my name is regina, im heartbroken. my story is a long one, going back to 1926. i was born into the brunswick family and like a slave they sold me off to a rich family who stored me in their mansion only to be ravaged by menfolk who thought nothing of laying on me for hours at a time. they burned me with their cigarettes, kicked at me in their madness, and abused me in many ways that only a man can. my beauty lasted though even through thier rough punishment. eventually i was resold to another family one with even less respect for my clothing and fine lines. drinks were spilled on me, curses flew around like hens in a chicken coup, and little attention was ever paid me other than when the men wanted something to lay on which appealed to their own desire. a few years later i went commercial. from a debutante to a harlot i ended up on the streets of chicago taken on by pimp who sold me by the hour to whoever would pay. a never ending line of humanity played me, boys, men, women. they all thought more of themselves then me. still my lines retained the beauty of my birth, the solidness of my foundation kept me on the level, and never once did i ever embarrass those who used me for their own desires. i always gave them the best i had to offer. now im alone, 85 years old, no retirement plan, no home of my own, but taken in by gerald. a good elderly man who thinks of me as the debutante i once was. he means well. he promised me that he'd have a doctor, the best in the country, to come take care of me. i was so happy for gerald in that his friends and children were cautioned to treat me nicely until the doctor would come and fix me up. almost a year now and no doctor has come. im beginning to feel uneven, my bounce seems to be fading, my clothing is getting thin. gerald doesnt know how to care for me except to brush me, wipe me down, and play with me in the kindest way. if i knew how to contact this doctor myself i'd give him a piece of my mind. he has promised gerald he'd be here to care for me but he doesnt come. i know i'll live on for a long time even under the care of other doctors who act more like auto technicians than billiard doctors. so thats my story. regina is my name. gerald is my owner. i am heartbroken for him. some day, some day, just maybe a doctor will knock on the door and fix me, but until then i depend on gerald to do the best he can.