Blue Smoke Memoir

ONLY THE BEGINNING-CHAPTER 1

I finished college with a degree in English and still had no idea what I wanted to do. The degree was really a certificate of proof for my parents that I actually did go to college and there was no way I could go back home without some sort of deed of confirmation. Like many new graduates, I came back home after  

the graduation ceremony with the beaming appearance of pride on my mother's face and the scowling warning to find a job out of my father's mouth. The first step to becoming an adult, according to my father, was to become a responsible adult. Therefore I was from now on responsible for the gas bill. It it's turned off, I'm  

responsible.  

"I don't have a job! This is due in two weeks! At least give me another week," I pleaded, trying my best to sound sympathetic.  

"Why don't you have a job? You knew you would need one," my father asked, waiting to hear one of my excuses. I couldn't think of one at that moment so we sat there looking at each other waiting for the other to respond. He let out a sigh and stood up.  

"You have a real sense of cleverness for making things happen. You'll find something," he said with a half smile. He was probably referring to the many times that I called home begging for money. I always felt that my parents knew all that money wasn't being spent on educational textbooks. I finally got busted  

when my best friend Tanya let it slip in front of my parents that I had a really nice stereo system. He drove all the way to the school, came into my dormitory, onto the third floor, into my room, stopped M.C. Hammer in the middle of "Let's Get It Started," unplugged the stereo and carried it out, completely  

ignoring me and my roommates who watched the entire drama in shock.  

"I think he was a little upset," Millie said.  

"You think, Millie. What did you do, Alex?" asked Lisa. Since I was too embarrassed to tell them exactly what the real deal was,I had to say something.  

"I forgot to invite him to the party last week," I said, trying to hide my embarrassment. It was no need to brood over the situation, the worst was sure to come. I didn't go back home for six months and when I finally got the nerve to go back, my father gave me the stereo back. It was in a plastic trash bag in  

a thousand pieces.

With the need for immediate employment and money, my best friend asked her uncle to help me find employment almost immediately. I was now on the payroll at Bob's Discount Liquor Mart. Bob's motto was 'Low Prices for a High Time.' My father was furious with me for almost a month. Most of the time he  

would walk by giving me a long look of disgust. Occasionally, he may say little things as he would pass by me such as 'Where did they hang your B.A.? Is it over the M.D. or the Ole' E?' When I brought home a half-gallon of his favorite scotch, he finally gavein and figured it wasn't as bad as he thought. At least my fringe benefits weren't so bad.  

One afternoon, the long awaited call finally came.  

"Hey C.G., you got a phone call this morning," Bob yelled from his office. C.G. was a nickname Bob made up. It meant college girl.  

"It's from that new cigarette plant they just built." I knew when I put an extra five dollars in the collection plate Sunday it would come back tenfold. Before I made the call that could change my life, Bob had already started a preliminary business negotiation.  

"You know C.G., if you get that job up there, you can get cigarettes dirt cheap," he said, lowering his voice so no one else would hear him for whatever reason. I couldn't figure out why, everyone else had left for lunch.  

"I don't smoke Bob, you know that."  

"Well, you know since, I, uhh, sell 'em here, maybe you can help me out whenever I get low. You know what I mean C.G.?"  

"Yeah Bob, I know." Agreeing with him just helped sidestep his barter for cheap cigarettes. He was already selling them a dime a piece for those that couldn't afford a whole pack.  

My interview with Miles Porter Cigarette Establishment took place almost three months ago. When Miles Porter called back, it was definitely the news I needed to hear. The return phone call was to set up an appointment with the company's physician. I needed to hear when I would start working, but this was my first major step to starting a career in corporate America. That meant I could make more money and not get my bonus in the form of a six-pack of cheap malt liquor. There was one problem, what was my job title? I interviewed for a job and didn't know what the hell it was for. The fear of uncertainty began to overshadow my confidence. I had heard stories from other people that did preliminary interviews. One of the questions asked-'What would you do if someone told you to go  

get a broom and start sweeping?' They couldn't possibly want to hire me as a housekeeper. Could they? My father paid too much money for my degree for me to sweep floors. It was bad enough that I sold liquor. I needed to call someone at the company to find out about the vacant position. No, I couldn't do that. That would  

really make me look stupid. They probably already know that I didn't ask questions about anything. The only person I knew to call about the whole situation was my best friend Tanya.  

"Hey girl, what's up?"  

"Tanya, I think they gonna throw me whatever job is available," I said, almost on the verge of losing it.  

"For that type of money, who gives a damn. I know my uncle can't pay you like that, and if he is, you gotta be giving up something," she said half laughing.  

"Oh, we got jokes today, I see. You know what he did the other day? He erased the expiration dates off some beer, and then sold it as the weekly special.  

He said if anybody drinks this shit, it's because they have to."  

"Now my uncle is smart in his own screwed up kinda way. Any way, don't sweat it girl. They knew what they were doing when they hired you, they needed someone like you. I'm so happy for you girl," she said. We must have talked our usual hour that night. I knew it was someone I could talk to about my  

upcoming future.  

Tanya and I have been friends since the 4th grade. Since I didn't have any brothers or sisters, she became part of my family. We became good friends when she stopped Tina Lewis from taking my seat on the school bus one afternoon. I'll never forget it. Tanya stood up to Tina, although her face was right in Tina's 36DD chest. It didn't matter that Tina outweighed her by a good 75 lbs., but she didn't back down. Tina pulled her gigantic right arm all the way back behind her and swung. Tanya ducked and used the only weapon she had: her 10 pound American Revolutionary history book. She jammed that book as hard as she could into Tina's massive stomach. As Tina doubled over in pain, she and Tanya were now eye to eye, the first for any female, or any male come to think  of it, in the 4th grade. At that moment when the enemy was at her weakest point, she took advantage of her fragility. Tanya gave her a left upper cut right into Tina's nose. It was fierce. The bus went silent and then there was Tina's wailing with blood streaming down her face. Tanya calmly walked over and asked me if I was alright. At that moment, she became my best friend. Years later I asked her why did she stand up to Tina Lewis for me. Tanya said she wasn't defending me, she was pissed that Tina had gotten to me first, she didn't like me much either.