Victoria, I mentioned her in a three part story: The land of Dixie 1; The Circus Comes to Town 2: and Victoria In the Garden of Eden 3. Even thought the last title has her name in it she was not the focal point and received little personal attention in the story. However, she was one of the most unique women I have ever known and deserves attention from my storyteller nature.

Holding Too Tight Is Not Possession

I had met her over a plate of Grits in a back road dinner in the Carolina’s (see 2 above).  Suffice to say that she was strikingly beautiful; knew it; but didn’t care in the sense of the way beautiful women often present themselves. While a somewhat rare commodity, I have found this more often in the south than other parts of the country. Best as I have been able to determine is they have mothers that are even more beautiful and it keeps things in perspective for them. Just my opinion ….

As I said in the last story, we were not soul mates but we did have a more basic connection. We were lovers and old friends within hours and no pretenses necessary. Usually men wanted to own Victoria. It’s a curse very attractive women have to deal with. She told me once that she dreaded a second or third date and often turned it down with a guy she liked because they read more into it than there was. I suppose possession of pretty things is a curse men must deal with. Thanks to a very wise old Grandfather (see A Grandfather) that curse was lifted from me. He taught me when I was a little boy, “Why want what you can’t have when there are so many other things you can have.” I respected him too much not to take heed. The lesson has served me well.

 I guess Victoria picked up on this through that connection we had and was always comfortable with me whenever we went out. I only saw her when I was in town and even then not all the time. I ran into her on some of those occasions we did not go out but we were both OK with it.

Devil in A Fringe Skirt

She was a devil though the truth be known. Some of this I was not aware of in the beginning but was able to piece together over time. Here’s a good example – Apparently she had a reputation in the local Honky Tonks that was “no paws aloud.” Lay your hands on Victoria and you were at the very least going to be told off and embarrassed to the best of her ability. Even if you were out with her that night it was no hanging on. I remember sitting at the bar with her one night facing the dance floor on Cowboy Night, hats and all. Now I’m pretty free with my hands with a girl I have an intimate relationship with but not particularly at a bar. She’s wearing a short fringe skirt and she reaches over and places my hand on her thy. I don’t think anything of it at the time but guys walking by are actually stopping in their tracks waiting for the explosion that doesn’t happen. They shake their head and move on. One guy even leans to my far ear and says, “don’t do that!” At first I’m thinking I’ve got a problem with this guy but he was actually trying to warn me. But I was oblivious to all this at the time…. She was just being a bitch – Look, he can do it but you can’t! She could be a very bad girl!

Still A Down Home Girl

She was an independent woman. Made a good income, lived in a nice place and drove a nice car. But she went home often to be with her mom somewhere in a very rural area of So. Carolina. They apparently had a very close and open relationship. Her mom had apparently approved of me after Victoria had told her things about our personal relationship that I’m sure I wouldn’t tell my mother. Hell, I won’t even tell you what they were here.

We keep our “Same Time Next Year” type relationship (it was actually a few times a year) going for a number of years. Then I didn’t go down to the Carolinas again for about two years. When I did get back down there I found the number had been disconnected. A little poking around and I found out she had gotten married and moved to a town a few miles away. I had the name and could have found the number in the phone book but I left well enough alone. “Why want what you can’t have when there are so many things you can have.” I went to Cowboy Night!