Believing in the Dead

Skip Eloge has his mostly empty Miller Lite Beer bottle hoisted to his lips when I stopped at the corner of the bar he was sitting at placing my hand on his shoulders and fondly calling his name. His entire body tensed and I thought he might shit his pants. It's been a long time since he's seen me so he may have been shocked by my appearance. I look ... happy. He'd never seen me this way. Plus I have an ear ring, shoulder length hair, a black wedding band and was wearing a Sex Wax tee shirt. We were also in Spankey's Southside which is his haunt, not mine ... it's too far from the beach. I'd just finished a boisterous lunch with a group of old time Savannah leadership. I'm just supposed to be dead as far as Skip's concerned. Jerry Rainey told him so therefore it must be true. But there I was as alive, connected and kicking just like always. Then again Skip is afraid of anything outside of his own skin. "Hello Micheal," I heard her say. Turning, I saw that Frances Carter was his lunch time drinking partner. She looked sad and dark as she reached to shake my hand ... like she always does when she has to shake my hand. I can see her thinking, "Dammit! He's still around? He's supposed to be dead? The Board Chair who chooses to remain anonymous just changed the words ... so that instead of "Jesus loves me this I know" ... it's now "Micheal's dead this I know because I'm the leader and I told you so." Unfortunately, Frances believed him though in fairness to her I know a lot of people who believe in things they shouldn't. Anyway, I have mostly fond memories of them. After Judy the previous CEO of Union Mission sold her soul to selfishness and misappropriated $1.3 Million in money to help the homeless, I hired Skip to replace her. Things were a mess and I was having a difficult time. Betrayal is bitch and I was earning a Ph.D. without having enrolled in the course. But we were fixing things and it was getting better. Frances was the last person I hired at Union Mission. When the Board Chair who chooses to remain anonymous (aforementioned Jerry Rainey called me while I was on vacation to say he and I were just never going to get along) the last thing I fought for was that they keep Frances. He did though she and I never developed any kind of relationship. I did try when I got back from St. Martin but its much easier to believe in the dead. There have been a few times when she's been forced to acknowledge my existence and its never been pretty. I don't pay much attention to her as life as moved on. "How are things going?" I asked her at the bar. "Great!" she said unconvincenly. "Keep it up," I said turning and leaving them there. Walking out into the bright sunshine, I made my way to Sarah who was shopping nearby. Sarah was the last person Frances surprised with hatred. Sarah and I are married now, have really good tans and enjoy creating a new life. It all worked out the way that it's supposed to I guess (for Board Chairs who choose to remain anonymous tell me so). We had to go anyway. We had a business meeting in the Corporate Headquarters of Micheal Elliott Enterprises and our partners were waiting. On the agenda was a list of all of the people in Savannah that I need to meet with over the next several weeks and those have already begun taking place. They are just going to increase. I mean if you believe ... then the dead are not always neatly put away. Stones can be rolled away. People can come back from the dead. It's always shocking when it happens. See you all soon.