Saving Alice
Why Not? Continued
Alice had been raised in the outskirts of Georgia. When her father left and her mother died her grandparents took her in. She was a perfect southern bell back then, or at least that’s what she told me. She had good grades and went to church every Sunday. She went to a private school and had her sights set on a high job.
“But when my grandfather died,” she had said. “My uncle came to live with my grandmother and I.”
Her uncle was her mother's brother, he was only a little bit older than Alice.
“He had always appeared so clean and godly to me.” Alice said, smiling a bit, “He had us all so fooled. It must run in the family.” She had paused then. Lost in thought.
“He was in the smuggling business. He ran his job out of a warehouse his father's family had owned for years and years. He introduced me to the life when I was 16. And from that moment in time on, it wasn't even an option to live a normal life again. It was like heroin, but by the time he came around I was already addicted. I was hooked on this lifestyle.
“Once my grandma died,” she had continued her story, “We inherited the house, and for a few years we ran the business from there.” Another pause. “Then one day he was gone.”
She had left the end of her story there, but my mind kept trying to race to the next chapter.
I was standing on the marble veranda now, looking out over the lake and the acres of green grass. There were stars out, and the moon was full and bright. Alice had gone back into the crowd to find one last person on her list. I stayed back to think.
It occurred to me then, as I looked out over the land, how lost and secluded I felt.Where was the rest of the world? Where were the rest of the people?
I had entered a place so unknown and foreign, and behind me I had left the door to my life closed.
I shook my head. I looked at the stars.
No, I had opened another door and found a path that lead me to a new life, a new world. One I was now a part of.
Alice came back just a few minutes later, her eyes beaming at me. She looked me up and down, “Have I told you you look beautiful tonight, Grace?”
Her words caught me off guard, and I looked down at my reflection in the water. My dark hair was piled high on my head, and my make up was perfection. The black dress had fit me like a glove.
I felt her hand on my shoulder, and her lips on my neck. “Are you ready to go? The fun here is over, lets go find more somewhere else.”
“But when my grandfather died,” she had said. “My uncle came to live with my grandmother and I.”
Her uncle was her mother's brother, he was only a little bit older than Alice.
“He had always appeared so clean and godly to me.” Alice said, smiling a bit, “He had us all so fooled. It must run in the family.” She had paused then. Lost in thought.
“He was in the smuggling business. He ran his job out of a warehouse his father's family had owned for years and years. He introduced me to the life when I was 16. And from that moment in time on, it wasn't even an option to live a normal life again. It was like heroin, but by the time he came around I was already addicted. I was hooked on this lifestyle.
“Once my grandma died,” she had continued her story, “We inherited the house, and for a few years we ran the business from there.” Another pause. “Then one day he was gone.”
She had left the end of her story there, but my mind kept trying to race to the next chapter.
I was standing on the marble veranda now, looking out over the lake and the acres of green grass. There were stars out, and the moon was full and bright. Alice had gone back into the crowd to find one last person on her list. I stayed back to think.
It occurred to me then, as I looked out over the land, how lost and secluded I felt.Where was the rest of the world? Where were the rest of the people?
I had entered a place so unknown and foreign, and behind me I had left the door to my life closed.
I shook my head. I looked at the stars.
No, I had opened another door and found a path that lead me to a new life, a new world. One I was now a part of.
Alice came back just a few minutes later, her eyes beaming at me. She looked me up and down, “Have I told you you look beautiful tonight, Grace?”
Her words caught me off guard, and I looked down at my reflection in the water. My dark hair was piled high on my head, and my make up was perfection. The black dress had fit me like a glove.
I felt her hand on my shoulder, and her lips on my neck. “Are you ready to go? The fun here is over, lets go find more somewhere else.”