In a circle she stood. A broad oval of young and assured men. Each of their sharp planed faces more mocking than the next. She was trying to tell them. All the energy she put into building up the bravery to face them made no difference as she stood there. This was a battle of her faith against their disbelief. They were her friends. The people she valued and trusted.
Her pretty brown hair fit into a simple pony tail that swung as her head moved. Feminine bows sat on her dress as decorative toppings to the picture of womanhood she presented. "In any organization like this talking to the local businesses is a good move. We're a small private club. Outside money is the only way we are going to expand."
"This isn't the time for us to be talking about this. We have other business to address." A strong face stared across at her. He was large and intimidating, but a pussycat if you knew where to pet him. She loved him like a brother and it tore at her to watch him toss away her concerns so carelessly.
A brown skinned boy, adjacent to the menace of a man, spoke in agreement. "I think we can talk about this later, Julia."
She swallowed the lump in her throat and sat down. They continued with their business talk, completely excluding her. Anger burned in the pit of her stomach. As men they were more liberated than most, but that didn't stop them from acting like men. She wanted to cry and scream and get their attention. Seconds later they broke up. Her small hand shook as she began to clean up. Tears touched her eyelashes.
Not one looked back to see her swipe away the steak of salt water off her face. When she bounced over to the loving group the hurt was hidden. It was one more condemnation on her part. The silly smile she plastered on her face a sentence of it's own as she fed into their ignorance. Later on it would be all the same. A woman true to her title, so little Wo but reinforced in her Man.
The End.
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