“Chris and I were having lunch and he must have felt guilty, because he had a come-to-Jesus moment with me.” She laughs at the memory. “Jesus, I thought I was in a confessional.”
“I’m speechless. I honestly don’t know what to say. I’m… I’m sorry.” What is a person to say about this? Better to know now than later? At least you didn’t have children together?
“Don’t be sorry.” She walks past me toward the front door. “You ever have anal sex?” She looks at me and quickly says, “Never mind, you’re my baby sister and I don’t want or need to hear what you do or don’t do in the bedroom. But just so you know, I tried it once, and that shit hurts.” She starts laughing. “Pun definitely intended.”
I laugh, too. “And you’re okay with Chris and Slade being together? I’m assuming they’re together.” I guess it could be a one-night stand.
“Yeah, I get a little satisfaction knowing Slade’s getting it in the ass every night.” I can feel the smile spread across my face. My sister’s brass, but I love her. “Seriously, can I tell you something?”
I can’t imagine what else she wants to tell me. “Yeah, sure, anything.”
“I’m gonna miss Chris.” We laugh that she’s going to miss her old friend but not the old boyfriend. “C’mon, I’m thirsty.”
We walk hand in hand to the market. She’s my older sister and it’s obvious she’s more experienced than I am. She’s carefree and happy, even after what she’s been through with Slade and Chris. She’s always been easy-going for as long as I can remember. While in school, she was happy with C’s as her grades, although she’s anything but average. Sarah definitely takes after our mother.
I’m more reserved and worry about everything, just like our father. I strived for A’s and I was disappointed if I got a B. I would never, ever openly admit to having anal sex with anyone. And one day I want to settle down and have kids. I’m definitely my father’s daughter.
We walk by the church when I see Beau and his daughter locking up and leaving. He waves and smiles. “I’ll be over tomorrow, Carly, if that’s all right?”
“Oh, sweet baby, Jesus. Who is that big hunk of a man?” Sarah whispers so only I can hear her.
I can feel my sister looking at me.
Waving at Beau, I say, “Yeah, okay. Sounds good. It was good seeing you today.”
“You, too. Have a great night.”
I’m thankful when she doesn’t say anything until Beau’s out of earshot. “You’re slick.”
“What?” I say innocently.
“You know what.”
“No, I don’t,” I say with a laugh.
“You let Gram and Pap think you needed some time alone when you’re here just for a booty call.”
I take her arm and pull her down the street at a faster pace. I search behind me to make sure that Beau or anyone else isn’t in earshot. “Shut up. I am not here for a…” I can’t even say it.
I watch her as she says, “‘Yeah, okay. Sounds good. It was good seeing you today.’ What in the hell was that? You were flirting with him, and I have to admit, I don’t blame you.”
“I was teasing you. Do you know who that is?” I ask seriously. We continue to walk further away from the church toward the market. I thought teasing my sister would be funny, but this doesn’t feel right—Beau is a man of God and Sarah’s talking about a booty call.
“Whoever he is, he’s fine.”
“That’s Beau.”
She searches her memory. “That’s little Beauregard with the glasses?”
“He’s not so little anymore.”
Her voice turns sexy. “No, I guess he’s not.”
“Stop it. He’s a man of God.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Her tone changes. “What’s he coming over tomorrow for?”
“To fix the screen door.”
“That’s right. I remember Pap told me about the damage we got from the storm.”
Sarah and I step on the sidewalk when a car passes by. “Beau fixed everything but the screen.”
“Beau’s changed. A lot.” She giggles.
Her giggle is contagious. That’s the gene I didn’t get. I’m not nearly as giggly as my sister.
“Yeah, he has.”
As we near the market she looks out into the bay. “So what else is he doing other than working at the church?”
“He’s married with a daughter.”
“Aw. That’s too bad.”
“Sarah!” I scold.
“What? I don’t mean about the kid, I mean about the part where he’s married. I wouldn’t mind tappin’ that while I’m here.” She smiles brightly and I can’t tell if she’s serious or if she’s trying to embarrass me.
At the market, Tony immediately recognizes Sarah. “Big Shorty,” he says with open arms.
She rushes over and hugs him. “Tony, look at you. You look amazing.”
He pulls away and watches her. “I thought Gram and Pap taught you girls better than to lie to an old man.”
“They did and that’s how you know it’s the truth.”
“Big Shorty, you’re a fast thinker. I always did like that about you.” He looks over at me and smiles. “I saw your sister earlier. What brings you here today?”
“Just wanted to come down and see my sister,” she lies.
He looks pleased with her answer. “I don’t know when the island has had both Shortys on it at the same time.”
“I think it was five years ago… is that right?”
Sarah interrupts, “It was the summer you graduated, Carly.”
It doesn’t seem possible. “That’s right. It’s been five years.”
Sarah smiles at a memory. “I remember your wife brought over a homemade blackberry pie for Carly’s graduation party.”
“Yes, you have a good memory. Maria was a wonderful cook.”
Sarah looks sad. “Oh, Tony. I’m sorry about Maria’s passing. I should have been here.”
“No, Sarah. It’s okay. People get busy with their own lives. You have no reason to apologize.”
“Tony, we loved her. You guys were always like family. Sarah’s right, we should have both been there for you and Beauregard.”
Tony quickly wipes away a tear. “Well, you’re here now and that’s all that counts.” He looks around the store.
Seeing the sadness in his eyes, I decide to change the subject. “I saw Beau and his daughter this evening at the church.”
“What’s today?” he asks.
I quickly look over at Sarah as I’m not exactly sure what the day is. “They were there for choir practice.”
“It’s Wednesday,” Sarah confirms.
“Yes, that’s right. That’s old age creeping up on me. What were we talking about?” He pauses briefly. “Oh, yes, my granddaughter’s one smart cookie,” he said, pointing to his temple with his index finger. “Myra’s my only granddaughter and they don’t get much smarter than that.”
“She’s very sweet. I didn’t know Beau was running the local church.”
“Yes,” he says, wiping down the counter. “He devoted his life to God after his wife left him and Myra.”
Sarah and I look at each other. When neither of us knows what to say, he asks, “What can I get for you?”
“Wine?” Sarah blurts out.
“Ah, yes. I can see a celebration. Big Shorty and little Shorty are celebrating being together. Finally.”
“Yes, we are. It’s been far too long.”
“I have some wine.” He walks over to where the alcohol is on the shelf. “I have good wine. It’s not the best or the most expensive wine, but it is good wine. For what you want it for, it’ll do perfectly.”
“Thank you, Tony. This will be fine.” I take two bottles from the shelf before Sarah reaches behind me and takes the last two. I throw her a look when Tony isn’t looking.
“What? I’m old enough and I’m celebrating.”
I’m embarrassed since I was just here earlier and bought two bottles. Will he t
hink we’re alcoholics? Maybe he won’t remember that I already bought wine earlier. If he mentions it, I’ll just say, “I’m a wine enthusiast.” It sounds better than anything else associated with alcohol. Drunk, tipsy, tanked, or stoned. Or fat. A 750ml bottle of wine has about five 5-ounce servings. Assuming 125 calories per serving, that’s about 650 calories per bottle. Or especially, “I’m an alcoholic.” I like the way “wine enthusiast” sounds.
Tony didn’t take my money earlier when I bought groceries, but I notice he rings up the wine. I’m guessing Pap said he’ll pay for everything but alcohol and cigarettes. Wait. I bought wine earlier, so maybe he said he’ll pay for wine with a food purchase. Lucky for me, we don’t smoke and I brought money to pay for my own wine. Sarah pays for this wine and we bid farewell to Tony.
Tony hums the song “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang as we walk outside. Sarah starts to move her ass to the tune. That’s also the gene I didn’t get.
As soon as we’re outside, I turn to look at her. “What in the hell?”
“What?”
“You bought all the wine he had on the shelf.”
“So. He had only four bottles.”
“And you were shaking your ass while he was humming.”
“So, I like to dance.”
“Now he’s going to think we’re alcoholics and strippers.”
“Are you?”
“No.”
“Then stop worrying about what people think about you. Chill out and relax.” She carries two bottles of wine while I carry the other two bottles as she walks down by the water, leaving me to my thoughts.
Chill out and relax? I wish I could. I want to yell at her and tell her that gene skipped over me. I follow her and watch as she sets the bag of wine down and walks along the water’s edge searching for something.
“What are you looking for?”
She bends down and picks something up. “Sea glass.”
I search my memory hoping a memory surfaces. “Sea glass. I forget about that. I saw a vendor selling jewelry today made from it, but I forgot it’s so readily available on the island.”
I wade out into the water next to her. “Isn’t it beautiful?” She hands me a piece of pale blue sea glass. Sea glass is broken glass in the sea that’s been churned naturally by the waves until the rough edges of glass are smooth and have a frosted appearance. “Don’t you remember Mom and Gram always brought us here to look for it?”
“I do, but I forgot about that.” I bend down and pick up a larger white piece. “Whatever happened to the jewelry we made with the glass we found?”
“I don’t know. But you know Gram and Mom, it’s in that house somewhere.”
“You’re probably right. They don’t throw anything away.” Taking a cleansing breath, I say, “Did you hear when Tony said Beau’s wife left Myra and him?”
“Yeah, I did. It’s crazy, right? How could someone walk away and leave her husband and child behind?”
“I don’t know.”
When we get home, I make my bed while Sarah dries her sheets and washes her quilt. We change into our pajamas before taking the wine out to the pool. Sarah wears a long-sleeve tee with a gray pair of shorts. Even dressed in her pajamas, she’s gorgeous.
She opens the wine and hands me a glass. “This is the life, isn’t it?”
I think back on the events that led Sarah here today. “Do you really believe that?”
She pours herself a glass and takes a sip. “Yes, of course.” She holds her glass up indicating a toast. “Here’s to my favorite sister in the world.”
“Cheers. But just so you know, I’m your only sister.”
“I know, but if I had others, you’d still be my all-time favorite.”
“Thank you, Sarah.” I take a small sip. “Do you really feel like you’re living the life?”
“Absolutely.”
I dip my red painted toenails into the water. I hate to remind her, but I have to know how she can feel like that. “Even after what happened to you?”
“You mean with Slade and Chris?”
“Yeah. You were with Slade for what? Almost two years? Didn’t you love him?” I think for a minute. “And what about Chris? He was your friend. Don’t you feel wronged by him?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I just left Spencer and I feel sad and lonely. Even though it was my choice.”
“Guys and friends, they come and go; they breeze in and out of your life. But family? They stick together no matter what.” She takes another drink. “I can always find another Chris or Slade, but no matter how hard I look, I’ll never find another sister, or mother, or father. And as you know, Pap and Gram can never be replaced by anyone.”
I look up at the stars. How did my sister get the looks, brains, and the common sense? That’s also the gene I didn’t get. She is the total package. “You know, Chris and Slade are idiots.”
“I know, right.”
After the first bottle of wine, my lips start to feel numb. I watch as my sister opens the second bottle and fills my glass.
She sits beside me and slides her feet into the water. “Mom told me about you and Spencer. I’m sorry you weren’t happy with him.”
“It’s okay. He wasn’t right for me.”
“It was his snorting, wasn’t it?” We both laugh and she continues, “It drove me crazy about him. Every time he did it, I always looked around to see if a warthog was going to charge us.”
“I know, right. He also popped his gum.”
“He was a gum chewer, too?”
“He was. Always chewing and popping his gum.”
“When did he have time to snort?” she laughs.
“I guess it was right after he left the cap off the toothpaste.”
“I hate that.”
She says, “You know, I’m not perfect either.”
“None of us is, but we don’t snort and pop our gum all day every day.” I can’t help but laugh. It must be drunken logic; either that, or I feel better laughing at him.
“Did you know I cheated on a test in college?”
“Yeah, I knew that. Mom was pissed.”
“She was more pissed when she found out you lost your virginity on prom night.”
“It was my senior year and I was nearly eighteen.” I look over at my sister. “You could have saved me on that one.”
“By telling her I lost my virginity earlier than that? No way.” She takes a drink of her wine. “I think I should send Slade a gift box.”
I focus my eyes. Even drunk, I know that’s not a question. “What would you put in it?”
She pours the rest into my empty wine glass.
“Some triple antibiotic ointment, gauze, maybe some condoms. Lube.”
I don’t know if she’s serious or not, but I get a great idea. “Oh, you should send him a subscription to one of those gay magazines.” I take another drink. “On second thought, he doesn’t deserve it. Save your money and buy yourself something nice.”
“You mean like a breakup gift?”
I look at her and she looks fuzzy. “That’s exactly what I mean.” I stand and stagger into the house.
“That’s a great idea. You should, too.”
“I think I will.” I don’t understand why anyone would cheat on my sister. “So why do you think Chris and Slade started seeing each other?”
“Slade asked me once if I ever kissed a girl before.”
“And you told him you never have?”
“No, I told him I did.”
“Oh.” This is new to me. The song “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry comes to mind. I start humming it and we both crack up laughing.
“Do I need to ask how it was?”
“It was nice,” she admits.
I lean over and kiss my sister. “I love you, but I’m drunk and I need to get to bed.”
“Good night. I love you, too.”
Sarah
I watch as my drunken sister staggers into the house. The good
timing was purely a coincidence when I called Gram and Pap to see if I could stay in the beach house while I sort through my feelings and get away from the hustle of my crazy life back home. I was so happy when they told me that Carly was also here sorting through some personal stuff.
I never liked Spencer and knew she could do better. But I also don’t like seeing my sister hurting, even if the breakup was her idea.
Looking into the beach house, I decide I should also turn in.
***
I wake up at the ass-crack of dawn the next morning. Living in the city, this is my norm, but I was hoping island-life would kick in and I’d sleep in. No such luck. I dress and set out for my three-mile run before showering and having breakfast by the pool. I wish Carly would wake up so she could run with me, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be anytime soon.
During my run, I admire the view and the homes. The shops aren’t opened yet for business and the normally busy streets are dead. This time of the morning, I imagine most of the people are just waking from their slumber. The shops and vendors don’t open until ten o’clock or later.
After my shower and when the last of the mess is cleaned up from last night, I decide to walk around the property. So many happy memories flood my thoughts. Have I ever told Gram and Pap how special this place is to me? Do they know my happiest childhood memories are from the summers I spent here? I decide to call them. Looking at my phone, I shouldn’t be disappointed, but I am when I don’t have cell service.
I hear a truck pull up into the private driveway. It must be Beauregard. I watch as an old red and white Ford truck makes its way down the secluded driveway.
“Hey, Sarah,” he says, stepping out of his truck.
Waving, I say, “Hey, Beau. I didn’t realize that was you yesterday at the church. I would have spoken had I known.”
“No need for an apology. I didn’t know for sure if it was you either.” As I close the distance between us, he says, “I want to get started on the screen door. Is this a good time?”
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
He looks around the large yard. “Is Carly here? I don’t want to disturb her if she’s working.”
She’s sleeping, but I don’t tell him that. “It’s okay, she’s in the house,” I decide to say. He’s a man of God and I don’t want to lie to him. That’s never a good way to start your day, or end it for that matter.
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