Birthday Wishes

I recently had the privilege to celebrate the auspicious occasion of enduring life for thirty years, O gentle readers, what a joyous affair was held for your humble author. A body of my closest friends assembled for beverage, food, and frivolity at the Osaka’s where our mouth’s delighted at the teppanyaki cooking. Mistress Alberta, her Paramour and their Irish servant arrived first. Mistress Alberta is one of those fascinating young women, she smokes in public, is known to have a snifter of port, and most dangerously is one of those women who has ideas tucked away in her pretty little head. Some people would say she is odd, but I must admit those words have been whispered about me and find her to be far more refreshing then “odd”, I would rather not waste my time talking to anyone whose idea of happiness is defined by marriage and the possession of baubles. Her paramour Master Sklens, while jaundiced and skeletal in appearance is quite lucky to have been blessed by the presence of such an extraordinary woman. I most note my concern due to his wraith like appearance; I believe I have heard that young master Sklens suffers some undiagnosed intestinal aliment; the man refuses most opiates when offered, according to him it makes his hands shake wildly.
Young master Ian Ash was the last to arrive; bringing with him a towering Polynesian waif he met on his last voyage abroad; for a native girl her English was impeccable. The general conscious amongst my company was that we should have waited longer for any last minute stragglers to arrive; something I felt was not warranted. Gentle readers, I have little patience as it is, but it’s not as if those attending were small children in need of a tyrannical mother figure to beat them into submission, I invited adults and thusly expected them to act in a way that best reflects the maturity they wish to claim. If my cousin, who had sworn for weeks that his presence would be felt decides not to come I feel that I owe him nothing, for weeks I had sent letters reminding him of the location and time what more can I be expected to do. Am I supposed to drive wildly through the night and arrive at his door deeming that he hurry into the waiting carriage, I say no, he claims to be a man and if he would rather spend the night sprawled across the floor ridding the dragon then so be it, I rather doubt that his extraordinary intellect would have added anything to the nights festivities. Incidentally the food was extraordinary, I wish I had the skill to describe the texture of the beef and the arousing odor the cooked vegetables, but I feel that food is food and we all, gentle readers have some idea of what brisket tastes like.
After diner, we all arrived at a coffee houses that attracts all manners of bohemians; some members of my party expressed their discomfort as the establishment was owned by muhammedans, but their fears were large washed away by the large bottles of laudanum that were procured. It was this beverage that loosened up the tongue of Mistress Alberta’s redheaded companion who led us through many a bawdy song she must have learned in her youth. What fun we had, gentle readers, as our minds sauntered towards a state of bliss, moving ever faster away from our worldly concerns. I admit, and perhaps this is a fault in my character, that I had found a great sense of peace as my faculty grew beyond itself. I felt numbness in my extremities but I was beyond caring about locomotion in my limbs, my eyes welled with joy with each ragged breath I could produce. My dear readers, I had seen beyond myself and found that peace of mind was waiting there, and whilst gorging myself at the trough of happiness I hade a wondrous vision. She floated above as if attached firmly to the sky above, her neck was adorned with a string of lilies and her flowing brown hair was the only thing covering her luminescent immodest. I could taste the honey dew on her lips and I tell you, as scandalous as my wanton desire might sound that I wanted nothing more then her to lie next to me. Unfortunately dreams come to an unceremonious ends, and this was one such occasion, as the brutish Turk whisked me to my feet and told me that my companions and I must leave. It seems that young master Sklens, had a terrible coughing fit and made the other customers feel uncomfortable, so our night was at an end and we wished each other many pleasant partings.
I rode home in silence evaluating the image that had sprouted briefly into mind and tried to make sense of the wisdom age has granted me. I know that I am sometimes beset by fits of melancholy, but I am the determining factor of happiness in my life and while not unhappy I can’t help but feel a strange sadness. I feel a terrible longing for something I can barley comprehend, it’s not a sickly child and a cowered haggard wife but I do feel the need for something akin to family, all the laudanum and miracle elixirs in this world can’t feel the deep sadness in my heart; and I want love from another. I do wonder if a man of my age can find someone who can reciprocate my kindness, which I assure despite my personal eccentricities is without suspect. The day, despite an unwanted appearance by my black dog was a great success; I do hope that the next few weeks treat me as well.
Respectfully Yours,
D