It shouldn't matter. I can't imagine something as trite and foolish as game show tickets would distract me from the obvious unfairness of my situation. I was a happy, healthy young man with a college education, a beautiful girlfriend that I loved and my whole life ahead of me...
But thanks to Sully, I'm now a short, middle-age, hugely obese black woman with a limited education and no real chance to improve my situation. He's not only my supervisor now - practically my boss - but he's stolen my Susie! Susan Paxon was a sweet, wonderful girl...and I had loved her.
Despite all that, my new feelings, mentality and personality dominated me now. Sully smiled down at the fat, ol' mammy his Aunt Kim had turned his rival into, and he hugged her back. The man I was may have hated him, but now I was Beulah Brown...and as Beulah, I felt oddly pleased by his condescending tone. After all, I was now a pretty stupid old woman, and he was obviously much smarter and better than me.
And...burning through any hatred I tried to muster...was the promise of Price Is Right tickets. I could just imagine myself standing next to Drew Carey while he explains the rules of 'Plinko' or 'Higher or Lower' to me.
"You see, Beulah...you'll be much happier once you settle down and accept what you are now. After all, you have no choice in the matter."
"Then why did's you tell me 'bout it? Why let me knows 'bout how you done made me different an' stuff?"
Sully smiled at her naiveté, and kissed her on her big nose. "Because what's the use of beating someone - destroying them utterly - if you can't gloat about it. Well...you should get to bed. And don't worry, Beulah...I'll always take care of you. Once I marry Susan, I'm going to have you quit and come work for me. You'll be our big, jolly housekeeper. And when Susan starts having babies, you'll be an excellent nanny and wet nurse. Why, we'll call you 'Mammy Beulah' and you'll be just like a member of the family. Won't that be nice?"
The thought of spending the rest of my life working for Sully...cooking for him...cleaning his house...caring for the children Susan would have (children they should have had) and nursing Susan's babies with her big, milk-filled breasts...
It was terrible. It was offensive. It sounded like a dream come true.
Sully dropped me off at my rundown little apartment and patted my enormous butt as he saw me inside. I'd eaten well, but the nights revelations were too terrible, and I knew I'd have to drown my sorrows in beer and junk food before I got to bed. He said "Remember what I said about the tickets. If you play your cards right...and do exactly as I say...you'll be in the Showcase Showdown by next week."
The next day, though I'd tried to hold onto my hatred for the man, I found I just couldn't do it. After all, he was now my boss! I mean, what did I want to do, get fired? That would be crazy!
"Hello, Beulah."
I looked up from the trash can I was emptying and saw Susan Paxion smiling down at me. I hadn't realized I'd been cleaning around her desk.
"How is you doin', Miss Paxion?" I asked as I sprayed disinfectant into the can and replaced the bag. "Mista Sully say he an' you has a date tonight?"
Susan smiled, but she looked a little annoyed as well. "Yeah, we've got a date planned...but I don't know. I like Sully, but I can't shake the feeling that something's missing. Like...I knew someone else...oh, it's silly. But yeah, I'm going out with him...after I visit his Aunt Kim's beauty parlor. He gave me a gift certificate for a make over, and...I don't know. It's like he's pushing too hard, you know?"
Beulah Brown's spine went tight at the mention of Kim's Salon. Was this an innocent gift, or did he have plans for her? Did he sense that she was unsatisfied with him, and he'd instructed his Aunt Kim to chance her?