I was sitting here remembering a conversation I had with a complete stranger in a Hotel whirlpool juczzi one year in my many trips around the country. As I sit and recall the conversation I found it to be the most insightful piece of information, that I at the time completely put it aside as useful in the world of incoherant noise that most of us process.

Why do I want to talk about it? Because I have come to find that there might be some truth in it. 10 years later mind you.

There were two people sitting in the pool before I arrived. They were white and most of the time these things do not drive a story. For this story these things matter, Two people I don't know begin to engage conversation with me, Color has never been a problem for me and one will rarely find me referancing these things as motivations for the words that come out of the mouths of others. The woman engages first, with the customary hello, that I was sure would have been the end of the conversation. Of course there would be no story.

As I sit in the warm water the hello drags on to her asking her companion if I can join them for a drink. He agrees and so do I. What are we drinking. Something white and clear and pleasent in the belly. As the drink lossens my lips I begin to inquire about my friends, "What do they do? Where are they from? Do they drink with everyone that comes to this Hotel?" I was very young to the idea of how people will make themselves seem more than what they are, under the delusion that first impressions always make for better association later. (There was never a later).

Well in this time of my life I was never alone, three of my charming friends arrive as we planned. Women of a wonderful order, with shapes that made most Goddesses envy. We will call them the tripple T's for this story. T stands for trouble and they were all bags of it.

T (1) arrived in red, T(2) arrived in blue, T(3) arrived in pink. The pink was so clear cut it seemed she was nude. I had nothing to do with pink but red was a dear friend and lighter skinned then them all. Why is the hue so important. Because for this story, the words of the woman that sat next to me has rung true in case of the woman in red bathing suite. To this day I am surprised at her awarness and have always wondered and wanted to ask, "How did you know?"

As we sat and spoke and I honsetly explained the situation I was under with a total stranger. The situtation of the tripple T's and there association with me, She asked if I was, "with," any of them? I told her the red is my first pick but we are not exclusize. She said, "That's a pitty, I would have chosen the darker one in blue, though she is only into women, after a month you could change that, and marriage would be more ideal for you?" I had to ask,"What makes you say that, because I am black and it is better than people of the same hue relate with one another?"

She blushes and says," She is for interrational relations, nothing agianst it. She just does not trust the one in red because Mulottos are known for being double crossers." At first I was initally appauled. She had the nerve to come to this sound judgment of character based on what proof?" Though as I sat and listened I asked her companion if he was of the same opinion and he says, "Sure where there is money involved."

I being of the mind that no matter the hue of our skin, we are all have the propensity to double cross one another, does not mean that because of the olive hue one is willing to maime for a dollar more readily than the next. The ideas of loyalty and disloyaty are universal and based on education. Are they not?

To this day I can't tell you for the life of me what prometed this conversation and like I said in the begining, it went in one ear and out the other. Yet as I watched her progress of the...., (The lady in red), boy was I surprised as to how quickly the words of a passing stranger where becoming truer and more real. I could not but help to wonder if I was looking for it. If I was wating for the ball to drop. If I should have kept the woman in blue who had a thing for my last girlfiriend around and convinced her of how happy a home two of the same complexion can really create.

When it occured: The double cross: I am thankful that it was not behind my back: that it was in my face and because I am the gent that I am: I needed not do anything except excel and release. Can you imagine it was over a belly ring: She did what for a belly ring: a $25.00 belly ring and because we were not exclusive what could be said: She simply proved the point of a total stranger who showed me more kindness in that hotel pool than anyone else I knew.

I still to this don't want to admit how horrible it feels to know someone you took time to care for decided it was ok to tempt your patience and personal health for a $25.00 belly button ring: I suppose if I was to entitle a song about this belly button ring I woudl call it:

"It Stopped at a Kiss...."

I never let him touch me where you did last week;

Who else was going to buy me that drink;

You told me when we first started seeing eachother; you wouldn't show signs of a jealous tick:

You told me from the begining, you could care less what I did with my body, women have a right to be naughty

to play with hot toddies:

you should be thankful that I stopped at a kiss....

Its not a challange to your manhood

I come home to you every weekend, get over your pouting

It's not like I was mouthing the mick or filled with excitment of the night

I stopped at a kiss....