A Different Kind of Currency

Chapter One: A Different Currency

"...for us physicists believe the separation between past, present, and future is only an illusion, although a convincing one." –Albert Einstein

July 4th 2011,

The lace curtains of the kitchen window over the sink, bellowed mesmerizingly. The humid South Carolina air hung heavily, as every once in a while a breeze that carried the distinct scent of honeysuckle would bellow through the curtains. Her fingers had a slight tremble to them as she gripped the heavy ceramic mug, and lifted it to her lips. With a small delicate hand she brushed a stand of dark brown hair from her blue eyes, with an audible sigh, leafed through some of the mail on the dark granite breakfast bar. Junk. Bills. Mortgage was late, which she was already blissfully aware of, all she needed was to settle her case and she would be back on top again. Taking another large swig off of the giant coffee mug, she threw the stack of mail back where she found it, she couldn't pay anything today. Turning on her heel she dumped the remains of her now lukewarm coffee down the sink and grabbed her keys, with a noticeable tremble that keys rattled in her grip. Oh I just love that fine line between too much coffee and not enough.

"Off to the salt mines." She announced to no one in particular.

Charleston morning traffic was murder. It always was, she normally left an hour early just to make it to the office on time. Jolene Jolene Jolene Joleennee Dolly Parton's voice sang from her purse. Rolling her eyes, she blindly fished with her hand in her purse that sat on the passenger's seat. Flipping it open, she didn't even look to see who was calling. Big Mistake. Huge.

"Talk to me." Theresa said slightly irritated as her eyes bore a hole into the car in front of hers license plate.

"Baby." an all too obnoxious high pitched voice cooed.

"Hi, Mama."

"Ya' know, I have been tryin' to get a hold of you for days." Theresa rolled her eyes, and reached into the small compartment above the radio. Pulling out a single loose cigarette she placed it between her lips and pressed the car lighter into heat up. "I even drove past your office yesterday." Her voice dripping with distaste.

"Hey get off the phone jackass!" An older man in his 60's hung out of the passenger window of a passing car. With a sickeningly sweet smile Theresa switched the phone into the right hand and practically hung her body out the window with her middle finger waving in the air.

"What was that!" the older woman screeched.

"Nothin' mama, just southern hospitality at its finest!" she ground out sarcastically. As she fixed herself in the rearview mirror, the humidity was a nightmare as her hair just hung there dead as a doornail. "Wait a minute, what? How did you find out where my office is!"

"Internet, baby… So… I had to drive up that damn road five times before I realized it was you….. Right there in between 'Big Daddy's Bail Bonds' and the arms dealer."

"It's a pawn shop. "

"Oh I'm sorry. I was so distracted by the red blinking neon sign that said: GUNS + AMMO."

"Mama, I'm just starting out it's the only place I can afford, and with being young and having all my student loans and my mortgage…." She trailed off.

"Anyway, I was at my Southern Brides of America meeting"

Oh here we go! Theresa all but bashed her fore head into the steering wheel. So this was really why she called.

"And Maybelle, you remember her, don't ya baby."

"Yes, mama." monotone...but of course she didn't notice. Bethany Collins never noticed anything about her daughter that she didn't want to.

"So anyway, Maybelle has a son just your age, just graduated college..."

"Hold up! Right there mama. I'm a lawyer, I own my own firm. I am not, I stress: not! Going on a date with some boy who just got out of college."

"Baby, you need to realize, you are exceptional. You are extremely smart and God blessed you with that gift. but not everyone is as smart as you most men your age are just getting out of college, and most men don't want to date a girl who is smarter than them, baby if you wanna a life you're gonna have to make some concessions."

"Really? Really, mama! So I should dumb myself down to get a man?"

"Well, it sounds really bad when you put it that way." Theresa mouthed obscenities that should never leave any persons mouth as she took her exit, and pretended to bash the cellphone against the dashboard.

"It is really bad." she said as she composed herself. "Mama, I'm at work; I have to go." she didn't wait for a response as she snapped the phone shut. Pulling into a spot in front of the incredibly small office sandwiched on Main Street, she slid her hands down her face and groaned.

tap tap tap.

Theresa peeked through her fingers even though every fiber of her didn't want to. There was Katie, her secretary, in all her glory standing on the sidewalk, leaning over. Boobs spilling out of her low-cut top, her bleach blonde hair teased, there was a saying Theresa heard all her friends say 'the higher you hair, the closer you are to God.' Sighing, she opened her door and climbed out grabbing her purse.

"Oh Thank the Lord! We have a problem!" Katie cried fanatically, Theresa's eyes bugged out of her head as she looked at her. Theresa's eyes traveled from the white pleather 8 inch stripper heels, up Katie's tanned well-toned legs to the white uber mini skirt that barely covered her 'hoo-hah', and last but certainly not least the tightest most low cut lime green t shirt she'd ever seen.

"Ok baby, gimme a minute." Theresa had to smile and let out a soft chuckle. "What are you wearin' sweetie?" Theresa shook her head laughing as a few pieces of her dark brown espresso colored hair fell out of place.

"Ain't it cute!" Katie laughed striking a pose. Her knees drew in, and she threw her arms up in the air.

"Oh it's cute, and you know I love me some trashy when we are out….but what did we talk about with 'Erin Brocovich trashy'; and 'trashy, trashy' in the office?" Theresa smiled as she slung her black purse over her shoulder.

"Is it 'trashy trashy?" Katie followed closely behind as Theresa made her way into the office, BING BONG the door alarm chirped. Theresa stopped dead in her tracks blue eyes wide, horror etched into her face. About a dozen chickens flapped and ran around the floor of the office. Some fluttering; unsuccessfully trying to fly. Theresa turned to Katie eyes wide, mouth gapping open.

"Remember, when you settled farmer Harper's land dispute and he couldn't pay." Theresa only managed to nod dumbly. "And you told him he could pay you in 'services'."

"Yeeeaaahhh."

"Well, he decided he could pay you in chickens!"

"Oh how nice…." Her stomach dropped, and she felt as any moment she could burst into tears.

"Oh and he said their hens, and their for egg layin' not eatin'." God, she really had needed that money!

"Just ummm gimme a minute okay, I have to use the bathroom." She snapped the door shut behind her, and starred into the mirror, splashing some cool water on her face. Why did her life have to suck so badly? She was talented smart, graduated high school at sixteen, passed her Barr exams by the age of 21, but it all went downhill from there. She always thought she'd be married young but her she was 23 and still never even had a boyfriend. She always made 'concessions' as her mother called them. First it was she didn't want anyone detract her from high school, then college, no one pursued her. She liked to think it was because of her age being so much younger…but that was just an excuse.

She had good self-esteem, she was pretty she was damned smart, but here she was alone nothing to show for it, hell she couldn't even keep a plant or a goldfish alive.

"Jesus, just get me outta here, I'll go anywhere, I'll do anything but I just can't take this shit anymore." She mumbled, she wasn't really serious. Splashing some more cool water on her face, she slipped a pair of thick farmed black glasses on, they were for show, and it was pathetic. She was short only 4'11 and she was tiny, and she guessed she looked younger than she was….she had stooped to trying everything to make herself look more 'experienced', she couldn't afford to lose any more business.

"Tree, your 11 o'clock here." Katie rapped on the door.

"Comin'." It seemed like slow motion. She turned to open the door but the only thing she could think was she must have gotten some water on the floor, because before her mind could ever register what happened, her high heeled feet came out from under her, and the last thing she could was the sickening THWACK! Sound her skull made against the tile.