Taboo

Keywords: Final, Spring, Mysterywriter's,

"Goodnight," Becca said.

"Goodnight," Jay said.

Now Jay couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about his new family. For the last month Jay had been in limbo, nothing had felt real. Now Jay knew that this was his home from now on and he better get used to it. This home was a lot different than his other one. He remembered the amount of affection his parents always showed him; there was none of that here. His grandmother seemed mostly interested in complaining about her problems, and when she wasn't doing that she was putting people down.

Aunt Kim was in a bad mood most of the time, but even when she wasn't it wasn't easy to get close to her. Like tonight, after the phone call to Mrs. Wicker they were all happy at how Aunt Kim had handled things. Becca looked ready to hug her mother but she held back, Jay thought for sure he was going to get a hug when she thanked him for helping Becca, but he didn't. When Aunt Kim smiled at him tonight when he asked to brush Becca's hair she looked so much like his mother that it stunned Jay for a moment. He hadn't noticed the resemblance. Jay wanted to be held so bad at that moment but he knew Aunt Kim wouldn't do it.

Jay was convinced his aunt was an all right person, especially after tonight, but there was a hardness about her and she had trouble showing affection. His grandmother was just hard. Jay knew that if he was going to survive in this new life without going insane he had to have at least one person he could be close to, one person he could show his affection for and receive affection from. He knew there was only one person that could be.

"Becca?" Jay said wondering if she was still awake.

"Hmmm?" She responded drowsily.

"Remember the first day I was here? When you asked if I was going to be your new brother?"

"Yes," Becca said sounding more awake.

"Would you want to have me as a brother?" Jay asked.

Becca was silent for a few moments, finally she said, "Yes."

"And you would want to be my sister?" Jay asked.

"Yes," she said with no hesitation this time.

"Okay, then we are brother and sister from now on! No matter what anyone else says. I'll always be there for you and look out for you like a brother should," Jay said.

"Okay," Becca said very quietly, it almost sounded like she was crying.

One other thing occurred to Jay. Since he had been living in his aunt's home he hadn't heard a particular phrase that he "always" heard at his home. Nobody said those words to each other here. Jay hadn't said them because he would only say them if he meant them. Until tonight he hadn't felt he had anyone to say those words to.

"Becca?" Jay said.

"Yes?" she said.

"I love you."

Jay felt Becca's body shiver and then she softly said, "I love you too." Jay felt a warmth rush through him he hadn't felt in over a month. He gave his new sister a squeeze and they both drifted off to sleep.
* * *

Jay had a dream that night. He was back at his home in Columbus and he had his mom and dad back, the entire ordeal had never happened. Although something kept nagging at the back of Jay's mind that something wasn't quite right he ignored the feeling. He basked in the loving presence of his parents.

Becca was there too and that didn't seem strange at all. In fact, it felt like she always belonged with them. She seemed happier than he ever remembered. They were all tremendously happy in the dream; everyone wore smiles brighter than the sun on a clear day. Jay was in his mother's arms and she was hugging him tight, Becca was sitting on his father's lap giggling as he tickled her. It felt so right all of them being together.

When Becca slid off his father's knee and lightheartedly skipped away, Jay's father turned to him and said, "You've done a good thing reaching out and finding your sister. I know you will keep your word and take care of her, but she is also going to take care of you. I'm glad that neither of you are alone anymore."

"But Dad," Jay's dream self said. "Becca wasn't alone."

His father's expression became serious, "Are you sure? Sometimes a houseful of people who ignore you can make you feel more alone than being by yourself. You two need each other, don't ever doubt her love for you and don't ever let her feel alone again. You have one another now, and as long as you do, things will be okay.

As Jay thought about what his father said, he placed his incredibly warm hand on Jay's cheek. "I'm proud of you son, and I always will be," he said. Then his mother and father began to fade into a mist, their touches became like vapor.

"No! Don't go!" Jay shouted but they had all ready disappeared. "Come back! Please come back!!!"

Jay awoke and he was in his cot at his aunt's house. He realized it had all been a dream. Tears fell from his eyes as he once again felt the full force of his grief in losing his parents. He hugged Becca tightly to him and felt her sigh in contentment, he felt better.
"Would you like to come in?" she asked when we got to her house. We both knew that I couldn't go back to the apartment just yet but when I hesitated she said, "Taking someone home is not fraternizing."

Three hours later, at her door, laughing, she said, "Now that's what I call fraternizing!"

*~*

Nothing was said. It was as if Rule # 2 had been lifted.

We saw less and less of Jake. He would come in and help out when we were the busiest, then disappear, saying he had a paper to write or that he would be at the library if we needed him. I got into the habit of escaping to a back booth during slack times to catch up on reading assignments. By the end of the quarter I was back on track, expecting to pass all of my courses.

Our schedules became fixed. I took the early shift on Saturdays and Jerry was stuck with late closings. It became routine for Carrie and me to go to the movies, after which we would return to the restaurant to help close. I couldn't put my finger on why business had picked up; perhaps it was the season. There were no more schedule changes involving the early shift at the bakery.

Jerry and Carrie established a new rule. When they said, Rule # 5, I was to make myself scarce. Fortunately, I had a place to go. Brenda, being ten years my senior, wisely rejected my advances toward a serious relationship but she was not against breaking the rules. She enthusiastically endorsed Rule # 5.

We had a week break between quarters. I used the days off to scrape the old paint from the window frames and put on a fresh coat. I also used the time to fight with Jake over my school schedule. In order to take later morning classes I would have to take a 3 o'clock class which meant we would not arrive at work before a quarter past four. Jake said there was no way he could let us do that. On Monday and Tuesday he quoted Rule # 3a: Eat on your own time.

Jerry worked on him on Wednesday but made no headway. Jake was now strengthening his argument, invoking Rule # 3 proper, 'Your schedules will be flexible and you will be expected to adjust as your work schedule changes.' By inference, he was threatening to make us work the early shift at the bakery again. We backed off.

On Thursday, I appealed to Jake's sympathetic nature, reminding him that he was a student too. We had the same needs, sleep. He relented.

On Friday, Jerry and I went to the campus to arrange our dream schedules. Our first classes of the day would be at 10 A.M.

*~*

Stephanie called us in. I was the last to go. First Jerry, then Carrie, then Brenda had preceded me but we did not get a chance to compare notes so I didn't know what to expect.

It was my first visit to the corporate office. I went up the back stairs and along the hallway, passing the door to which, I knew, must be Jake's apartment. I stopped to read the sign over the office door: "Cupid, Inc."

The large room was brightly lit and freshly painted. The walls were filled with photos of Tom, Stephanie and others. There were photos of their wedding, at ribbon cuttings and views of them cooking, serving and baking. Stephanie was always out front, beautiful, exposing only half of Tom's body to make him look...almost slim. One of two desks in the main room was occupied by a woman who directed me to one of two offices.

Stephanie was seated at a mahogany table, simple in design, yet elegant, 'like her,' I thought. Windows overlooked Main Street below. The walls were decorated with a flowered wall covering that matched the carpet. She rose to greet me and, as I had remembered, her grip was strong and sure.

"In less than three months you've managed to break or skirt around each of Tom's rules," she began, leaning toward me to deliver her message in a crisp, hushed voice, almost a whisper. Her hair was combed back on the sides of her face, just touching her ears to suggest a 'butch' look. In contrast, she wore a ruffled white blouse and a black skirt that flowed, as I had seen when she stood, to her ankles.

I acknowledged her charge, silently, wondering if she was wearing an ankle bracelet. 'Which ankle?' I would never know.

"Everyone knows," she continued, letting her voice rise, shaking her head in disbelief, "except for Tom of course."

There was melancholy in her eyes as they searched mine. "It would devastate him if he found out, those rules are sacred to him, he is under the impression that strict enforcement of the rules has made us successful."

I wanted to ask why Tom had let us have the refrigerator, 'a place to stash your beer,' he had said. But somehow I knew; it had been Stephanie who had gotten him to relax that rule.

Without my having said a word, we reached an understanding. The meeting was over and Tom would not be the wiser. She rose with me, taking my hand, smiling as she leaned forward to whisper, "I'm sure we're going to make this work." Her grip was strong and sure.
Roger laid there moaning as everyone on the boat went crazy yelling at him. Brian quickly got control of his anger and told the girls to go below and find him another flare.

Keywords: Final, Spring, Mysterywriter's,