Gracie's Game: Sudden Anger, Accidentally on Purpose

Gracie's Game: Sudden Anger, Accidentally on Purpose Read Free Page A

Book: Gracie's Game: Sudden Anger, Accidentally on Purpose Read Free
Author: Jack Parker
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tightly.
    Charles drained the last of the Scotch and stood up. "Empty," he said. "Gotta go fill 'er up again." He walked off towards the tiki-bar without another word.
    Clarissa sat down and Clarke pulled over another chair and sat with them. "He's proud of you too, son," Clarissa said. "He just doesn't know how to say it."
    "I'm proud of you too, Clarke," Gracie said. "You've always made better grades than I do."
    Clarke sighed and said, "I know he is. I know it intellectually, but I don't ever feel it in my heart. I don't mind so much for myself, I'm a guy, I'm supposed to suck it up. I just wish he treated you two better."
    "I mean, look at the way he laughs at you Gracie, makes fun of you for wanting to make a difference in the environment," he continued. "And the way he treated you Mom. A different mistress every other month, and all of them cheap floozies. He didn't even have the decency to try to hide them, we all knew about his affairs. What a bastard!"
    "Why do you think I left him?" his mother asked. "I couldn't take the lying and cheating anymore. And the drinking didn't help."
    "Why did you wait so long?" Gracie asked. She knew the basics, but had never before had the guts to ask about the details.
    "Because he may have been a bastard, but he wasn't a
cheap
bastard!" her mother replied. "I knew about the other women, but he always encouraged me to buy whatever I wanted. We had the house, fancy cars, the latest electronic toys. I had you three…" Clarissa smiled fondly. "I could afford to look good and do what I liked. But it got worse and I, uh, became more aware of the affairs. I didn't want you guys exposed to that - and I didn't realize you knew so much! Anyway, I finally realized the money didn't make up for it." Clarissa's eyes seemed to focus inwardly for a moment. "I'm not sure I can ever trust a man again."
    She sat up straighter and put a smile on her face. "But hey, that's ancient history! These last two years have been great. I have plenty of friends and lots of things to keep me busy. Clay treats me like a queen. I respect myself, and I've learned that money doesn't make you happy."
    Clarke reached over and squeezed his mother's hand. "I love you, Mom," he said. "I'm glad you're happy."
    Gracie said, "Me too, Mom. Oh, goody!" This last in a heavily ironic tone. "Aunt Jeanine's here."
    Jeanine Thomas hitched her bulk slowly across the patio towards the group. She was Charles' younger sister, and like him had inherited the stout Greene body. But where he had padded his belly in recent years Jeanine had packed on the pounds long ago. Oddly, she'd never learned to move the extra weight gracefully. She was looking at her niece and nephew instead of the uneven flagstones, so she didn't notice she'd veered a bit from the path until she stepped halfway onto the grass and nearly fell.
    Susan Holloway, who lived across the street from Charles, ran up to Jeanine and grabbed her arm. "Are you OK?" she asked.
    "Jesus H. Christ on a crutch, I thought I was gonna fall on my ass!" Jeanine said loudly. "Those goddamn rocks are dangerous, someone could get hurt." She put her hand to her chest in a melodramatic pose and panted noisily a few times for effect. "Whew! And I haven't even had a drink yet. Maybe that's what I need. I'm gonna go sit down and catch my breath for a minute. I'll catch up to you later Susan."
    Susan just said, "Sure, you do that." She patted Jeanine's flabby arm and went back to her seat. She'd known Jeanine long enough not to expect a 'thank you' from her. She enjoyed Charles' parties, he didn't stint on the drinks and knew some interesting people - but she spent as little time talking to Jeanine as possible. She'd just happened to be nearby when Jeanine had tripped, and couldn't let her fall.
    Jeanine made her way to the patio without further mishap. "Hi Gracie, hi Clarke," she said. She didn't speak to Clarissa.
    In unison Clarke and Gracie said, "Hello Aunt Jeanine." There was a definite

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