Sister Love

Every  Sunday  morning  after  that,  Marcia  brought  Howard  home  for  a  glass  of  wine.  After  church,  Howard  stopped  his  car  in  the  street  outside  the  apartment  building  and  Marcia  said,  Sound  the  horn,  Howard.  Tell  Corinne  we're  here.  Then  she  can  get  the  wine  ready.  So  Howard  gave  three  little  toots  on  his  car  horn.

On  sunny  days,  Karin  always  came  to  the  wall  at  the  edge  of  the  roof  and  looked  over  to  wave  at  them.  Then  she  went  to  get  the  wine.  She  always  wore  her  bikini  or  a  very  short  skirt.  Marcia  never  wore  short  skirts  or  a  bikini.  My  legs  are  too  fat  for  bikinis,  she  told  Howard.

Your  legs  are  very  nice,  he  said  shyly.  One  day  in  June,  kareem  asked,  Howard,  what  time  do  you  finish  work?  Howard  about  06:00,  Howard.  About  06:00,  he  said.  Could  you  bring  me  home  after  work?

Karen  said.  My  shop's  very  near  the  hospital.  You  drive  right  past  it  and  you  only  live  three  streets  away  from  us.  There's  a  very  good  bus,  said  Marcia  quickly.  It  stops  outside  our  building.

But  the  bus  is  so  slow,  Skarin  said.  Please,  Howard.  Howard  looked  from  one  sister  to  the  other.  Oh,  well,  er  yes,  all  right.  Then,  he  said.

Thank  you,  Corene  said,  and  gave  him  a  quick  kiss.  So  every  evening  Howard  drove  Karen  home.  On  the  first  Friday,  they  were  an  hour  late.  When  they  arrived,  Marcia  was  at  the  door  of  the  apartment  building.  What  happened?

She  asked.  Why  are  you  so  late?  There  was  an  accident,  Karin  said.  Three  cars  all  across  the  road  on  that  hill  by  the  cinema.  You  know,  we  couldn't  get  past.

We  couldn't  go  back.  There  were  so  many  cars,  nobody  could  move.  Howard  said  nothing.  It  was  a  long,  hot  summer  that  year.  Marcia  went  to  church  every  Sunday  morning  and  Kareem  stayed  at  home  with  their  father.

When  it  was  sunny,  and  it  often  was,  karen  went  up  to  her  son  bed  on  the  roof.  When  Marcia  went  up  to  the  roof  garden,  she  always  sat  under  the  umbrella.  But  Corinne  put  on  lots  of  suntan  oil  and  sat  in  the  sun  in  her  bikini.  The  hot  sun's  not  good  for  your  body,  Marcia  said.  Corinne  laughed.

Howard  likes  my  body.  No,  he  doesn't,  Marcia  said  angrily.  Oh,  he  does,  Corinne  said.  He's  very  shy  with  women,  but  he  always  looks  at  my  body  very  carefully.  He  does  it  all  the  time.

Perhaps  he  wants  me  to  take  off.  Stop  it,  Corinne,  Marcia  said.  Don't  say  those  things.  Corinne  laughed.  What's  the  matter,  big  sister?

Are  you  afraid  I'm  going  to  take  him  from  you?  Marcia  did  not  answer.