My name is Marie Flannery. I live in Atlanta and I am twenty eight years old. These days, I attend Georgia Tech. I'm thinking of becoming a mechanic. I've been many things in this life. Waitress, Firefighter and even Army Soldier. All of these were good jobs but my passion is mechanics. Life seems so much simpler when you're fixing something, at least, that's how it always seemed to me. I've always been good at fixing things. Machines are so much simpler than people.
Life is not easy for an Irishwoman living in America . Yet I manage. You really need to get a college degree if you want to function in today's society. You can't get by on luck and good looks alone, although at five-foot-ten, with short blonde hair and pale gray eyes, I was considered to be quite good-looking. So what if I'm a bit on the chubby side? Lots of men think curvy women have a special appeal. Many Irishmen think big girls are awesome! Yeah, I had my share of admirers back in Ireland . I sometimes miss the old country. There's no other place quite like it on this planet. It's the land of my fathers. A wonderful place. My Emerald Isle is dear to my heart.
Ever since moving to Atlanta , I've been quite curious about the American nightlife. I met a young man named Raphael Hugh, and he became my friend, my lover, and my guide in this shimmering new world. Raphael was a tall, good-looking young black man. He was quite lovely to look at, really. Tall, muscular, with dark brown skin and long hair braided into dreadlocks. His eyes were hazelnut brown and he was the sort of man all the young ladies simply went crazy for. He attended Georgia Tech and was currently studying engineering. He also played football. Yeah, I was quite fond of the lad.
Raphael showed me around Atlanta . He took me to all the trendy nightspots. I loved hanging out with him. He was good-looking, charming and great company. I considered myself to be pretty lucky. Raphael had his share of admirers. Lots of young ladies on the college campus like young male athletes, especially good-looking young black men like Raphael. The fact that he was a running back for the Georgia Tech football team also increased his popularity with the ladies. Although many young black and Latin women showed an interest in him, Raphael loved hanging out with an Irish tomboy like me.