Southern Comfort

by ANDREA SMITH

  My mother looked at me, her eyes widened, first with disbelief, and then with shock. “Sunshine?”

  I refused to be put on the defensive by that asshole who had just referred to himself as the patriarch, and the fact that I hadn’t had the guts to call my mother out on her lies.

  I stood up, my chair scraping loudly against the linoleum floor. “I’ve had enough of this shit!” I yelled. “Whatever the problems are between the two of you, keep me out of them! And for the record? Michael Gardner is not my father, and you damn well know it, Avery Dawson!”

  A flicker of pure disbelief crossed over his face at my words and, in that instant, I knew that Avery Dawson had not known that Michael Gardner was not my father. That much was clearly evident.

  “Sunshine!” my mother hollered, jumping to her feet. “How dare you talk to your stepfather in that tone!”

  After all that I had said, the only thing she glommed onto was the tone I had used? “Really, Mama? That’s all you have to say? How about explaining why the hell you’ve lied to me all these years about the identity of my father? Do you want to see his letter to me? Do you?” My voice was raised about as loud as it could go.

  In one quick movement, she lunged at me, and her hand landed squarely across my cheek with a loud smack, sending me reeling backwards.

  Avery then jumped to his feet and grabbed Mama by the arm, “Is that true?” he barked “Have you lied to me?”

  I couldn’t believe my fucking ears! The two of them were so off-the-wall! My mother was concerned with my tone? Avery was outraged that Mama had lied to him about the identity of my father?

  I could not stay there one minute longer as their argument escalated about themselves and not the real issue here.

  Fuck that.

  I ran upstairs to my room, and quickly grabbed a canvas tote from my closet. I emptied my drawers into it, grabbed my coat and I was out the front door before they could even realize that I wasn’t in the same room with them any longer.

  Once outside, I took a deep breath and walked down to the corner and used the pay phone outside of the Sunoco station and called Gina.

  “Can you come get me?” I asked with a sob. “I’m at the Sunoco station around the corner from my house.”

  “What the hell happened?” she asked loudly and a bit impatiently.

  “I’ll tell you when you get here. I’m not going back there. Please hurry, Gina. Can I stay with you until I sort this shit out?”

  “Absolutely. Hang tight, girlfriend.”

  No more than five minutes later, Gina pulled her VW bug into the filling station where I stood with my canvas beach bag filled to the brim.

  I tossed my bag into the back seat before I jumped into the passenger seat of her Bug.

  “So, what’s up?”

  “Bad scene at the house.”

  “Well, by the looks of that red imprint of someone’s hand on your cheek I guessed that. Your mom or Avery?”

  “My mother,” I snapped, and then immediately feeling bad for doing so. None of this had anything to do with Gina. In fact, she was my shelter in the storm coming to my rescue like this. “Sorry. I’m just so fucking pissed.”

  “Must be the day for that,” she replied, putting her turn signal on.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Mom came home this afternoon fit to be tied. Not sure exactly who it was that pissed in her cornflakes, but she went upstairs without a word to her room. When I knocked on her door a little while later, she told me she wanted to be alone. Me being me, I went on in anyway and saw that she’d been crying since she went up there by the looks of her reddened eyes and the swollen bags underneath them.”

  “What the hell?”

  “She wouldn’t say a damn thing. Even snapped Eddie’s head off when he came in from work. I don’t know what the fuck is going on. Between you and her I’m wondering whether it’s a fucking full moon or something.”

  “I called my mother out on the letter from Michael Gardner I told you about.”

  “Yeah, you did. And to be perfectly honest with you, I can’t believe you waited this long to call her on it. So, what did she say?”

  “She didn’t appreciate the tone I took with Avery. Avery didn’t appreciate the fact that she’d lied to him. And there you have it.”

  “Shit,” Gina said, “does anyone have a normal family these days, Sunny?”

  I was the wrong person to ask and Gina knew it. As far as I could tell, the only ones in our crowd that appeared to have a normal family were the twins.

  “Maybe Robin and Rene,” I answered.

  “Nope, not even them,” she replied pulling up into her driveway. “There’s just something about Gwen and the way she dresses for “Bingo” that has my radar on high alert.”

  “How do you know how she dresses for Bingo?”

  “Well, I was over there one evening, and get this, it was MID-WEEK and she was all dolled up. Short skirt, boots, dark hose, the whole enchilada. Two and Two makes SEX, you know?”

  “Oh for crying out loud, Gina, that is proof of nothing.”

  “Oh Sunny, you are so damn . . . innocent,” she replied, shaking her head in what seemed like disappointment.

  I sighed as I climbed out of her car, and then reached into the backseat for my bag. “I need to contact Jamie. I don’t think I can stay down here any longer. I can’t take it, Gina,” I said. “I can’t take the lies, and the shit that goes on at my house.”

  “Just be cool for now, Sunny. We’ll talk about it tomorrow. For now, let’s just go up to my room, smoke a doobie, and forget about the bullshit in our families.”

  “I hear that.”

  Chapter 25

  Gloria Margolis-Sanders was curled up on her bed, her sobs quieting somewhat before the next batch of tears of humiliation escaped from her ducts. It had become a routine since she’d returned home from the church this afternoon having witnessed Avery Dawson totally annihilate her with his counseling session with Stella Martin.

  She hadn’t believed her eyes or her ears as she had sat in quiet agony, observing Avery as he patiently tutored Stella in the fine art of performing oral sex on him. That part hadn’t bothered her because she understood that was part of the therapy to enlighten Stella on the ways and techniques of pleasing her husband with oral sex. Avery had seemed pleasured by her trial run with him.

  But the tide had quickly turned and, when it did, it had totally devastated Gloria.

  Avery had proceeded to instruct Stella to strip until she was totally naked, and then positioned her on the sofa so that Gloria had an ample view of the young woman poised with her legs bent at the knees and spread apart. She had watched in absolute horror as Avery had settled between her thighs and proceeded to eat her pussy, drawing whimpers and sighs of pleasure out of her for what seemed like an eternity until she came.

  He then continued on, masturbating in front of her until Stella was begging for him to fuck her. Avery had taken her from behind, withdrawing his penis and then slowly pushing back into her again and again so that Gloria could see the care, patience, and intimacy he was showing Stella. Something that he had never done with her.

  He had punished her that afternoon.

  But why?

  Blessedly when it was over, and Stella had departed after making her next appointment, Avery had no choice but to deal with the wrath of Gloria.

  And she had shown him the extent of that wrath, kicking and flailing her arms at him, some of them meeting his flesh with a sound smack. “You fucking son-of-a-bitch!” she had screamed at him. “What in the hell were you trying to prove?”

  Avery had surprisingly remained calm and composed. “What is this about, Gloria? You’re the one that wanted to witness a session with another troubled member of my congregation. Is it my fault you’re not pleased with what you witnessed?”

  “You fucking bastard!” she had screamed as loud as she could. “You put on quite a show for me there, didn’t you? Oh—was I not suppos
ed to notice how totally attentive you were to pleasing that hog farmer’s wife? That was certainly new for you, wasn’t it?”

  “I’m not following you, Gloria. Are you jealous?”

  “I’m not jealous! I’m…repulsed. I’m disgusted with myself for being sucked into your sick, self-righteous, thinly-disguised cover for your sex addiction. You’re not trying to help troubled members of your congregation! You’re out to satisfy your own sexual depravities, asshole!”

  “I think our sessions have concluded, Mrs. Margolis-Sanders. I don’t think there’s anything more that I can do for you. My therapy and counseling are contingent upon open and honest communication, something you’re apparently not willing to do. Besides that, I have reason to believe you and Eddie have resumed marital relations, so my work is done.”

  “What?” she sputtered. “What are you talking about?”

  Avery proceeded to share with her the conversation he’d overheard between his stepdaughter and Gina.

  “So that’s it,” she said angrily. “That was what? My punishment for having relations with my own damn husband?”

  “No,” Avery replied angrily. “That was your punishment for lying to me about it. I cannot tolerate lies. It is the worst of sins.”

  “Oh, I see,” Gloria huffed. “Then I suppose you’ll be honest with Donna when she asks you about your therapy techniques? Because you better believe she’s going to find out about how you operate, Avery.”

  He had cocked a brow at her. “Are you threatening me, Mrs. Margolis-Sanders?”

  “Damn straight!”

  “I thought so. Well, before you go off half-cocked to seek some sort of twisted revenge, you just might want to listen to this.”

  Gloria waited as he pulled a cassette recorder from his desk drawer, and rifled through a stack of tapes until he found the one he wanted to play.

  She stiffened as she heard her own voice on the tape; the moans and whimpers of pleasure. Her telling Avery how good he makes her feel, better than Eddie ever could. It was all Gloria. Avery had dubbed out his voice.

  “So, if you want to ruin me in this town, go right ahead. But know that you will go down with me, Gloria. I will see to that.”

  Chapter 26

  I felt a little better the next morning as I sat with Gina and Eddie at the breakfast table. Eddie Sanders has always been warm and friendly with me; his wife Gloria, not so much. But Gina’s mother hadn’t made her appearance yet. In fact, she didn’t know that I was here, and I hoped she didn’t have a problem with it.

  “Well, I’m off to work,” Eddie said, clearing his dishes from the table. “You two have a good day at school. See you this evening.”

  “Later, Eddie,” Gina said.

  “Bye Mr. Sanders,” I called after him.

  Several minutes later, Gloria came into the kitchen looking like hell.

  “Well, well, I didn’t know we had a guest, Gina,” she said, going over to the coffee maker and pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Did you spend the night, Sunny?”

  “Yes, m’am,” I replied.

  “Mom, Sunny’s got some problems at home. I told her she could stay with us until she gets stuff figured out.”

  “With us?” Gloria repeated, her eyes widening. “Are you sure her parents would approve of Sunny staying with white trash like us?”

  I looked uncomfortably at Gina who seemed shocked by her mother’s behavior.

  “Mom—what’s your deal?”

  “My deal is that Donna and Avery Dawson seem to think that they’re better than any of the town folk here. Donna and me used to be friends, but all that’s changed since she got so uppity. I just don’t want to stir the pot.”

  “Look, Mom,” Gina continued, but I interrupted.

  “Mrs. Sanders, Avery Dawson is not a parent to me. He’s nothing to me. In fact, I hate his guts if you want to know the truth. I’ll get my stuff and be out of your way if you want to judge me by my stepfather.”

  “No, Sunny,” Gina said, not taking her eyes from her mother. “Stay put. Mom, what in the hell is going on with you?”

  Tears flooded Gloria’s eyes as she sank down onto one of her kitchen chairs. “I’ve done a horrible, horrible thing!” she wailed. “I’ve committed the worst kind of sin, and I’ve hurt Eddie and he doesn’t even know it,” she sobbed.

  She buried her face in her hands and Gina knelt down in front of her. “Mom, it can’t be as bad as all that. Tell me, please?”

  I felt uncomfortable witnessing this. “I’ll leave, Gina. You two can talk easier if I’m not around.”

  “No,” Gloria said, wiping her eyes. “Stay Sunshine. You need to know this because it involves Avery and I don’t know how I can ever face your mother again. Avery Dawson is pure evil, and I’m pure ignorance for letting it happen.”

  I swallowed nervously, now drenched in morbid curiosity about what possible thing she might have done that involved my stepfather. I knew that he personified evil. I had always known.

  She took a deep breath, and without further prodding, she spilled the whole sordid story of Avery’s counseling techniques to Gina and me. When she was finished, she begged Gina not to hate her and, most importantly, not to tell Eddie.

  “What I want to do is fucking blow Avery Dawson’s brains out,” she screamed. “After I blow his balls off!”

  I couldn’t blame her because I was right there with her on that one. How could Mama not have known the sickness that was inside Avery Dawson? How could she have allowed herself to be taken in with his holier-than-thou façade? I had not been nearly as clueless as Mama had been.

  “I shouldn’t have told you,” Gloria sobbed, “but there’s another problem. My period is late. Eddie is finally going to get the child he’s wanted, and I need to make all of this up to him. I don’t want him to know what a cheating fool I was. It would kill him.”

  “He won’t hear it from me, that’s for sure,” Gina replied, patting her mother’s shoulder lovingly. “But Mom, are you sure the baby is Eddie’s? I mean, you just admitted you and him only hooked up once and just recently…and well, it sounds as though your sessions with Avery happened quite a few times.”

  Gloria sipped her coffee. “My periods have always been screwy, so I finally took one of those home tests. It came out positive so it must’ve happened before Avery. I’m going to the health clinic tomorrow, so I’ll get my due date then. As far as Avery? That’s not an issue thank the Lord. He’s sterile. He told me so.”

  Gina looked over at me quickly. I could read her face. She wanted me to be the one to break the news to her mother. I wanted to be kept out of this part of it. I didn’t want to allow the possibility that my best friend’s mother could be carrying Avery Dawson’s evil spawn. It was too gross. But Gina’s expression begged me to be the one to spill this bit of information to her already devastated mother.

  I swallowed nervously. “He’s not sterile,” I blurted. “My mother was pregnant. She lost the baby. I don’t think he’s sterile.”

  Gloria’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No, that can’t be possible,” Gloria shrieked. “Avery told me he was sterile.”

  “He lied, Mom. That’s the least of his sins, don’t you think?”

  “No...No...Gina, you don’t understand! Avery detests lies. In his mind, it’s the unforgiveable sin.”

  “Well, he’s a warped S.O.B, Mom. What can I say?”

  Gloria once again dissolved into a fit of tears. It took Gina and me ten minutes to get her settled down and coherent.

  “We’ve got to think this through, Mom,” Gina said. “You can’t fall apart because we need your guidance.”

  “Guidance?” she asked, wiping her eyes with a napkin.

  “Yes, guidance. With your guidance and Sunny’s help, I think we can bring Avery Dawson down. Are you with me?”

  “Yes,” Gloria and I both answered at the same time.

  And we were.

  In Gloria Sanders’ kitchen that morning, we hatched out a plan
that would not only save her marriage with Eddie, but take Avery down in the community.

  Little did I know the ramifications would be farther reaching than that for me.

  Chapter 27

  Avery was extremely displeased with his wife. Being less than honest was a pet peeve; being out and out dishonest was a sin he found difficult to forgive without due punishment being doled out. Donna knew this. He had made it perfectly clear to her when they first started seeing one another and she had initially played it off that she’d only had one prior husband.

  When he had learned otherwise, he had come very close to ending the fledgling relationship right then and there, but she had been so apologetic, and so willing to take the punishment he’d given in the form of rough and demeaning sex, that he had made an exception for her. He hadn’t intended on being faced with yet another lie.

  After Sunny had fled from their home, he had gone upstairs and searched her room. He routinely did that anyway, looking for drugs or other signs of rebellion or depravity. With teenagers, one could never be sure what they were into these days. And with Sunny, he didn’t put anything past her what with the crowd she ran with at school.

  He’d located the letter from Michael Gardner and immediately presented it to his wife, demanding an explanation. “And don’t you dare lie to me,” he had warned her, “because this time I will have the truth from your evil soul!”

  “I didn’t actually lie to you, Avery,” she sobbed. “You just presumed that since Jamie’s father was my first husband, James Wilkins, and since Sunshine’s last name is Gardner, that my second husband, Michael Gardner was her father. I never claimed to you that he was.”

  Avery slammed his fist on the Formica countertop, causing her to jump in her chair. “That is a lie by omission, woman!”

  She sobbed louder now, and took a napkin to wipe her eyes. “I didn’t think of it that way, I really didn’t. That’s the truth.”