Alabama Revenge Ch. 04
Other than stopping for gas, Sarah had only one stop to make before reaching her final destination and that was to see her brother who she had not seen in some years. Several years older than she, her parents had disowned him when he told them he was gay. Her brother never forgave his mother for her abusive behavior throughout their childhood and never had any contact with them once his father threw him out of the house. She had to tell him why their mother was the way she was. She hoped that with that information, it would make him understand, give him closure, and help him to better survive his adulthood.
She found him in his favorite hangout, a gay bar a few miles outside of Mobile. Mark, her brother, tended bar there. Actually, working and recreating at the same place, the only time he left was when he needed to crash, and he lived above the bar in a backroom loft. It was an odd coincidence that he would settle there from New York, when it was not far from where his mother had been kidnapped, tortured, and sexually assaulted 25 years ago.
The only woman in the bar, Sarah received lots of stares. Immediately, she found her brother behind the bar.
“Mark?”
“Sarah?” He put down his rag and hopped over the bar. “What are you doing here?” They hugged. “Are you that desperate for a man that now you are trolling gay bars?”
“No, I was just looking for someone to do my hair, select my wardrobe, and help decorate my apartment,” she said laughing. “Can we talk?”
“Sure, sure. Hey, Joe, I’m taking my break. And bring us over a couple beers.” He looked to at his kid sister, “is beer okay?”
“Yeah.”
Mark escorted Sarah to a corner booth already occupied by a couple of guys getting better acquainted with one another.
“Hey, guys, get a room. I need to talk to my baby sister in private.”
“Sure, Mark. Let’s dance, Chad.”
“So…what brings you here from your Manhattan loft?”
“Mom died.”
“That’s no surprise. I knew she’d been ill,” he touched her hand. “But, you didn’t have to drive all this way to tell me. You could have told me over the telephone.”
“I needed to see you in person. I needed to make you understand why Mom mistreated us.”
“I already know why. She was a lush, a bitch, and she hated the fact that her handsome boy turned out to be a gay man.”
“Yes, but, do you know why she drank and the reason why she acted the way she did?”
“Okay. I’ll play along.” Mark looked at his sister with disinterest. “Why?”
“She was kidnapped, tortured, raped, and abused by a man who owns and still operates a service station not far from here.”
“Get the fuck out! Holy shit!” He put a hand to his mouth. “Holy shit! Mom? Kidnapped and raped? Holy shit!”
“And that’s not all, unfortunately and tragically.” She looked away from his stare and then reestablished eye contact, “I’m his daughter.”
“No fucking way!” He looked at her. “Holy shit!” He took her hands in his. “I’m so sorry Sarah, so very sorry.”
She squeezed his hands for support and to stop herself from crying.
“Yeah, can you imagine how I felt finding out that Daddy is not my Daddy?”
“Does the old man know?”
“She never told him. That explains why she acted the way she did. Guilt, pain, and post traumatic stress, all of that twisted her, besides that fact that she never sought psychiatric help.”
“That was how her generation was, thinking that seeing a shrink was wrong,” said Mark. “So,” he looked hard at her, “that’s why you are here? You’re going to meet up with this fucker, aren’t you?”
“I’m going to kill him.” She smiled pulling her purse closer to her and feeling the weight of the .38 inside.
He looked down at her purse then stared up at her.
“And what makes you think that this guy won’t do the same to you that he did to Mom and then kill you?”
“I’m dead already, Mark, with all that I’ve been through.”
“Dead? Don’t be ridiculous. You have your whole life to live. Go see a shrink and have him prescribe something if you feel that bad, but don’t do this. Don’t ruin your life over this guy. He’s damaged our family enough.”
“I’ve already made my decision. I need to avenge Mom.”
She stood to leave.
“Wait,” he put his hand on hers and pulled her back. “Don’t go. Have a drink with me. Give me a chance to think.” Joe delivered the beers to the table and Sarah sat back down. Mark’s eyes narrowed. “I may have a better idea.”
“Okay,” she took a sip of her beer, “but you can’t talk me out of taking my revenge.”
“Sarah, I promise not to ruin your party only to expand upon it. Just give me some time, a few hours, until tomorrow, to make some arrangements and to set my plan in motion. Let me put you up for the night. My place is not the Plaza, but it’s comfortable. Besides, we need to catch up with one another, baby sister.” He laughed, “Even if you’re only my half sister. Now, that explains why you aren’t as good looking as me,” he said with a laugh.
“You were always a comedian,” she laughed. “But, I need to—”
“Sarah, please, for me. We’ve already lost too much of our lives and I don’t want to loose you to prison or see you dead. Just give me ’til tomorrow. I have friends here, good friends who care about me and who will do anything for me, as I would for them.”
“Okay, I’m tired, anyway. It was a long drive. I need some sleep. I’m not thinking clearly. I haven’t slept in days, since Mom died.”
To be continued…