Discovered

Chapter Four

Watching another woman come into the lounge, and envying her too for her unquestioned right to be the person she was, I again asked myself the question that had so often tormented me in the past. Why won’t they just let me be what I want to be ? Why, why, why ? The turmoil in my mind was nothing new, but now it had new and terrifying implications.

My thoughts, a mixture of anger and despair, were interrupted when I realized that the woman was walking over to where I was sitting. “Hi” she said brightly. “I’m Lucy”. She was probably one of the staff about to tell me what the evening’s entertainment would be in the lounge, but I was in no mood to be polite. “Look, I said, “I want to be left alone.” That should have snubbed her but it didn’t. “Well,” the woman said, “that may be how you feel but I’m not going away”. And she pulled out the chair that Alan had vacated and sat down opposite me. My annoyance erupted in anger. “Now look here …” I started, but she cut me short. “You can make as much fuss as you like.” she said. “Go ahead and call the bartender. Call Security if you want. “But I’m not moving from here. At least,” she continued, “not until I’ve met Alison”.