The Reluctant Hero: The Tainted Series

by T. L. Tate

  Once we were there, Jessa went back to her glass of wine and plopped down on the couch. I grabbed my beer and sat on the bottom of the stairs. Jen went over to the window where the curtains were discarded.

  “So, did you decide which window treatment to go with?”

  Jessa smirked and looked over her shoulder at me. “Yeah, we kind of came to an agreement, of sorts. Right, Lance?”

  I nodded slowly.

  “Oh, we’ll that’s good.” Jen picked at the curtains. “So which will it be?”

  Jessa walked towards her, “I happen to like the sapphire one. Lance said that he liked this one too. Right, Lance?”

  I grunted as I saw her smirking.

  “I thought you guys were going to hang them. What happened?”

  I nearly choked on my beer as I stumbled to find and excuse as to what happened.

  Fortunately, Jessa saved me. “Oh, I only have one sapphire one. It didn’t make sense to only hang one. So I ordered the second one and Lance said he would come help me hang it up when it arrives.” Well...she sort of saved me. “He’s also going to help with the plumbing.”

  Jessa smirked while Jen looked confused. “Plumbing?”

  Jessa nodded and I rolled my eyes. “Yeah. He said he would work on my pipes. Apparently, they’ve been neglected for awhile.” She’s so childish.

  Jen looked between Jessa and myself. She looked confused. “Since when do you know about plumbing and pipes?”

  I just shrugged. I refused to participate in Jessa’s taunts.

  Nevertheless, she continued on. “Oh, while you were gone we noticed that one of the pipes was rattling so he tightened it right up. Now it purrs like a kitten.”

  “Your pipe purrs? I don’t think it should do that. Listen. If you really do have a problem then you should call a plumber. I love Lance and he can fix just about anything but he’s not bonded or anything.”

  “Oh don’t worry about it.” Jessa put her arms around Jen. “Lance will do just fine, I’m sure.”

  “O-okay.” Jen blushed. She wasn’t used to this level of affection from her sister but she enjoyed it nonetheless.

  We hung around Jessa’s until the twins fell back asleep. When we left, Jessa and Jen made plans to get together the next day to go shopping for necessities.

  Since then, 3 days have passed. Because neither Jen nor Jessa works, they spent a lot of time together. To any outside observer, two estranged sisters getting over their crap and becoming closer would seem like a good thing. But I’m not an outside observer. I’m more privy to Jessa’s true self than Jen is. Because of that, I’m fully aware of the dark depths she would go just to satisfy her twisted desires.

  In the last few days, Jen and Jessa had shopped, ordered, and organized Jessa’s condo. When Jen dragged me over to Jessa’s for a house warming party, even I was surprised by the shear magnitude of what they had accomplished. In three days, they had painted walls, hanged window treatments, hanged pictures, had new appliances installed, had new furniture delivered and rearranged the rooms.

  “Wow! This place looks great.” I was flabbergasted the moment I walked in the open living area. The condo looked so different from Jessa and Richard’s home. Their home reminded me of a French country house, with it’s white walls, heavy doors, cabinets and a ridiculous amount of French inspired furniture and artwork. But her condo was different. It was more subdued. It had tan walls with a deep blue accent wall surrounding the fireplace. The furniture wasn’t plush but looked exceedingly comfortable. There was a dining area that contained a humble but functional table that could easily seat six. The kitchen had dark appliances, which were even more muted by the dark countertops. All in all it seemed like she had shed all of her pretensions when she left Richard. The organization and colors she displayed in her condo reminded me of Jen’s transformation when I met her in college. Compared to the hyperactive preppy that she pretended to be in high school, the person I met in college was a dark and sullen woman who seemed more happy and natural with that affectation than she ever did as a preppy. While Jessa didn’t chop all of her hair off, or get piercings and tattoos, she did seem a lot more comfortable now that she didn’t have to put on airs.

  Without a word, Jen steered me into the living room and then left to help Jessa with the food. I took a few minutes to peruse the living room. I noticed that, in regards to the drapes, she decided to go with a blue that matched the accent wall. I guess the sapphire wouldn’t work. While checking the area, I stopped in front of the fireplace. What drew my attention was the framed artwork. It was the map that my kids had made Jessa. I smiled. For all of her devilishness towards me, the contradiction of her affection towards my children tripped me up every time I saw it happen. This time was no different.

  I might’ve been standing there for several minutes when I felt someone press themselves against me. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. By this time, I had a pretty good feeling for when a tigress was in the midst.

  “The place looks good.” I tried to make my voice light. With Jen here, I didn’t want to patronize Jessa into acting like a raging bitch.

  She placed her head on my shoulder and smiled. Sighing, she replied, “Thanks. Jen helped out a lot.”

  I stepped closer to the mantle, pretending to get a closer look at the map. When I moved, she lifted her head off of my shoulder. “So you decided to place this on display here, huh?”

  “Yeah. They did such a good job making it.” I was once again taken aback by the affection that fell from her lips when she talked about my kids. “I fell in love with it. Out of all the overpriced artwork that’s in this place, this is definitely my favorite piece. I call it Aesop and Avi: The Adventures of the Wonder Twins.”

  I could only nod, “It’s a good name.”

  She smiled, “I think so too.”

  We were silent for a few minutes. I moved on to look at something else while she sat in a chair and watched me.

  Jen came in with a bottle of water and sat down. “Whew! I don’t remember being this tired this early in the pregnancy with the twins.” She sat her hand on her stomach and looked lovelier than a thousand angels.

  I couldn’t stop myself. I headed towards her and bent down to place a lovingly tender kiss on her lips. When I pulled back she looked out of breath and turned on. “You’re so beautiful. I love you so much.”

  She smiled brightly, “I love you too, honey.”

  It would’ve been a nice moment but unfortunately Jessa found it her place to ruin it. “Well, if that wasn’t the most sickeningly sweet thing I have ever seen.”

  She looked like she meant it. She was staring daggers into me as if she was daring me to try something like that in front of her again. I wasn’t foolish enough to call her bluff.

  Jen turned red. “S-sorry, Jessa. I know it’s got to be hard for you right now.”

  I sat down next to Jen and pulled her legs atop mine and started rubbing her feet. While the warning was clear and I couldn’t make out with Jen in front of Jessa, she didn’t say anything about this. But just in case, I didn’t meet her eyes again.

  In response to Jen’s apology, Jessa chirped, “Oh, yeah. I’m sorry. It’s not your fault that I’m in this position. I shouldn’t take it out on you guys.” Now her voice became sweet (or in her words), sickeningly sweet, and she said, “Go on. Act like the little lovebirds that you are. I don’t mind.”

  I knew the last bit was meant for me. She was testing me. She wanted to see if I would be foolish enough to defy her. I wasn’t. At least not yet. But that day would come. I just had to bide my time.

  “So who is all coming tonight?” I looked at Jen and she closed her eyes and threw her head back in concentration.

  “Umm, lets see. There’s you and me. Jessa invited a few of the neighbors, but I don’t know them. And Mom and Dad are bringing the twins.”

  Jessa’s voice rose to an interesting octave. “Mom and Dad?”

  Jen laughed, “Not ours. Lance’s par
ents.”

  Jessa sighed, “Oh. Thank God. I think my heart stopped. There’s not enough alcohol in the world to help me deal with those controlling jerks.”

  We all laughed. When the laughter died down, Jessa looked at me, “I thought your parents lived in the same city where we grew up.”

  “They did.”

  “Then why’d they move all the way out here?”

  I shrugged. “Well, after I graduated and Jen and I decided to get married, we started talking about moving them out here. They knew that neither of us wanted to go back home. Besides, I had gotten a good job here. But it was still just talk until Jen got pregnant with the twins.”

  “So they moved out here because of Aesop and Avi?”

  “Yeah. Well, I’m their only child, and the twins are their only grandchildren. Because we lived so far away they would never get to see them or me. So I found them a safe neighborhood a few cities away. They put their house up for sale and moved out.”

  Jessa looked flabbergasted. “Weren’t they upset? I mean they left their home for God-only-knows of how many years.”

  Jen spoke up. “No, I don’t think Mom and Dad were that upset about it. They were excited to be closer to Lance and I.”

  “Lance and you?” Jessa looked confused.

  “Yeah. Despite their early hang-ups, they have been great to me. Besides, when I was pregnant Mom and I got so much closer. It was pretty amazing.”

  Jessa suddenly looked sullen, “Wow. Must be nice.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, our parents are like Nazi’s. There was zero love only ruthless control. I just think that it must be nice to have parents that actually and truly give a damn about their kid and grandkids.”

  I had heard enough about their parents to understand that my relationship with my parents was markedly different from what they endured. “Well, I think it is.”

  Jen picked her head up, “When you finally get to meet them tonight, I bet you’re going to love them too.”

  Jessa could only nod. “But even if they do like me, it’s not like they’re my parents or in-laws.” There was a sour note to her voice that I chose to actively ignore.

  Jen on the other hand didn’t, “Don’t worry. I know that things have been hard for you. But if you give it time, things will get better. I promise.” Now Jen looked at me conspiratorially, “So, since it’s just the three of us. Tell me something.”

  Jessa looked amused. “Yeah? What do you want to know?”

  “Who’s this guy you’re seeing?”

  If she were drinking something, she would’ve spit it across the room. As it were, her eyes bugged out of her face, belying her next words. “Guy? I’m not seeing anyone. What are you talking about?”

  Jen smelled blood in the water. “Oh no you don’t. I can tell that you’re seeing someone. You’ve been on cloud nine for weeks now. Come on spill it. Who is it? Is it someone I know? Will he be here tonight?”

  Jessa blinked uncontrollably for several seconds, as she looked at her little sister. Even I was holding my breath. “Umm…no. That is…I don’t think…”

  “Oh come on Jessa! It’s so obvious.” Then she turned and looked at me. “Remember when I told you that I thought she was seeing someone?”

  I nodded, “Y-yeah. Right after I took her to the airport last week.”

  Jessa looked at me but I couldn’t exactly read what her look entailed. “Is that so?” Now she looked at Jen and she finally looked calm. “Well, it’s true that I might’ve met someone. He might be here. He might not.”

  Jen was practically exploding. “Oh! I want to meet him! What’s his name? What does he look like? Did you two…you know?”

  Jessa laughed, “I’ll introduce you to him, but only if it gets serious.”

  Jen pouted, “That’s not fair. But if he shows up will you point him out?”

  “Deal.” Both sisters smiled at each other while I wanted to bury my head in the sand.

  One hour later, the guests arrived. The first to arrive were the neighbors that lived on either side of her. On one side was a married couple, David and Elizabeth. They were older than us by about 25 years, making them closer to the age of my parents. Her other neighbor was drop dead gorgeous. She was a buxom redhead named Lisa. Lisa was single and looking at her it was hard to tell why. Jen was my wife and the love of my life. I thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world. However, Jessa was also exceedingly attractive. But having Jen, Jessa and Lisa in one place at one time seemed unfair. It was like all the beauty in the world had been magnetically congregated to Jessa’s condo.

  Lisa brought a nice and expensive bottle of brandy, which she happily opened and shared. We talked and it was lovely. Apparently, she owns a bar called Maxine’s, and invited all of us to visit. Jessa agreed but I had to abstain. Although the talk was friendly and the distance was always appropriate, I could feel Jen’s inner demons getting ready to erupt. This time it was simple to see why. Lisa was gorgeous, funny and easily likeable. And Jen’s jealousy was legendary. So before Jen exploded and caused Jessa’s housewarming to come to an immediate halt, I excused myself and went to go chat with David and Elizabeth, leaving the three women to talk amongst themselves. When I was sitting with David and Elizabeth, I looked back over at the Trio-of-Temptation, and saw Jessa smirking at me. She knew why I left and apparently found it funny. I didn’t take her bait. Instead, I continued chatting up David and Elizabeth.

  Ten minutes later, the door opened and two beautiful children with their dark curls came bounding in. “Mommy! Daddy! Auntie!” Aesop and Avi stole the show. The moment they appeared this get together transformed from a housewarming party to the Aesop and Avi show. David and Elizabeth fell in love with the twins as soon as they saw them and even Lisa melted as she fawned over them. Aesop and Avi loved the attention. They drank it in, each trying to out perform the other in hopes of garnering more attention. When Avi would stand on her head, Aesop would try (and fail) to walk on his hands. When Aesop would show how high he could jump, Avi would show how fast she could run. All in all, they were loved and we all got into the high-energy vibe that these two little monsters created.

  A little while later I saw Jessa and my parents nestled in a corner, while Avi sat on Jessa’s lap and played with her hair. Jessa didn’t seem to mind. If anything, it seemed like she was in Nirvana.

  I walked over to see what they were talking about. I leaned down and gave my mom and dad a kiss. “Hey Mom. Hey Dad.”

  My mom patted my cheek as my dad smiled. “Hey kiddo! You’re looking good.”

  I laughed and sat down in the chair. “Thanks Dad. You too. How were the kids?”

  Mom smiled, “They were lovely. They are such good kids. I’m so proud of you and Jen. You’ve done such a good job at raising them.”

  I smiled, “Thanks Mom. So what are you guys talking about?”

  “Oh nothing. Jessa was just telling your mom about why she moved here.” My dad looked sad. “It’s so sad that all of that happened.”

  Jessa looked up at him and smiled, “Thanks Cliff. But I have my sister now and her family. I’ll be okay.”

  “I just wish your parents weren’t the way that they were. I mean chasing out a sweet girl like Jen. Humph! I have half a mind to go down there and tell them what I really think about them.” My mom looked at me and whispered loud enough to be heard across two counties, “Lance made me promise to play nice at the wedding but I mean honestly! Can you imagine? Them treating my baby like that just because he’s Black. Hell I should’ve put them in their place right then and there.”

  I rolled my eyes and glanced at my father. He nodded as if to say I’m not getting in the middle of this. Humph! Smart man. “Mom, we were in a church. You couldn’t do that.”

  “Yes. Yes. I know.”

  Jessa started laughing. “It’s okay. Their idiocy is its own punishment.”

  My mom and her both laughed. Suddenly, Avi placed her two small hands on the sid
e of Jessa’s face. “Auntie, you have to stop moving or else I won’t be able to make your hair pretty.”

  Jessa nuzzled her nose against Avi’s, which caused Avi to erupt in giggles. “Okay, I’m sorry.”

  I saw the love and appreciation shining in my parents’ eyes as they looked at Jessa and Avi on the ground together. I knew then that my parents had accepted Jessa as a part of the family. For some reason I felt relieved. I shouldn’t have, but I did.

  I looked across the room and saw Aesop sitting on Lisa’s lap while Jen talked to David and Elizabeth. I headed towards them and sat between Lisa and Jen.

  Aesop was too busy flirting with Lisa to pay any attention to me. He was telling Lisa about all the games that he likes and invited her to play with him. She graciously agreed. Once she did, he giggled and slid down and then ran into my father’s arms.

  Lisa sighed and I smiled. “Do you have any kids of your own Lisa?”

  She shook her head. “No. Unfortunately not. Maybe one day but I’m not sure.”

  “Hmm.” There wasn’t really anything I could say to that so I just let it hang there.

  Luckily Jen came to the rescue. “You should talk to Jessa. You both are the same age. She’s been talking about having a baby a lot lately. Maybe she has some advice that could help.”

  “Thanks. I will.” Soon, everyone gathered around the dinning room table as Jen went into the kitchen to fetch the food. I moved to help her but she insisted that I stay and keep the conversation going. It wasn’t difficult. Everyone gathered were easy to talk to so the conversation flowed easily.

  As Jen was bringing out the first of several dishes, I heard a knock at the door. Jessa got up to go answer it.

  Jen poked her head around the wall, “Hey babe. Can you run out to the car and get the other table?”

  “Sure!”

  Task in hand, I got up and headed towards the entrance. I heard the door open as Jessa started to talk.

  “Hey! You made it. Come in! Come in!” She stepped aside.

  I heard a feminine voice emanate through the door. “I’m sorry that I’m late. I got stuck at work.”