I never made it out of the drive way. As I arrived at the main gate a car pulled up and I saw the occupant waving frantically. The sun glare on the windshield prevented me from seeing who drove, but seconds later, a head poked out of the side window and I recognized Gloria, Uncle Roy's daughter, my cousin. Immediately, my mind recalled the video and I cringed. Pressing the remote, I watched the gate slide open and Gloria drive in stopping next to me, a frantic look on her face matching the earlier waving.
"Oh God Barry, I'm so glad I caught you – we've got to talk and I mean right now!"
No hello, no hi, no greeting what so ever, just a demand and somehow I knew just what it was she wanted to discuss. I gave her a wane smile and tried my damndest not to give away my thoughts as I said, "Ya sure – what's wrong?"
Gloria gave me a quizzical look, tilting her head to the side, and then placed her hand to her mouth, her eyes going wide. Slowly her hand dropped away, "My God, you know...You know, don't you?"
I failed, and miserably, and sat staring at her wondering just what I had done to give away my thoughts. I nodded as Gloria, slowly, drove pass me heading for the house never taking her eyes from me as she passed by. I reversed my car and followed her feeling a tightness begin in my stomach. "Was this it? Is this how things will play out?" I wondered, stopping my car just behind Gloria's.
Gloria's door was open but she remained inside the car, hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. I approached offering my hand and, after a short delay, she grabbed it and I helped her out. We walked in silence to the house and as I released her hand to open the door she grabbed me around the neck, pressing in hard, sobbing. Gently I placed my arms around her and hugged her, letting her release the emotional energy she had held in. I kissed her cheek, as her sobs died out and I whispered, "Come on, let's go in."
"How long Barry? How long have you known?" She asked, as I ushered her in the house, pressing lightly on the small of her back.
"Sit down Hun - I'll get us a drink." I replied back, ignoring the question.
Gloria dropped like a rock onto the sofa, her mouth open, but saying nothing, watching as I moved about fixing the drinks.
"I found out only last night - to be honest." I finally answered her, hesitating as I did so, waiting for another out burst that never came. I turned and walked over to the sofa taking a seat next to her and handed over the drink adding, "And you – when did you..."
"This morning." She answered cutting off my question.
"What? How?"
"An accident...fate, God I don't know! I started what I thought was a movie and there they were - having sex!" Gloria answered, her lower lip trembling and hands shaking as she brought the glass to her lips.
"So, did you watch it?" I asked, taking a drink myself starting to feel terrible for her.
"Every minute, I couldn't stop after recognizing who was in it." She murmured, dropping the glass away from her lips. Slowly, Gloria turned to face me and asked, "What are we going to do Barry?" and placed her hand on my leg, squeezing.
"Nothing Gloria...Nothing at all, we can't, you understand that right?" I said, with all the compassion I could muster and set my glass down.
Gloria sighed heavily as I turned away and said nothing more. The silence was weighing heavy in the room when I turned and cupped her face, tilting her head, and planting a soft kiss on her lips and held there slightly longer than I should have before pulling away.
She removed her hand from my leg and held one of my hands on her face and leaned into it heavily mumbling, "She swallowed it all...Sucked him clean and I watched her do it...I watched all of it, my dad, your mom, your dad - he had his penis in..."
"I know Glory – I know and they were something, huh? I've seen a lot more than that." I said, stopping her.
"More? You've seen more, but how?" She asked, raising her head, with a look of disbelief.
"Aw man, you don't really want to..."
"Yes Barry I do – show me now or I swear I'll scream out what I saw from every street corner in town!" She demanded in a no non-sense tone of voice and set her drink down.
Everything about her facial expression told me she wasn't lying and I finished my drink and stood, pulling her up with me. "Want another before I show you?"
"Yes, I think I better - and thank you."
"For what?" I asked, fixing the second drinks.
"The kiss."
We left the living room and I stopped off at the laundry, grabbing the linen, before proceeding up stairs never thinking what reaction Gloria might have. When I stopped at the master bedroom, Gloria gave me a look of total disbelief, hesitating before entering.
"Barry, were you digging around in your parents stuff?" She asked, reaching to grab me and turn me around. I shrugged my shoulders and half grinned, as I nodded my head, "Got bored."
Gloria smiled for the first time, since arriving, and slapped my arm playfully, a slight blush growing on her cheeks. I turned away and dropped the linen on the bed and then went to the armoire, to open it. "I found it all in here." I commented.