Morning all, I am back and somewhat exhausted. It was very much a working week off. I just wasn’t doing my normal work. I also hadn’t expected the week off until August and had plans to try and schedule some things ahead of time. As you are well aware, that didn’t happen. Sorry about that if it messed with anyone’s routines, but as I am getting back into my routine, lets jump into our morning prompt and get back on schedule. So fifteen minutes on the timer and off we go.
No clue what the story is but I always like situations where the relationship balance shifts of flips. I think with this it starts as money but I think I would let it slip into something else, the main character having skills to navigate the new reality better than those who were previously on top. And then there are all those delicious emotionally traumatic moments where people have to readjust their thinking. Childhood insults, sense of self shifting. So many things that could be played with. But I would need to figure out the world forst though.
Monday, July 20th: It made me rethink everything.
It made me rethink everything. I knew that I couldn’t go on as before. It would be too noticeable now and noticeable was not what I needed. They were used to me being the one they looked down on, the one they pitied because I had significantly less funds than they did.
I was fine with that. I rarely spent time with them these days when it wasn’t required. Occasionally my work required it, but that too was coming to an end.
‘In more ways than one,’ I thought.
We all went to the same schools. I was a scholarship student and so they and their parents were hesitant when I was around. They seemed to believe ‘scholarship student’ was one step away from ‘criminal mastermind’. Once they were certain that I was not a criminal element and from a modest but ‘decent’ family, everyone felt good about being my friend.
Like they had performed an unexpected act of charity.
At that age I wanted to fit in so I ignored all the undertones. I ended up at the same university as many of them, our school feeding into several schools each year, at least that was how it felt and what the school brochures promised. They didn’t mention that you either had to work really hard or have a lot of money.
I didn’t have the money but I had my brains and wasn’t afraid of work. I ended up with a university scholarship as well, which had to be supplemented by jobs when I wasn’t in class as the scholarship only went so far. I was lucky enough to take work that tied into my studies even if it was a lower rank than what I was training for. It gave me a good understanding of how things worked at ground level so to speak and later proved invaluable.
I was still the good deed they did, but as everyone else kept reminding me, they were good for connections. None of them ever helped me with connections though. There was no one I met through them or when I was with them that in anyway forwarded my plans. Being friends with me was one thing, introducing me was clearly a step too far.
Over time I stopped attending most of their events, I was busy and made other friends. I wasn’t so worried about fitting in any more. I found a different place to fit. I did still go occasionally. Part of me wanted to be reminded of their casual disregard when I started feeling overly nostalgic. Part of me wanted to see if they ever found out that I was no longer the cash strapped student they once knew.
Sure there was a part of me that wanted to see the look on their faces and the recognition that I had done well. Part of me hoped it would be respect instead of tolerance but even in my fantasies I couldn’t make that play for very long. They inherited money, and their place, they didn’t work for it or respect anyone who had. They could fake the respect if there was a good enough incentive, but I knew full well that there would be mocking insults made as soon as the person left.
I suppose that was why I never told them anything about my business. Never showed off the accumulating wealth or pointed out my success. I didn’t want them making the same comments about me when my back was turned. But now things were different. The changes in the market saw to that. They still had properties and assets of course, but the cash was gone. I just sold my latest business and was finally taking a bit of a break before deciding if I wanted to call it retirement or start a new project.
Ten til Midnight 