Chapter 16

Hal wondered why his sister wasn't answering the phone. It rang a dozen times before he reached for the disturbing instrument. Glancing at the clock, he could see the hands were pointing in opposite directions, below the three and above the nine. He couldn't make out which was the long hand, through his sleepy eyes. "Hello," he grumbled into the instrument.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. I just got off the phone with your mom and she was asking about you. You didn't answer the phone when she called earlier and was worried. She said Claire called her this morning hyped about the week in Biloxi. Apparently, she won a bundle and she was bursting with joy, wanting to pass the news on. Anyway, your mom wants you to call her."

"Ida, you woke me. If mom called, I didn't hear the phone. I was tired from the long drive and I guess I zonked. I'll shower and give her a call, after I'm fully awake. Is there anything wrong?"

"No, she wanted to talk. Look, I haven't had breakfast myself, after you call Marge, come over and I'll have breakfast prepared."

"Is Sue there with Dawn?"

"I'll tell you about them when you get here; they are with Frank."

"Thanks Ida, give me half an hour, please."

"Okay, take your time. I'm in no hurry; the phone woke me as well."

Hal sat upright and wondered what Sue and Dawn were doing with Frank. He should have asked where they were, but that was an after thought. "Ida will tell me," he said aloud, and smiled at talking to himself. After the shower, he was excited about calling his mom. He was anxious to tell of his week on the coast, some of it at least.

"Hal, you sound great, and you are so clear. There was noise on the line when I spoke to Ida," Marge said excited at getting to talk to her son.

"Hi mom, it is good to hear your voice. How have you been, and how is dad?"

"We are both doing fine, and you wouldn't believe Tracy and Erica, they are both becoming more beautiful every day. Claire called me this morning and all she did was rave about her week. She said that you and Rose became well acquainted. I can't believe 'quiet Rose' went to Biloxi and gambled. She has always been so layback and withdrawn. Your image must be good for her." Marge chuckled at her comment and he caught the innuendo.

"Yes, we had a great time and Rose did 'let her hair down' from what I heard. She's nice and we did have a fabulous time."

His mom and he passed generalities for a few minutes and then she said, "Erica is beside me and would like to speak to you."

"Sure, I'd love to talk to her. Bye mom and I love you." She replied likewise and Erica spoke.

"Hal, how are you doing? We sure miss you, Tracy, and me both."

"I miss you guys too," I said. Her voice sounded positive and more mature.

"Hal, you won't believe mom, she gets better looking every day. She sunbathes in the nude also."

"Don't you be telling him that," I heard mom shouting in the background.

"She has a beautiful tan, and she's going outside now to get more tanned. We have been here more than a year and she has just begun to get out and see some of the country. She has entertained for a year, giving party after party, and every party has been in our home. She went to her first party, at another home, two months ago and now she is a party girl." She chuckled and I heard her and mom mumbling. I assume she had her hand covering the mouthpiece.

"She's outside now and can't hear. Hal, she has been exercising and she is all curves now. As tiny as she is, she's curvy; I kid her about having a boyfriend."

"How about you, do you have a boyfriend," I inquired. If she did, I knew he was one lucky guy.

"No, Tracy does, however, I haven't found one yet. I have dated a couple of guys but it was nothing serious."

"Those boys don't know what they are missing. You need to be here where you could get proper treatment and respect. You sound great, positive as well; are you still in therapy?"

"Yes, I go once a month now. It was twice, however I have learned much. My therapist is a dirty old man; he tries to look up my skirt when he asks me to lie on the sofa and close my eyes." She chuckled. "Of course, he is about seventy-five."

"I guess he knows true beauty when he sees it." I laughed and she joined me.

"Thank you, but you don't know; I may have grown ugly."

"No way; that would be impossible. Do you tease him, and give him a good view? I laughed and she paused before she started laughing with me.

"I have a couple of times," she said laughing. After our laughter diminished she asked, "Hal, could I ask a question, please?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"What would you think if I came back to the mainland? Could I stay with you and Sue? I know you and Sue have this thing between the two of you, and I don't want to mess anything up; I don't like it here. Tracy loves it."

I thought for a moment before answering. "Have you spoken to mom and dad about this? What did they say?"

"I've brought it up twice and both times they each got quiet; each time they said we'd talk about it later." Her words became soft and low, "Hal, I don't have any boyfriends here because none are as nice as you."

I became silent.

"Hal, I'm not asking to come up there and sleep with you, although I did love waking in the bed with you. It's just that I feel safe around you. I have brought it up to the therapist and he said you were probably a father figure to me. That's not so. Well, maybe, OH! I DON'T KNOW! I just feel comfortable around you. You don't have to answer me now, but I would like you to think about it, please. Hal, I have to go now. I love you." The line went dead.

WOW! I was wide-awake now. Her words made sure of that. The phone rang immediately and I picked it up.

"Your breakfast is getting cold," Ida chuckled. "I tried calling earlier; your line was busy, and I assumed you were still talking to Marge."

"Yes, I just got off the line with them. I talked to Erica also. I'll be right over," I said placing the receiver in the cradle. I didn't realize the conversation with mom and Erica lasted over half an hour until I checked the time. I had a lot to think about. Sure, Sue and I were not as close the past four or five months, however I didn't know about Erica; she sounded as though she was pretty serious. I was a teenager and I surely wasn't ready to stop being one. I had too many things to do and learn, and I didn't want to forego those moments to be a full time father.

Ida was pleasant and it was nice to sit and have a leisurely talk. I couldn't remember the two of us alone in the past year. Our conversation took a surprising turn, from casual to serious, when she began talking about Sue.

"Hal, you know that I think of you and Sue as my children, and I think that gives me the authority to speak my mind. Dawn and I have had our differences, as every mother and daughter has at one time or another. I haven't approved of some of Dawn's actions but I am in agreement with this one. She is concerned about Sue. She has told me Sue has asked some drastic things of you. I don't want you to take this wrong, but Dawn and I think she may have a problem. She may need counseling."

I nodded and stared at her, wondering just how much Dawn told Ida.

"Dawn said she has sided with Sue many times, and she thinks she made a mistake. She feels she should have taken your side. She told me of some instances, and I agree with her, she should have sided with you."

"I don't know if you are aware of many of Sue's actions; however Dawn said she is into group sex, male or female. Dawn's concern is she isn't taking precautions, and she is into alcohol heavy. She gets wiped out and doesn't remember what she did the evening before, and its getting worse. I know Dawn followed her initially, she admitted it, and it's really bothering her. Dawn has avoided you because she can't face you; she still looks to you as her protector, after Atlanta. She feels she has let you down."

"Ida, can't you talk to Sue about this; you know, tell her how wrong she is doing herself? And as far as Dawn letting me down... well... we know that is wrong."

Ida nodded and remarked. "Hal, I have tried. Remember we took the girls on a three-week trip this summer. I tried to talk to her at that time, in fact that was the primary reason we took the trip. We wanted to talk to both girls. It was Frank's idea. You forget, or maybe you don't know, because I don't know what Frank has told you of my past. My life is not one I could get people to pattern their lives after, and Sue and Dawn are aware of my wild streaks. Each brought this up in our conversation this summer."

"What about Allen and Anna, do you think they... ?" I didn't get to finish before she began shaking her head and interrupted.

"That's no good. Allen and Anna are into the same thing. Dawn told me Sue spent most of the nights in their bed, the three-week trip they took. I didn't know it at the time, however Anna likes men and women, and Allen is the same. The sex of their partner is irrelevant, and Dawn admitted she joined them on several occasions."

"I blame myself for this; I started with the stories," I said shaking my head and I assume I had a whipped puppy look because Ida corrected me.

"No, it wasn't your fault. Dawn said she knew your tales were lies, as did Sue. They enjoyed the stories and Dawn said you made them sound convincing, however they knew you were lying to them. When you stopped with the stories, Dawn said Sue used that as an excuse to stop sleeping with you. They were having unprotected sex and afraid for you. Sue isn't worried about her own body Dawn professed, and Dawn said she has tried to remain oral with you. She said she has except for two incidents."

I assumed Ida picked up on the shocked expression displayed on my face. I could feel it and I was positive when she spoke. The subject never came up about Dawn and me making love, which was natural. This was the first time Ida, or Frank, acknowledged our making love. True, Frank saw us; however, it wasn't brought up or discussed.

"You seem shocked," she said with a serious expression.

"Well, yes... it just never came up before, and I was sure you knew. I guess we didn't hide it to well."

"I knew the first time, five years ago. Do you think a mother wouldn't know, or at least highly suspect, after all you have not tried to hide it?"

"I guess I never thought about it; too much anyway." Hal remarked staring at Ida and trying to learn from her expression and words, if she was visually upset.

"I was fearful of the day it would happen, however I wasn't surprised. Dawn takes after me. Most mothers wake to find a wet diaper on the baby; however, I woke to find Dawn with her finger in her vagina. She still wakes the same every morning; her hand will be between her legs. I guess you know from experience she has a sensitive and enlarged clit. It was important for me to learn early when she began engaging in sex in order to get her on birth control."

I'm positive Ida had no idea what she was doing to me, or either she was exceptionally cruel. My prick became hard when she mentioned Dawn waking with her finger in her pussy, and the longer she spoke, the harder I became. I thought about the first time Dawn and I made love, how she rubbed my prick through her slit, back and forth. I thought I would come prematurely that afternoon, and I was close and feeling the same as Ida reiterated Dawn's love for rubbing her slit. I wanted to agree with her; because Dawn swooned each time I played with her still tiny pussy.

Ida was talking about the three-day trip to the coast, while I was in Biloxi. I heard the words, however I was thinking about Sue. Sue had changed over the summer months. I thought it was because of me, however after she relayed Dawn's remarks, I could see I wasn't responsible. I thought about the times, in our beginning lovemaking sessions, how she was forever wanting to try something new. I assumed they, her wandering feelings, finally caught up with her and she was acting them out, in real life. I wondered how many of the wild things we dreamed up she had tried.

The phone was my reprieve. When Ida stood, answered, and began talking to her friend, I waved and walked back to my condo. Sue remained on my mind.

Ida said Frank made a trip to Atlanta and asked the girls to accompany him. He was further routed, and his route would include Memphis, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, and Sacramento. Ida believed he would be traveling six days before he returned, and the girls were with him. I was familiar with the trip since I made it one time with him. The girls would return full of smiles, and with new wardrobes. I knew they didn't take extra clothing, expecting a short flight up and immediately return. That was a drawback with Frank's present position. He expected a one-stop flight and a direct return.