Chapter 15

I thought about what my father had said to me, especially the part about him and mom being proud of the effort that I'd made to get along with Walter. It had been better between us then, but I was still doing things that I knew would piss him off if he ever found out.

Thinking about it, I started wondering if I wouldn't have been better off to have tried to reach some accommodation with Walter years before. How much of our feuding was a direct result of my actions against him?

I heard my father and Walter on the stairs, trying to get Walter up to his bedroom. It didn't sound like it was going too well. I went out and offered to help. Because I was shorter than Walter, I could fit under his broken arm better than my father could. That meant that I wasn't adding any pressure to his bad side. My father went over to his good right side and we managed to get him up the rest of the stairs and into the bathroom. Walter had to sit down to take a piss.

After he was done, my father handed him a toothbrush with paste already on it, and a glass half filled with water. It was kind of funny, the three of us all in the bathroom, watching Walter take a leak and brush his teeth. We helped him up and took him to his bedroom. He was still dressed only in his robe, and my father helped him get out of it.

Walter had big, dark bruises all over his torso, and his chest was covered with cuts and scrapes. I had no idea how he could have gotten those. Once he was in bed, my father left the room, and it was just Walter and I there. I turned to leave too.

"Barry, that stuff you said about Carla. Was it true?"

I turned and looked at him. I almost felt sorry for him as he waited for the answer that he was already almost sure was coming.

"Yeah Walter, it was true."

"The part about Glen and George?"

"Yes."

"Before Christmas? You're sure?"

"That's why she did it with Jimmy and I, Walter, to keep me from telling you like I told her I was going to do. Not that that makes me any less guilty for doing that to you."

"You were going to tell me? Why?"

"Well, you are my brother. I didn't want you to end up marrying a girl who can't be faithful."

"So, you were going to do me a favor, and tell me about her and Glen and George, and she tempted you?"

"Walter, I set the thing up with Jimmy and I both doing her. Jimmy was a virgin, and Carla was going to be fucking somebody anyway. I was going to tell you about her anyway, but I wanted to get in her panties too. I was going to give you Dana to make up for what I did with Carla."

"I should still kick your ass. Tell me why I shouldn't."

"Because all the stuff happened with Carla before you got kicked out of school, and before we declared our truce. Besides, with you stuck here in the house, who else can go out and get some girl to come over to help you out if you get horny?"

"What I'd really like is some beer. You know anybody who can buy beer for you?"

"Walter, if you would call us square, and put the truce back in effect, I can get you some cold beer and some warm pussy, delivered here to your room tomorrow or the next day for sure."

"I don't know about pussy, my knee is really fucked up. I could use a nice blow job though."

"The next time you get one Walter, you better pay attention to her technique. When they put you in prison, you're probably going to be forced to give them."

"You think that's funny? Asshole!"

"Walter, sometimes it's better to joke about the things that we fear the most. It takes some of the fear away. Besides, they'll probably go for your ass instead, anyway."

"Goddamn it Barry. None of that is funny. Get out of here."

"So, no deal?"

"I'll think about it. I really liked Carla, you know?"

"She's not the type to stay faithful, Walter. What she did while you were gone should tell you that. If you liked her so much, what about all the girls up at IU?"

"It's different for a guy Barry. Those girls didn't mean anything to me, but Carla did."

"Carla would tell you the same thing Walter, but both of you would be lying."

"Good night Barry."

I left his room, and walked downstairs to get myself a glass of milk. I was drinking it out of the carton when I noticed a tall can of Schlitz beer in the door of the refrigerator. It was probably left over from a party or something. I grabbed it and went back up to Walter's bedroom. I turned his light back on and went over to his bed and handed him the beer.

"Hide the can and I'll take it out to the trash tomorrow. Goodnight, Walter." He already had it opened and was sitting up in bed drinking it down. He must have chugged half of it before he took the can away from his lips with a satisfied smile.

"Thanks Barry. This will win you some points."

"Walter, I control the beer and the pussy, why would I need points?"

"Truce then?"

"Truce."

I went back to my room and went to sleep. The next morning I got up early and, after getting the can out of Walter's room, where he'd cleverly hidden it on his night stand, I drove over to Audrey's house. It was six forty five when I got there and rang the door bell. Cindy answered the door, and I walked inside and gave her a good morning kiss.

"Cindy, I need a favor for my brother. Two of them actually. Can you take time off from your work for lunch?"

"Sure Barry, I can take up to two hours if I've got something that I need to do. I usually eat at my desk though."

"My brother Walter will be alone all day, until after five. I want you to buy him a six pack of Budweiser, and take it over to him at lunch time."

"Okay, I can do that, sure Barry. What's the other thing?"

"Give him one of your nicest blow jobs. Tell him it's a gift from his brother."

"Barry. I don't even know your brother."

"Cindy, you said that you were my slut. I told you that my sluts do what I tell them to. If you won't even do the simplest things I ask you to, what kind of slut does that make you? A worthless one is what I think. I bet Audrey would do it for me."

"No, don't, I'll do it for you." This was said in her little girl's voice again.