Free and clear

Tuesday 10 September 2008

I was standing in the middle of my room cleaning my ear with a q-tip when she came in. 'Hey. Oh. You're not dressed?'

I wasn't. I was stark naked after my quick morning shower, my body all clean, my hair still a little damp. I felt alive, free, refreshed, able to take on anything. Beyond me the draperies hung open and the sashes were up. Outside, the beautiful cool late-summer air was sweet with salt scent. The morning sun was just a hand over the ocean horizon. I turned round, past the big mirror I rarely look at anyway, and faced my sister. With a little breath I said quietly, 'I'm clear.'

She made a pouting face. 'I'm not,' she said.

I nodded. 'I know, sweetie.'

She was already dressed, in cute snug black pants and a silver-grey-white-black striped top and plain white socks. I tossed the q-tip into the little bowl I keep on the dresser for stuff like that and we just stood there and looked at each other for a moment. 'I'm always going to be a day behind you, aren't I?'

I shrugged. 'And I'm always going to be two days after Mother.'

She shrugged too. 'Hm. And what do you think Lisa will be?'

'We'll be long gone, and Lisa will be the lady of the house by then.'

Jessy smiled at me. 'Except if Daddy takes us to the Olympics in London. We'll all be together then, right?'

I nodded. 'I hope so.'

'Hm. Well, I just came in for your good stuff.'

I nodded and she went in to my bathroom and came out with the little eyeliner tube. 'Wait-- you're wearing silver with that?' I had to ask.

She leaned round to look into the mirror. We each saw the other there too. 'Yeah, why not? Unless you think--?'

I shrugged. 'Something warmer, hun. To bring out your eyes. You're not a robot.'

She giggled, nodded, and went back into my bathroom to steal something else and then went out.

I heard little Lisa's voice in the gallery-- she wakes up at about the time we leave and today she's early. 'Janine?' she called sleepily, and before I could move to put on even a thing her face appeared in the doorway. Then came the rest of her, in her bright yellow summer pyjamas. 'You're not dressed,' she observed.

I shrugged again, like I do too much. 'I'm comfortable.'

She giggled. 'Do you have clothes to wear?'

'Of course, sweetie,' I said, turning in to the room again. 'I'm not going to school like this.'

Lisa giggled. 'That would be funny.'

'Yes,' I said, picking up my panties, 'and that's why it's only truly fun if we do it here. Right?'

'Right,' she said. 'Can I go through your room?'

I turned round and kissed her on the head, inevitably batting her with the panties in my hand. 'Of course, sweetie. Mother has something waiting for you, I'm sure.'

She smiled and trotted round my bed to the other side and went out through the door to the front stairway. It was a quarter to seven and I had to get dressed.

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