The Life And Times Of Rachel Grape

Sunday At The Fair

The county fair was going in, and when Rachel was young, her arts and crafts were always blue ribbon winners, as well as her mother's flower arrangements. Her mom didn't do 4H any more. She got busy with kids and the store. The store was doing well. Bougie women came in left and right to buy "quaint little items" for their homes that were bougie. They all asked about Rachel, if she was enjoying school, if she had a boyfriend. "She reminds us of Lily Rose Depp. She could be a model." That was part of the reason Arianna envied Rachel so. "She's a Christian and that bothers me. I want to break that 'God is Love' plaque she has." She wouldn't, if she wanted to smash it and make her cry. Why was God do good to her? Why did God give her a good family? Why didn't that fat mom close her legs?  If she kept her legs closed, I would have not been born and maybe her mom would be happy.  She was not happy with her dad. She was embarrassed of him. He was a drunk. He could not find a job. In the end, Elise Grape won.

   The fair was fun.   She saw a few of her friends and Stephanie Wilson had her horse Pongo there.   She always wanted a horse but they were work.  Her parents did not have that type of money and it was okay.  She was happy with her family.  She was glad her mom and dad loved each other because it made her sad to hear Arianna's mom call and cry about her dad.  She was lucky her mom loved her dad and she heard them in bed when she brushed her teeth. She thought about sex.  She thought about it a lot.   Westin brought it up a few times.    "I will wait forever," he told her.    He wanted to marry her and all the ladies at church wanted to know about "cute Westin's girlfriend".  He showed them pictures and the ladies said, "My, she is lovely.  What a tiny girl!"    He loved her so.  He liked the "God is love" plaque in her room.  

    Bonnie was checking out the boys.   She loved having her sister home and she talked it her about boys,   She talked to her about this one.  "He looks just like Austin Butler.  I am proud of you sis."   She smiled.   They played the mouse game and won a few prizes.   Rachel fell asleep in the van.  Rachel.  Rachel was on the mind of Wendy.  What it it was the demon spawn, would her son listen?  Was he having sex with her?   She raised that concern to her husband who said, "sounds like she is a good girl.  Let's let him live his life."  NOT what she wanted to hear.   At the house, Gilbert had to wake Rachel up.  She was still their little girl to him. He blinked back a few tears. How was his girl, demon spawn?

She went upstairs and went to bed. Bonnie played on her phone. Rachel looked up at the glow in the dark stars her mom put up for her two girls in the summer of 2001. Rachel was four and Bonnie was two and a half. At the time, money wasn't a plenty and the stars were from the KMart next to the interstate. It closed when Rachel was seven. Rachel fell asleep again. It was nice to be in her own bed. Across the state, in the city, Arianna wished she was back in school. Her parents were fighting. I guess her mom overspent again and of her dad "could just have control of the finances" life would be good. Her matinee screamed, "Why would I have an embezzler run our finances!?" Well, the fights were on like Donkey Kong. She was tired of their fighting. She wished for a nice step dad for her mom, one who listened to her, one who respected her. Her dad had little respect for her.

In the parsonage, Wendy Neely sat down in the bedroom, She had a long day and didn't look forward to telling her son goodbye. Her husband walked in.

"What if it is that demon spawn?"
"Over twenty years bas happened, Wendy."
"But, she is not holy."
"No one is."
"Well, her mother. Sleeping with that man."
"From what Westin says, they are still together and in love as much now as back then. See, there is hope."
"I bet she seduces him."
"He told he she is shy, conservative."

The conversation was pointless. However, love was blooming between them.