Shack Man: Updating My Sister

Catch up here – Shack Man

Chapter 22 – Updating My Sister

Crystal ball? I was entirely unprepared for such a question. I knew this was a challenge. The sister didn’t even greet her brothers before hitting me with this. Thanks, lady! Now I have some idea what ya’ll been talking about.

The brothers glared at their sister. It was like they were all kid-siblings in this moment. I’m talking about the energy. Like someone needs to go tell mom on someone else.

Whatever. She tossed her card. I didn’t like her and I knew I never would. “No, I didn’t bring a crystal ball. I read charts. It’s a different thing,” I said.

“You don’t have room with candles and scarves, where you read the fortunes?”

“No”, said my Capricorn to her Leo. “Astrology and crystal balls have nothing in common.” End.

I thought I might get along with this gal; a Leo, when I have Venus is Leo. But I’m not playing, mean girls with her. I’m a love movie, you idiot!

We caught the mother in a good mood, though she frayed over the two-day period. With cause, I suppose.

I called my sister, early in the morning on Thanksgiving day. I had to talk fast.

“I only have a few minutes,” I said, furtively. I was at a pay phone in front of a 7-ll and it was cold!

“Okay, let’s run ’em down! Virgo sister?”

“No problems! Liked her. She’s nice. Sprouts on the windowsill and compost, just as you expected.”

“Aquarian husband?”

“You got that right, too. He’s looking for a friend. He loves his wife. They get along really well. No surprises.

“Okay, good. Sister number two?”

“Barracuda!”

“What’d she do?”

“She’s snotty, but I have her handled. Not worth the time on the phone.  Boring. Fill you in later.”

“Good! All right! How’s the mother?”

“She’s okay. Well, she’s two-faced, but she’s definitely trying. Shack must have begged her and she decided to do it. To honor his wishes and trot out her good face. I also think she was surprised, what I looked like. Turns out, Shack, did not describe me, to anyone, at all. They were all waiting to see what I looked like. This is a theme.”

My sister was shocked. Going to have to think on that one. “How are her clothes?” she asked.

“The ones she makes?”

“She makes clothing? That’s her fiber art?”

“Yes.”

“Is it any good?”

“I don’t know. I think it probably is, but you know me. She had me try the stuff on.”

“What??? She dressed you in her clothes? Like I do?”

“Yes. Well she was planning a photo shoot and thought I might make a good model.”

“Elsa, are you shitting me? It’s you and your fuckin’ dimples! XXXXX! Mommie Dearest dressed, Elsa, in her clothing!” she yelled to her husband. “What were the clothes like?””

“Nothing that suits me. Long jackets, like art pieces, I guess. She’s using various materials… textures, along the lines of quilting or patchwork. I really don’t know. But she’s got a big studio, full of racks of clothes. She has a lot of clothing in there.”

“Damn it! I wish I could see the clothes. I bet they’re nice. See! He did get his taste from her. Can you get some pictures for me?”

“No!”

“Okay! So she likes you?”

“I wouldn’t go that far. She’s being cordial for her son. I also think she saw her daughter was going to be a bitch so she’s applying a different texture.” My sister roared. “Yeah, no. I would not say she likes me. I’d say she likes me when I’m in the room.”

“But she put her clothes on you, and why am I surprised?” my sister asked, herself. “People do this to you all the time. They think you’re a doll they can dress up. Does she think you’re a doll?”

“No, I don’t think she does. I’m marrying her son so she’s trying. Like this train is happening, so she’s going to try. I don’t know what else to say. She’s trying and so am I.”

“Do you like her?”

“I don’t dislike her. I don’t know. There’s a lot of energy flying. We’ve been able to get along and it’s relieving.”

“Is it your Libra with her Gemini?”

“Probably. We’re not clashing, but it won’t hold. She wigs, remember?”

“Right. Wonder what that’s like?”

“Me and you, both.”

“How’s her husband?”

“He’s like furniture,” I said. She snorted.

“Sister’s husband?”

“He was nice. I think he felt sympathy for me,” I said.

“Sympathy, why?”

“Because of the conversation before I got there, is my guess. I also think he was surprised at what I looked like. I did not match whatever it was they imagined.”

“Hello, Neptune. So they were talking about you, you think?”

“Fuckin’ A. Their words are dripping off the walls.”

“And you ignore this?”

“Yes.”

“What did the sister do while you were trying on the clothes? Was she there?”

“Yes. She was glaring.”

“Glaring? She didn’t like it?”

“No. She is the usual model.”

“Was she jealous?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. She’s a gnat.” My sister roars. “The mother wanted to me to try the clothes on, because I have different coloring.”

“Oh! That makes sense. She wants to know if her clothing works on your type. So that’s what she’s doing. You’re a specimen. Maybe she wants to see if she can market her stuff in Italy.”

“Yes. She said that, actually. And if she can use me to sell, she will.”

“Is this why she’s being nice?”

“It’s a reason.” My sister does not understand Mercurial people. “She has multiple reasons,” I explained. “Her son is primary. Texture, is second. It’s more interesting if one of them is nice and one is not. But then she saw me and she was curious about the clothing. I mean, clothing is her interest and I look very different than her usual model. I thought it was quite smart. She saw a way to interact with me that would not be mind-numbing.” My sister laughed.

“And the bitch didn’t like it?”

“Definitely not.  She wants the mother to hate me.”

“What did she do?”

“Tap her finger on her cheek. Whisper to her husband.”

“But he was on your side?”

“Yes.”

“Sounds like, Barracuda Queen, has to share the spotlight. Poor thing.”

“Maybe. I’m not competing with her. We’re leaving or going outside, every chance we get. We’re trying not to trigger anyone or anything.”

“So you’re doing, fort activities? You’re being a cub scout?”

“Yes. And we’re gone now, to make this call. And we went to dinner last night, as we’d planned.

“How was that?”

“Abnormal. The energy is weird. For example, I think we should have stayed. We were in and out, and the mother was trying. I felt bad. Like it was rude? However, I don’t understand the wigging so it may have been a good call. I just don’t know and this is why it’s abnormal. I guess you could say, there’s a plan and we’re sticking to it, but there is a lot of energy flying around.”

“The Three Amigos?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re still, amigos?”

“Yes. But there is energy flying, everywhere.”

“Okay. So the other sister and her husband are coming today? You’ll have some friends. Sound like you’re handling everything, “she said.

“I am. But there’s more going on you don’t know about. The Italian and Virgo sister have not seen the father in many years. They’re done with him. And the Italian also told me, I needed them as bodyguards at the mother’s.”

“WHAT?”

“I can’t tell you right now. I’m out of time. But you wanted me to call, so you have something to chew on. Here’s your meat. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

Click.

Walking back to the car, I realized I’d buried the lead. Oops. I wondered if I was unraveling a bit as I know how to tell a story. But then I realized, my sister could speculate with her husband. Seems all the rage, these days. Wonder about my hologram. That’ll have to do.

Heading back to the house, I absolutely knew it was going to be brutal. Had someone asked me, I could have told them, exactly what would unfold. I’d sussed it out.

I also knew I had, Neptune, transiting my ascendant. I planned to slip out of every situation, like water under a door. I didn’t like this option, but there was too much missing info to do anything else…like pick a side.