Bid Whist at Midnight
by
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The Mission Inn crowd was clearly a mixture of military and civilians, each distinguished by their attire. Even out of uniform military men looked like military men. Not only did their short hair give them away, but their attire of slacks with sport shirts, most of which were purchased at the post exchange, looked just as uniform as the battle attire they wore daily. Tie dyes, bell bottoms, long hair, granny dresses, hot pants, love beads and the ever present peace symbol adorned those determined to make a statement about the military and about the war in general. In the small space with its minuscule dance floor, however, they all came together for one purpose, to dance their woes, sorrows and tribulations away or to meet and connect gaining new woes sorrows and tribulations in the frenzy of gyrations to the loud, endless beat. Dorcus knew that Anton was a regular customer when the house staff and the DJ spinning the records all greeted Big A by name. They danced, he drank, they danced some more, he drank some more. She wondered what kind of pain he was trying to dull, or what he might be trying to forget. Moreover, she wondered if she could ever fit into this world of his.
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About the Book
In the midst of the turbulent 1960s, four girls enter college in Orangeburg, South Carolina. As Sardis, Grace, Dorcus, and Taletha develop friendships, they find solace, support, and laughter through a regular weekend card game that erases the harsh reality of the times. Unfortunately, the girls’ worlds are about to be rocked with tragic results.
Twenty years after the tragedy, the girls secretly reunite to finally finish the game interrupted on the worst night of their lives. After the old friends greet each other warmly, a strange atmosphere settles over the table. None of the women wants to step back into the dark place that will force them to relive their pasts and the horrible events that led up to the Orangeburg Massacre. But as the game marathon begins, Sardis, Grace and Dorcus soon realize that guilt still haunts them; until they can let go of the powerful emotions that have held them prisoner for so long, they will never be able to move forward.
Bid Whist at Midnight is a compelling tale that illustrates the power of friendship as three girls embark on a coming-of-age journey that will lead them to forgiveness, love, and a long-awaited farewell to a friend.
About the Author
At Los Angeles Southwest College, Marva Washington won a writing contest with the short story, “Miss Jessie‘s Tale.” Other writing experiences include four years as a staff writer for The Herald Dispatch and Watts Star Review. Her latest work was in the January/February 2010 edition of Good Old Days Magazine titled, “Secrets.” She is a Viet Nam Era Veteran and child of the untamed 60s generation.