My Ledbury Shirt

For my Birthday a while ago, my Dame de Mois at the time,  gave me a Ledbury dress shirt. It was magenta with the inside collar and cuffs in a subtle eggshell hue. I was excited to try it on and model it for her. The process of opening a new dress shirt is tedious. I have always been curious as to why they use so many straight pins in new shirts.

I began pulling out  the pins and putting them in a nearby empty beer can.

” Don’t throw them away!” She screamed. “Give them to me,  I save straight pins!” 

” Why the hell would you want to save all these pins?” I inquired.

” I use them on my Voodoo dolls.” She smiled in a scary sort of way.

First and last time I wore the shirt. I decided to move from New Orleans to Costa Rica in  a week and told her of my plans.

” A week! I’m not sure I can be ready in that short amount of time. There’s a lot I’ll need to take care of.'” She responded in an excited tone.

” It’s okay, I wasn’t planning on taking you with me.” 

” You mean I’m not coming with you to Costa Rica? You’re an insensitive bastard.”

She stomped off slamming the door then opening it and slamming it again. 

” Fuck you Santiago! Hope you get Dengue or Malaria or some other shit!”

I contracted Dengue eight months later, spending a week in the hospital. Now and then I  feel short stabbing pains especially in my groin area. A Doctor’s examination couldn’t determine a cause for the piercing pains. I had an idea as to the reason,  just don’t want to think it, write it or say it out loud.