second wife is Linda) tried to get involved. Of course Myranda's parents were more than agreeable to visitation and keeping the kids familiar with both sets of their fathers parents. Only the second time around, Palmer's mother Ruby thought that she and her husband should share equal custody with the Claytons. It got to be one big royal pain to deal with, but they were no match for Stanford and his legal eagles, so Julia and Kirk remained with Helena and Stanford.

Two years went by, and Myranda was released into the care of her parents. For a while all was fine, and she seemed to be making remarkable progress. The setback came when Regina admitted to her that she had had an affair with Palmer before he met her and that she was the one to break it off. This breakup had sent him running into the arms of her sister, and that every time they were thrown together Palmer missed no opportunity to tell her that Myranda had been second choice....


Stay tuned for Part Two!!

A Relative Position

It had been a wonderfully enjoyable and romantic trip. The past year had been very good to Helena and Stanford Clayton Sr. They both had so much to be grateful for; as a couple and as individuals. Their marriage had gone through a severe trial as a result of a variety of contributing factors that conspired them to ultimate ruination. But, by the mercy of God, and divine intervention the marriage had survived and not only merely survived...it was thriving and they had never been so happy. It was almost like they rediscovered each other and recognized that they were two people independent of each other; yet still a couple.

In other words, after many years of ignoring the critical signs of marital breakdown, and refusing to address the problem areas of their marriage, Helena and Stanford were tremendously blessed to salvage the remains of a tortured and disintegrating union. After the domestic disturbance they experienced, no one expected them to be able to carry on. The almost total meltdown of them as a married couple had literally been a saving grace.

All of their children and grandchildren were prospering nicely with the exception of Myranda. Myranda Clayton Rice was the middle child, and quite frankly she was the one least expected to be the problem child. If Helena and Stanford would have had to name a child out of the three offspring, it would have been Stanford Jr., (the oldest) that would have been expected to ...well...have issues. Myranda and her husband Palmer had lost quite a bit of money a few years back in a pyramid scheme. Probably one of Palmer's biggest faults was his love of money. He was always looking for ways to turn an easy buck, and not all of these avenues had been exactly above board. His real vice was when he dragged his wife into it and convinced her to invest some of her own private funds into whatever cockamamie thing he was up to at the moment. And at that particular moment, he was into the so-called fast easy money making pyramid scheme.

Myranda knew it was the wrong thing to do when she married Palmer Rice, but she was hell bent on defying her parents. At the end of a brief courtship (she and Palmer dated for six weeks before getting married) they ran off to tie the knot to the dismay and the disappointment of both sets of parents. Palmer bore the brunt of the burden of the illegal scam, and subsequently the worst of the punishment that had been doled out to the four scammers. Philip Dover and Connor Woods were partners in crime with Palmer and had both received the same sentence. Jacob Hearn (who was married to Myranda's sister Regina) and also a pyramid partner had gotten off with the lightest of the sentences. He had to serve three years in a minimum security facility that was more of a "state run country club" than a correctional facility, but whereas he may have gotten off lightly as far as the law was concerned, his ultimate cost came at the dissolution of his marriage. Regina Hearn sued him for divorce the day he went off to "prison" and promptly put him out of her life.

With the financial aid of her parents, she was able to make a fresh start for herself and her twin sons; Eric and Eli. Not only did she set out to recoup her losses (which she did) but she actually made more money through hard work and dedication than she had thought she would. While Regina pulled her life out of the toilet and handled her business like a woman, Myranda on the other hand, used the situation to dig herself further into a hole. Her two children Julia and Kirk were already disadvantaged by the fate of their father, and she only made it worse by just about abandoning them in pursuit of her own worldly pleasures, being selfish and feeling endowed at the same time. When Palmer went off to prison, Julia was only a year old, and Kirk was just turning three. Helena had kept them at her home for nearly a year, providing a full time nanny and giving them both the love and support her wayward daughter could not seem to find the time or the inclination to give.

Now, it is a few years later, and although Myranda has come a long ways from where she was at one time, there was still quite a bit of road remaining to travel. The most important thing to come from her rehabilitation was that she had reconciled to be a better mother to Julia and Kirk. She was making remarkable progress in that area, but her weakness for men was still her personal demon and a wound that didn't want to heal.

Stanford had rescued his beautiful, smart, sexy wife from being a mother of three adult children and grandmother to four lovely and wonderful kids. He took this wife and grandmother away for a long, relaxing vacation; but here's the thing...he left going on this vacation with his wife. He spent the vacation with his woman. His desire was to leave the wife behind and release the woman within to be free to be all that she could, would and should be during the two weeks they spent on the French Riviera. It was a great life and it was filled with doing incredible things.

They were blessed and would never, ever forget it.

She Works Hard for the Money

It had been intended to be the event of the year. Hours and hours had gone into the planning and many, many weeks had been filled with endless frustration and a seemingly never-ending task list of things to do. Then, there was the hard-to-deal with prim a-donas who were the dress designers, the flower designers, the caterers and the list went on and on...and on. All of them were always right and no one was ever wrong! And not necessarily at the end of that list were the people in the bridal party. Talk about selfish, egotistical and just downright bitchy!! Alexis had never met a more tiresome and irritating group of women.

But what was she to do? This was her first gig as a newly minted Wedding Planner and Developer. This new career move had been in the works for a couple of years. After she had graduated and received her degree, she then had to deal with the exhausting process of a new business start-up. She had worked closely with her son to create a workable and doable business plan, she had secured financing for the suite of offices she rented, hired her assistants, met with advertisers networked with other entrepreneurs and business people who would be invaluable as both promotional and operative support. Every single detail had been carefully executed and nine months ago she opened for business!

Almost immediately after she advertised her grand-opening she had booked her first wedding. Of course, there had been plenty of up front advertising, and she had hosted a couple of meet and greet cocktail parties with local women's organizations to help get her name out there, so it was no real surprise that she hit the ground running. Her confidence as an extremely capable and efficient designer/developer was in place. She had no qualms about getting busy with her first official job, and from start to finish it had been a true accomplishment.

The brand-new custom tailored wardrobe Alexis had secured was stunning. Each item of clothing had been designed and made just for her, and each item was a work of art. Now mind you; she didn't get couture fashions...that was out of the question, but she was fortunate enough to have been able to afford a basic business wardrobe consisting of mix and match separates. In addition, there was a selection outfits ranging from formal to business chic to be worn at the weddings she hosted and other social affairs as required.

Her good fortune was the result of being in the line of someone else's blessings. To be accurate, a very dear friend of hers had been the recipient of a huge financial windfall, and had been extremely generous with Alexis. And to top it all off, her new digs were the work of a fabulous new up and coming designer whose name was already on the lips of some pretty influential folks.

So this wedding...her debut project was set to take place in two days. She had been over her final-final-final check list with her assistant at least three times and could not find any action items that had not been completed. The plans were in place and all was ready with the exception of two minor details that were scheduled to be taken care of the next day, and Sunny was going to make that happen. She was on the books at her favorite spa for a full day of beauty and relaxation the next day and frankly she couldn't wait.

She logged off of her laptop, and turned off her iPad. No use of any electronic gadgetry except her phone was allowed for the rest of this night! Tonight she was entertaining a gentleman friend and she needed to change her clothes and make herself beautiful for her date. It had been a long time since they had seen each other and she was excited about being with him tonight. Although she didn't expect any physical intimacies beyond first base, it was still exciting to prepare for an evening with a handsome and viral member of the opposite sex; especially when you knew you'd have a good time.

Smiling to herself, and singing off-key a popular R&B song, off she went to her boudoir to do her thing.

And then...it happened...  

Memories...Of The Way We Were

The 2012 Holiday Season is here, and I'm sure that with its approach many of us are anxious about how we will be celebrating them. For great many of us, the memories of happy and carefree holidays past that were celebrated with our loved ones who for some reason or another are no longer with us. Some of these loved ones have gone from us by passing away; while others have moved on to a new life of some sort. Either way; they are no longer a vital part of our lives and for all intents and purposes have left us behind, and all too often their departure has left a huge void that even with the passing of time; has been hard to fill.

Each Thanksgiving Holiday brings back so many treasured memories of being a child growing up in my parents house. The delicious aromas of cooking filled our house, but what I remember most was not just the food aromas, but the house itself had a certain special smell all through it. This was an indescribable fragrance. It was created not only by pine scented decorations or pumpkin pie; I think it was the pure essence of love coupled with the unmistakable sweetness of my Mother that filled the air and made our house a home. My Mother was an excellent cook, and she always laid out a sumptuous spread fit for a king, even though the guests at our table usually consisted of my parents, my younger brother, and our grandparents...maybe an aunt and uncle or two. My Daddy loved the holidays. Absolutely loved them! He would start to stake out a Christmas tree for us right after Halloween was over, and from that time on he was as happy as a child anticipating Christmas.

For Thanksgiving, he would help Momma out in the kitchen by chopping the veggies or the "goodies" as she called them to go into the stuffing and the potato salad. He would joke around with her and tease her so much until finally she had to banish him from her domain in order to get her cooking done. I would be watching the parades on television, reading a magazine or maybe listening to records while they were working in the kitchen and I could hear them talking, laughing, and just loving the closeness they shared simply by being together. She would put him in charge of the turkey from the moment she put the big bird in the oven until it was time to set it on the table as the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving Day meal. There was a certain comfort and a feeling of well-being just knowing that my parents were happy and we were together as a family and most of all that soon I would be eating one of the best meals in the world!!

Both of my precious parents have been gone for a long time...twenty seven and twenty five years as of this year. But although time by the grace of God has healed the wound, and has dulled the pain the void they left can never be filled. Sometimes it seems as if it were only yesterday that I sat at my Mother's table in her warm and cheery kitchen. Sometimes it seems as if I never sat there at all. I am not alone in this experience or this feeling. Anyone who has been orphaned or widowed has felt the enormous pain of loss and has looked at the future ahead of them as bleak and lonely at one time or another. Life as we had known it...has ceased to exist.

I remember my Mother not only at holiday times, but when I'm singing a particular song, or looking at old family photos. I believe that I can still smell her essence when I close my eyes and think hard enough.  When I see her in family photos, I can go back in time mentally and recollect the exact thing she was doing in some of those photos. I can see my Daddy laughing, dancing a little jig when he'd had a little sip or two and see him at the kitchen stove frying bacon for breakfast. I remember him coming home from work tired and dirty from working on automobiles all day. Later when he'd had a job promotion, I recall him as a sales person in a local hardware store...charmingly assisting customers with their purchases. And giving me lunch money on my way to work even after I had become all grown up.

Memories...so many memories! They can comfort, they can make me laugh until I cry, and make me cry until I laugh. I dream of them both quite often. In my dreams they are speaking, but although I can see their faces and discern their features distinctly; I can hardly remember the sound of their voices. But that's okay; they echo off of the walls of my soul and they resound deep in my spirit. Here are the two places where their voices will never be without sound.

I would love to recreate those kind of holidays, but even though I have tried with my own family it just doesn't feel the same. Maybe its because I'm not the same. I'm too different now and too much time has passed with me being on my own. I'm not sure if I'd know how to relate to anyone else at this point in my life. I lose myself in the past sometimes. When I'm anxious, lonesome or feeling blue I go there...back to the little frame house where I spent most of my growing years and I'm safe and taken care of.

I can hear the television with the sound of "Gunsmoke" or "Rawhide" westerns playing and my Daddy is sitting in his easy chair in front of the set, totally immersed in his favorite shows. My Momma is in the kitchen washing dishes and there's cake leftover from dinner sitting on the sideboard. My younger brother is playing with his trains in his room, and I'm sprawled across my bed in my room leafing through an "Archie" comic book. And I remain here until I feel as if its safe to come back to reality, and when I do I feel stronger and more able to accept and to cope. Until its time to go back again.

Memories...of the way we were.

Coming Soon!

Hello Readers and Followers of The Real Grandmothers of Charlotte...Keep it Real! We are excited to announce to you (our loyal reading audience) that during the month of August, we will be heating up the stories with some "muy caliente" posts! Since August is the hottest month of the year, its only fitting that we up the temperature here too.

Each of the grandmothers will be revealing a never before known story about themselves and things from the past. In a "ride or die" dare, the fabulous ladies will let you behind closed doors, and make you privy to some of their most daring truth or dare stories.

Appropriately, this series will be called "True Confessions" and we guarantee you will be hooked!

Join us next week for the first post in our mini series as we look into the secret closet of our four fabulous ladies!!

Which Are You?

This is shared information about a detailed description of how a young woman learned a valuable life lesson from her Mother, at a very critical time in her life. I discovered it a few days ago, and liked it so much I am hoping my readers will also. Read on...

A young woman went to her Mother and told her about how hard things were for her and how tough her life was at that time. She did not know how she was going to make it, and she was seriously considering giving up the struggle. She was so tired of fighting from one day to the next ; always solving one problem after the other.

Her Mother took her into the kitchen, and she filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire on the stove. In the first pot she placed some carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the third she placed some ground coffee beans. 

When the pots came to a boil, about twenty minutes later the Mother turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." The daughter replied to her that she saw carrots, eggs and coffee.

Her Mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots noting that they were soft, and next she asked her to take an egg and break it. When she did, she observed the hard boiled egg. Last, she took a sip of the brewed coffee and smiled as she tasted the rich aroma. The daughter asked her Mother what all of this meant.

Her Mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity; boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. But after being in boiling water for a time, it became soft and weak. The egg had been fragile, and after being in boiling water for a time it became hardened inside. Then she explained how the coffee beans were unique. Instead of the water changing them, They changed the water.

"Which are you?" asked the Mother of her daughter.

Which are you? When adversity knocks at your door do you respond as the carrot, the egg or the coffee beans? Strong at first but weakening under adversity like the carrot? How about the egg; going in with a hard shell with a malleable heart but allowing your insides to tighten up? Or, as the coffee beans did ; change the outcome of the very adversity that brought the pain?

Elevating oneself at the very hour of difficult circumstances can take us to a whole new level...which are you?

First He Lies, Then He Cheats...

Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive! And if you tell one lie, you’ve got to tell another…and another…till even you don’t know the truth. Well all of this is so true, and whether or not Mr. Cheater gave a second or even a first thought to any of it when he came face to face with Alexis. Literally, it was not face to face because they were several feet away from each other when he came out of one of the private rooms all hugged up with another woman. But something had charged the atmosphere causing him to look around and when he did he looked smack dab in the face of his “one true love”.

Ever hear the expression “time stood still”? I think it’s supposed to describe something totally different than what was going on here though. It’s supposed to refer to to when two people who meet and immediately discover a mutual attraction for each other; in a good way of course. This situation was anything but beautiful but it sure was memorable!  Alexis looked at Frank, Frank was looking at Alexis, (Raquel who is Alexis’ friend) was looking back and forth between Frank and Alexis while the unidentified playmate with Frank just stood there wondering where to look.

Nobody moved for a full minute. Thankfully, Raquel had the sense to make the first move. She gently but firmly took hold of Alexis’ elbow with the intention of steering her into the next room; where they had originally been heading. She quietly urged her to come along and not cause a scene that would only make a bad situation worse. 

At first, Alexis resisted the movement, but when she did allow her friend to lead her away, she moved on, but was continuing to look over her shoulder at the retreating backs of her boyfriend and the stranger he was still hugged up with and now he seemed to be whispering something in her ear.

Here’s a little back-story to catch you up. Frank had called Alexis earlier on this Saturday night and begged off on a date because of car trouble. He had said that he would get the car fixed by a friend who could only do it right then and afterwards he’d call her. She was none the wiser, so she had settled down for the evening when her friend Raquel called and persuaded her to accompany her on a night out to have drinks and maybe get into a card game. This is how they ended up at Abe’s’ Place.

It goes without saying that the evening that had begun as a fun time had definitely lost its’ flavor for Alexis. She couldn’t concentrate; she was upset and still couldn’t believe what she had seen. Worst of all, she had a pain in her chest  brought on by realizing that Frank was just like the many men who had hurt her, lied to her and cheated on her in her past. There was no use in her staying here now. There was no way she would be able to concentrate on the card game. And she didn’t want to make conversation with anyone else right now, so she asked Raquel to drive her home.

She was very quiet on the ride back to her house. Raquel was respectful of this, so she didn’t ply her with the usual platitudes that one dishes out at times like this. She merely touched her hand while they were driving along, and when they got back to the house and before Alexis had gotten out of the car, she simply told her friend “Call me when you want to talk. Anytime, you need me; just call”. Alexis had nodded her head and let herself into her house where only hours before she had left in such an upbeat mood.

So, she made herself and cup of herbal tea, and changed into her pajamas. Curled up on the couch in her family room, she didn’t turn on a lamp. The lamp she always left on in the dining room shed enough light into this room. Besides, she needed the dimness to frame a backdrop for her little pity party she was about to throw. 

Putting her head back against the cushions and making herself comfortable, she blew out a big sigh, and just let her thoughts free fall while she sipped the delicious pungent brew of her tea. For a moment she had considered spiking it with a healthy dose of brandy, but nixed that idea for several reasons. After her pity party, she was going to have to put some things into serious perspective and she wanted to be sober for that. She let out a wry chuckle because the mellow buzz she had gotten from her drinks at Abe’s had quickly faded away the moment she caught sight of Frank and his little honey.

Yes, it was time for a close introspection and possibly a plan of action. She knew that there had been times in her life when she thought she knew how to make the right choices, but she just knew all of that was behind her. There was only a slight issue here; should that plan of action be revenge or the decision to simply move on?

Summertime

The fabulous foursome hadn't spent any quality time together since they had returned from their vacation in Jamaica. Personal agendas had been the order of the day, and kept them busy. As usual, the summer is a busy time for most folks; what with family reunions, family visits and all. Helena and her husband Stanford had spent nearly two weeks in Montana on a Dude Ranch with their daughters and sons, their spouses and all of the grandchildren. Then they had gone to Scottsdale, Arizona to recuperate at a luxury spa.

Bonnie had hosted her family reunion this year, and another one came and went without an appearance by her sister Yvette, but everyone else had come and according to Bonnie, a wonderful time was had by all. To her surprise and pleasure, her Mom decided to stay on a few more days to just relax and hang out with Bonnie. And Bonnie's brother had let his seven-year old daughter stay along with Grand-mama.

Claudette had taken a weeks' vacation in Myrtle Beach with some female co-workers from her job, and then she and her daughter had gone on a long weekend to Atlantic City for some serious gambling and a brief stop in New York on the way back for a little shopping.

And Alexis, had hosted an old friends get-together at her home for a few of her high school classmates who were in town visiting. She also had gone back to her college reunion with another college classmate that she had reconnected with a couple of years ago. They made a stop coming back from Virginia to spend a weekend in the mountains of Asheville, NC and toured the Biltmore House and grounds. The best part of her summer thus far was when her grand kids all got together and spent a week at her house, just hanging out.

So, the ladies were all in such a good place now. God was smiling on all of them and all of their families. Life was good, and when either of them thought back to what could have happened to them in Jamaica; well let's just say they could never be more grateful for life than they were at this present time. It was a subject that neither of them wanted to discuss any time soon for reasons that were obvious to them.

The lazy, hazy days of summer were rolling on by, the Fourth of July has been celebrated and each of the friends knew that they would be spending quite a bit of the season keeping in touch by text, or phone when they had the time to spare. This was family time, and nothing is more important than family.

There were as couple of projects on hold that they would be getting involved in come the fall season. One was helping Alexis to redecorate some of the rooms in her house, Bonnie was expecting her first grandchild in October, and the other was their annual shopping trip for fall wardrobes in Atlanta, GA. All of the ladies agreed that one must always have a little something to look forward to.

So, we'll just have to check in with these gals in a few weeks and get the low-down on who did what over the summer, who got drunk and showed off at the reunions, who hooked up with who again and all of the delicious gossip that makes for an interesting coffee klatch.

And let's not forget that we must discover “who” it was that Alexis saw at Abe's Place on her night out with Gloria. It makes you go"hmm...".

The Stage is Set in Kingston...Part Two

The first official day of vacation had gotten off to a great start. The ladies had all slept to a moderately late hour, and breakfasted together in the parlor room of their suite. They had dined sufficiently on a meal consisting of vegetable and egg quiche, crisp bacon, hot buttery croissants served with apricot preserves, freshly squeezed orange juice and some of the most delicious coffee they had ever drank. Feeling extremely full and satisfied, they lounged around for a while just mulling over the events of their trip so far.

Claudette had planned out a wonderful travel itinerary for them which she now distributed in hard copy to each of them. Of course they had discussed in general what they would be doing, but now that they were here, it was time to take a look at the schedule. Future outings were planned for The Bob Marley Museum, Hope Botanical Gardens and The National Gallery of Jamaica. First item for today was shopping in the marketplace, followed by afternoon tea, and then back to the house for massages and facials. That would definitely relax them and put them in the mood for what lay ahead later that night. They would be having dinner at a landmark restaurant, hosted by a friend of Alexis who lived in Kingston, and then on to dance the night away at a trendy club called “Santana's”.

Keenan DeJohn was a tall, distinguished and articulate gentleman who looked to be of indeterminate age ( but she guessed him to be in his middle to late sixties) whom Alexis had met several years before on her first trip to Kingston. At that time she had been traveling with another friend and a male companion. She had been introduced to Keenan, and they had kept up a friendly communication via email several times a year, but it was enough to maintain an acquaintance close enough that he had come to see her on his last visit to the states two years ago. His open invitation to be his guest at his elegant eatery when she and her friends came down had been sincere and so had his insistence that he comp their meals.

He was seating them as a private party in his secluded VIP room located off from the main dining room. He would join them for before dinner drinks and then leave them to their dinner. To finish off the evening he had arranged a personal escort to take them to Santana's club, and to see that they had every comfort they needed and that everything he did for them was top shelf. It was no secret; he had designs on Alexis. She was aware of it, and he wanted to do everything possible to make sure she and her friends had a fantastic vacation.

And so the day passed in luxurious splendor for the four friends. They laughed, sipped on exotic tasting drinks, and reveled in the beauty of their surroundings, and in the simplicity of being in the company of each other. It wouldn't be normal if they didn't take a few moments to reflect on their lives for just a few moments. And in doing so, they agreed that in the mainstream of life, they had it pretty darn good. They were blessed and blessed indeed.

The time came for them to dress for the evening. It was such a happy time to be getting all dressed up in gorgeous dresses, wearing beautiful summer heels, smelling divine and looking absolutely fabulous!Alexis had spoken to Keenan earlier and he had told her to give their driver Delray Major the night off because he was sending his own driver over to pick them up at seven to deliver them to his restaurant. Later on after closing, he would drive to meet them at the club.

It was exactly six fifty-seven when the doorbell rang. Bonnie went to answer and she met the man who was to be their escort for the night. He bowed low to her as he spoke with a perfect accent” Good evening madame! I am Dante, driver for Mr. DeJohn at your service for the evening. Are you and your friends ready?” Just then, Helena, Claudette and Alexis gathered at the door. More introductions were made, the destination confirmed and off they went into the warm and sultry evening. The air was thick and laden with the perfume of the variety of orchids and lilies that bloomed in the gardens.

They all experienced a heightened sense of well being and felt as if they did indeed have the world in the palm of their hands. There was absolutely no way they could know that this would be a night to remember, but not for the usual reasons. There was no way they could know that trouble waited for them around the corner.

What Happens in Kingston Stays in Kingston (Part One)

The flight from Charlotte was smooth and quite pleasant, and the short layover they had in Atlanta didn't faze them one bit. Of course, having first class seats and sipping champagne all the way was an added comfort bonus. Nothing but top shelf for these ladies! When they landed at Norman Manley Airport, there was a luxury town car waiting for them, complete with a liveried driver holding up a sign that read "The Diva Ladies from America". Now who else could that be but them?

Clearing customs had been a breeze , and they proceeded to baggage claim to get hold of the mountain of luggage that belonged to them. As they stood waiting at the carousel for their stuff to come around, they chatted about what they would do first with the remainder of the evening. They kept time to the rhythm of the island music as they patiently waited. The music was lively and the mix of the other instruments coming together in perfect harmony just increased their sense of well-being and excitement.

Finally they began to see some pieces that belonged to them appear on the carousel. Alexis reached for her two pieces of matching Ralph Lauren, while Claudette could see hers and Helena's coming up next. Bonnie helped Claudette and Helena pull their five pieces of Channel off the belt, a porter approached them and asked if they required assistance in loading their bags. Since he was standing there with a huge luggage rack, there was no point in turning down his help. He went ahead and started to pile on the stuff handling the designer luggage with care.  And just as they were starting to get a little concerned about Bonnie's bags, they rolled out of the opening on the belt.


The porter reached for them as Bonnie began to, thus softly colliding with her and touching her hand. Bonnie was a little startled as she looked up at him. She was momentarily nonplussed and she could have sworn that she felt a spark when their hands touched. The look he gave her lasted only a second, but that second in time spoke volumes. She did not mistake the smolder she saw there or the barest of smiles he gave her as he straightened from picking up the luggage. Hmm, she just might have the beginnings of an island romance going on here! She had to admit that it was a thrilling thought to consider; getting close to an ebony eyed brown skinned brother and being carefree for a little while.

The ladies had discussed this very possibility days ago. They knew it was a possibility that they might meet someone. Being women of a certain age did not stop them from having normal desires and romantic thoughts. But they were smart and sophisticated enough to establish boundaries and keep themselves safe and protected at all times.

They climbed inside of the town car, luxuriating in the dim coolness of the interior where once again they were listening to island music. The driver introduced himself to them as Delray Major, and that he would be at their complete disposal the entire time they were here. He was absolutely adorable in his uniform and with his smooth old world charm. His accent was beautiful, and the ladies all agreed that he was such a lovely man...probably in his early to mid sixties  and well-groomed. In unison, they thanked him and confirmed the address of their house and then they were on their way!


In between shared laughter, some pretty raunchy jokes, and dancing in their seats, the ladies took in the passing scenery. Helena made a special toast to Claudette for planning the perfect vacation, and for the attention to detail she had given to everything. It had been agreed that they would unpack, have a refreshing shower and then dine at a nearby native restaurant that provided their guests with a late seating dinner. Bonnie had said she'd want to take a brief nap, so it was decided that naps would indeed be welcomed by everyone. No use trying to enjoy the evening with tired eyes and stiff joints, so the order of the evening had been established; unpacking, naps, showers and then...let the good times roll!

Ladies, Start Your Engines!

Whew! There's nothing like pure unadulterated excitement! Adrenaline pumping, heart racing, feet moving so fast they don't seem to touch the ground and feeling so good you want to shout it from the rooftops. Well, that's exactly how the four of us felt as we practically ran giggling and breathless through the airport to our gate, to wait for boarding our plane. Although we had plenty of time before our flight was scheduled to take off, we hurried along just for the fun of it.

Our very long awaited and very much needed vacation had arrived. You already know about most of the drama and the sadness and heartache we'd all gone through late last year and earlier this year, so when it came time for us to sit down and discuss our yearly sister sojourn, it was a welcome relief.

I wasn't too sure that we'd even be planning a trip this summer. After we had almost lost Helena, and Claudette had finally gotten involved in a committed relationship, I wouldn't have been surprised if nobody went but me and Bonnie, or nobody went at all. Imagine my happiness when everybody showed up at my house right on time, on the evening we had scheduled almost a year ago.

 Now, it was tradition for us to take a week's holiday together; we'd done so for a number of years. And it was a part of that tradition that we put on the calendar the date we'd convene to plan the next trip. We'd done just that on our last night in Paradise Island, Bahamas last year, each one of us adding it to our electronic calendars. Reminders were set so we wouldn't forget and when my reminder alerted me two days ago, I wasn't sure how to proceed.

I had the responsibility of hosting the rap session at my house, and so I went ahead and made preparations. In the past, there was never any need to question whether or not the ladies would show. We took for granted that we would, we'd plan and execute and it would always turn out fantastic. So at about six o'clock on that evening of our scheduled meeting, all of the food was prepared and laid out on the screened in back porch. The weather had been so agreeable, that I thought we'd enjoy the outside from the inside! I had set the sound system on a loop to play some old school R&B music, with the volume just right for listening and conducive to our conversation.

I had just put the finishing touches to the fruit and vegetable platter when my doorbell rang in a very insistent and prolonged way. Calling out that I was coming, I hurried from my kitchen through the foyer to the front door. As I reached for the door handle to open the door, I heard the unmistakable voice of my friend Bonnie. She was practically yelling "Open this here door diva!" So I threw open the door to them,and there they were...my three closet friends smiling from ear to ear, looking fabulous in their spring attire and standing together arms linked. I could tell simply by looking at these divas that we were in for a fabulous evening of  laughter, good food and drink.

It was hard to believe that we got anything serious done because we were in such a silly mood, but we selected our vacation spot, and elected Claudette as our travel coordinator. She would make all of the arrangements and take care of all of the bookings and let us know our share of the expenses. She really got into the role of travel agent, making sure we all had our passports in order. Having already decided ahead of time that we would reserve a villa type house, we knew that we would also have to share the costs of food, drinks and other necessary amenities.

Fortunately for us that was no problem. We all had funds available to cover our costs without breaking our personal banks. Being able to go on shopping and sightseeing excursions was a must, but we were comfortably off financially so our vacations didn't cause a ripple in our finances. Several years after our first trip, we each started a vacation club account just for our yearly holiday. We have been so blessed to be able to afford our sisterhood trip every year.

And so that brings us to the here and now. Here we were about to embark on our journey, where we would abandon any and all cares to the wind, and for the next week the agenda would consist of fabulous fun, tall drinks with little umbrellas in them, decadent food, luxurious spa treatments, shameful shopping and dabbling a little in the nightlife.

We had reached the gate for our airline and since we had all had electronic boarding passes, we decided to stop in at a bar and have a "departure celebratory drink". That was Helena's idea and honestly, these gals could find any reason in the world to have a drink! But what the heck, right? We had earned the right to celebrate and let loose. Looking forward to our time together in sunny Jamaica, we lifted our glasses in salute to each other. One by one, we toasted ourselves, and when it came my turn naturally I wanted to say something profound. So, I held my glass up high and tossed my head and said "To us; full speed ahead. Ladies, start your engines!"

Close Encounters of the Veggie Kind...

Ladies have you ever wondered what was going on in a man’s head when you smiled at him? Let me expand on that question with an actual experience I had. Recently, I was in the supermarket doing my shopping and there happened to be a gentleman in the vicinity of the produce section; fresh fruits to be exact. I noticed him from my extra sharp peripheral vision and slowly pick up and inspect a few ripe melons. He’s still pondering over the fresh herbs and I moved slightly to a more advantageous post and I could see he’s selected fresh cilantro. My amateur chef radar alerts me that he’s probably a pretty good cook if he wants to use fresh ingredients and at the moment I think this, he moves over and picks up a few leeks, and fennel.

Bingo! The first instinct was spot on! A guy who appears to know something about cooking. Very impressive. So, I walk away from the melons and amble up beside him (allowing a personal space of a couple of feet) and begin to select some celery and as you reach for a produce bag to gather up a few bunches of scallion and get a look at the third finger left hand and there is no ring. O-kay.  Nice clean well manicured hands, and …wait a minute…do I detect a subtle familiar fragrance around this man? Why yes…I inconspicuously sniff a little lady like “sniff” and I am sure of it. Burberry for Men and it’s one of my favorites colognes to smell on a man.

Alright now…here I go. I’m going to give him an innocent little smile that says "hello, I'm friendly" just to see how he reacts. Oh, have I mentioned how fabulous I looked that day? I had just left the day spa where I had treated myself to the works; facial, hair and eyebrows, mani/pedi. I was wearing a cute Capri set with matching shrug sweater,and open toe shoes to show off my pedi. And I smelt good too. So, I continue to look around a bit until I can catch his eye without having to stare him down thus having him think I'm some kinda grocery store stalker nut. I wish could say that he and I both reached for the same bag of onions at the same time and experienced a moment complete with angelic music from heaven and a star-burst from making eye contact. That definitely did not happen!

What did happen was dude gave me a cursory look with a brief nod and walked away toting his fennel and his leeks and his whatever. You know I really wanted to follow him, swagger up to him and get all up in his face with attitude and say "In case you didn't notice, but your leeks look wilted and are probably not fresh! Humph!" and then strut away giving him my back before he could think of anything to say. That definitely did not happen either!

What did happen was I shrugged it off, mumbled something to myself about him probably being a jerk anyway, put my basket down and left the store. I headed for Starbucks for a Pumpkin Spice latte and by the time I had bought my coffee, added a lemon-almond biscotti to my order I had put dude out of my mind. Maybe another time and another place; it's all good, right?

So I know that you ladies have had similar experiences, perhaps in a laundromat, fast food restaurant, church or at your grand-kids school. Whether or not we made a contact let us be assured that this old reliable tried and true expression can apply to the situation: It's not us...it's them!!

Have a great weekend out there with family and friends, worship at a church of your choosing, and be blessed. We will return on Monday... and we gonna talk some more about Helena and her secret!!

Rock on!!