It all started at a small dinner party. Not the kind you would have for a wedding or an engagement party or the sort but a small dinner among family and one friend. Gail Diggers seemed like a friend of my family, so I thought. All of the family told me I was crazy for always trusting people and nearly giving my last in just about everything I have. Well, as usual, I just ignored the complaints and kept right on trying to help who-ever needed me. I also thought that Gail Diggers a new friend and the only friend of our family was a friend indeed... It wasn’t so, Gail was only there to try and impregnate herself with our brother’s baby, and so she could become in the family way- get her hands on the family’s money. Gail became pregnant in the early fall and claimed by all means that Damien was the father and when we found out that she was messing around with the surgeon, and that it was a strong possibility that the unborn child she’s carrying could be his, Gail Diggers up and left town, and no one in our family ever heard from her again. I was always the hostess at these small occasions of ours and I was the one that spent the most into the food too. My brother Damien always disagreed with the way that the others in the family treated me so cold hardheartedly and as if I was just plain dumb- especially my two sisters- Caroline and Sherry. The two of them often talked about me behind my back, hell, a plenty of times they talked with me in the room and didn’t really give a damn if I heard them, and even when Damien warned them that it wasn’t right to scorn me to my face. I almost never defended myself I would excuse myself from the room or ask to be excused as if I was this pitiful child and hurry from their presence and the other guest of course, hurrying into the nearest bathroom to catch my tears with a Kleenex before they came streaming down my face. As I wiped away tears of sadness I could hear the laughter of the others from in the living room. But, one night I let things went too far. We were having a small dinner party as usual only this time there was wine served. This occasion was special than the others had been, this one was an engagement party for Sherry and her fiancé or should I say lover. Leonard wasn’t the type of guy that you or anyone would bring home for the family to meet, hell he didn’t even love Sherry let alone her talking about them marrying. Sherry knew that Leonard didn’t give a fluke about her and so did all the rest of us. It had been an hour into the engagement party, it started at nine and now it was ten. Leonard was late and Sherry didn’t like it one darn bit and she was drinking down drink after drink with Damien on her back about slowing down, and we all knew that Sherry couldn’t hold her liquor. I was the one that didn’t drink just only catered to my family and the guest needs and stood back looking stupid part of the times. I was in a deep trance tonight though. Suddenly, Sherry snapped her fat girl fingers and alerted me from my trance, she was demanding another drink and she looked as if she needed a drink bad. At first I was about to pour her another shot of Jack Daniels liquor but I remembered how she vomited all over the floor and herself the last time she got wasted, and it was all Leonard’s fault the same as tonight.

“Sherry, you’ve had enough. If you don’t stop drinking now, you are going to be sick like you were the last time, remember.” I tried to act as nice and sisterly as I could. Everyone else stared at me as if I was some type of nerd invading their space.

“Good. Then I can get it all over you, Sherry sounded wasted and she even swayed somewhat like drunks do when they have had too much to drink. Now give me the fucking drink, you dumb-ass childish bitch!” Sherry snapped as if she could have chewed me alive and she even had a deadly look in her eyes.

“Sherry dear, you’re becoming a drunk. Is this what you want your future hubby to see, Huh, You standing here in front of the bar and yelling at your younger sister like she’s crap?” a male guest asked, he walked up without either one of us having noticed and especially Sherry who was getting angrier by the moment. "You're a lady and this is simply not the way that a lady is supposed to act."

"You are absolutely right Charles Grimm." Sherry answered calling her guest by his full name. Her speech was becoming slurred. "And this is my engagement party. Not yours are my sister Andrea. Now, I am going to tell you once more Andrea, fix. Me. A damn drink!" she bitched. Sherry fixed me with a stare, that was more like a grave yard look and it cast such a hold over me that it gave me the shivers.

I became bitter at her behavior toward me in front of the male guest and when I realized it he had gone back across the room. Gosh, I wish he had stayed another minute, I dreaded Sherry when she was this way. I mean she would pick an argument or fight with just about anyone that was there in her presence. I hoped that it wouldn't be me. I was wrong it would be me if I didn't give her another drink. Sherry had already had her limitation and yet, because of Leonard not showing up on time for their engagement that she announced herself the week before, Sherry was drinking like a mad woman.

"Hey, what if you go upstairs and take a cold shower and come back downstairs and have a good hot cup of coffee? It will make you feel better and I will even go with you upstairs to pick out you another one of those fancy outfits that you like to wear Sherry." I was trying so hard to get along with Sherry but there weren’t any guarantees with her.

"Why, so you can take Leonard from me when he comes tonight?" Sherry spoke so cold, it was as if I was her most hated enemy.

"Sherry, no, I would never do that to you! I know how you feel about Leonard and so does everyone else here. I am your sister Sherry and I love you." I spoke my peace and I was hoping deep down inside me that Sherry would be kind and believe me and answer back with love.

Even though I knew she wouldn't I always keep hope alive that someday Sherry would know that I would never do anything to hurt her and return the love I had for her?

"Good then. Keep your fucking hands to yourself and pour me another drink before I get even madder at you." Sherry's tone and attitude towards me was so nasty I was speechless to try and prevent her from drinking anymore than she already had.

It was like something inside of me forced me to try again with Sherry anyway.

"Sherry, you don't need another drink and you definitely don't need Leonard. He's driving you mad," I blurted out. I had come to the end of my rope.

I was fed up with the way Leonard treated Sherry in front of the others and especially the other women. None of them ever really showed respect to Sherry and not even family members were all that good to her. I was the only one that tried to get along with her and she considered me the stupid and weak fool. So did the others in my family.

"He doesn't love you Sherry! You deserve more and to be truly happy with someone that does love you." I hoped that I was encouraging her and not making matters between us worse.

"O god, please don't tell me that you're jealous of me and Leonard's love Andrea." Sherry waved her hands in front of me like I was a waste of time.

I became pissed off at that. I never really liked for someone to talk down or look down on me. So, I was about to read Sherry now, and she had it coming, HMPH, jealous of her and Leonard? I laughed inside my head.

"Excuse me, jealous..? You know as well as me and everyone else in this room that Leonard doesn't love you and he never will! And now you've gone and put together a fake engagement party just to prove to everyone that your relationship with Leonard is for real. Come on Sherry, the only one you're fooling here is you. You need to get over this Loser of a guy and move on to someone better." I could hardly believe I had spoken such truth to my big sister but it was way time someone in the family said so.

"O well, well, so this is what I get for being the big sister to a rude and jealous bitch!" She spat and went to smack me across the face and she would have if Damien hadn't stopped her first.

"Sherry, don't. You're wrong, Andrea was only trying to help you and you know it." Damien pleaded with her and then he glanced in the direction of the other family members and guest to let Sherry know they were all looking at her. Everyone had been for some time. Sherry was too full of liquor to care.

"I don't give a damn about Andrea! And anyway, who needs a so called sister that brings you down in front of family and guest? You tell me Damien Welsh, whose side are you on here, mines or the families pet?" Sherry snapped gravely and cast down her eyes at me as if I was a nasty woman's disease.

I was waiting for the next mean word to come out of her mouth and wondering if it would lead to a long awaited fight between the two of us. I was saved by Leonard walking through the front doors.

"Hi baby. I'm sorry I came late but I had a flat tire on the way over. I thought about you the whole time I was putting on the spare tire out of my trunk. Can you forgive me? I love you Sherry and I can't wait until we are husband and wife." Those were the magic words that Leonard needed to say to make everything right again between him and Sherry and he knew it.

Leonard knew how Sherry was madly in love with him and he lead her on with promises of marrying Sherry and she fell for it each time.

"Yes I'll forgive you Leonard and I'll always love you, no matter what our family or other people say about us... we're meant to be together." Sherry cast an evil-eyed look in my direction brief and she and Leonard embraced romantically as if they were already husband and wife.

I stood back watching almost glaring at the act Sherry and Leonard was putting on in front of everyone as the crowd swallowed them up. Johnny Mercers, Fools Rush In was playing smoothly in the background on the stereo. The crowd cleared and allowed Sherry and Leonard to dance the first dance by their self and then suddenly everyone else joined the couple on the dance floor. They acted as if Sherry and Leonard were already married. I felt strange so suddenly as if something was going to happen, I just didn't know what or why?

The mansion is big, half Victorian and half French Chateau. The grounds of the mansion are so beautiful and the inside of the mansion looked like a royal palace. It has fifteen bedrooms, nine and a half bathrooms and two kitchens and an indoor pool. In every room there are big, great, bricked-in fireplaces and each bath has a gorgeous garden tub with a Jacuzzi. We have six wonderful live-in staff workers that cater to our every need: two kitchen cooks, two waiters and two house maids. We call our luxurious home CHATELAINE HEIGHTS. Neither of us worked, we didn't have to, the Welsh family's oil money is enough to keep great grandfather Ollie Welsh generation of sons and daughters, grandchildren, great grandchildren and nieces and nephews cared for- a roof over our heads, food in our mouths, things-in-between and clothes on our backs for the rest of our lives. Great grandfather Ollie Welsh had left the family well provided for and we thanked him at Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and, his birthday that we celebrated in his honor each year on the day of his birthday. Thanks to Grandfather Ollie Welsh hard work and persistence to never give up, even when the times were hard, we Welsh's want-for-nothing.

The next encounter I had with Sherry was on the day I was tending to some gardenia's outdoors in the garden. I loved flowers and each year in the spring times our garden blossom the prettiest of our next door neighbors it always seemed to me. I think that every home should have some type of flowers because flowers are what bring a home to life, makes it beautiful. Sherry headed toward me with the look of hatred in her eyes and I knew that something was about to go down between us. I was still holding onto the small garden shovel I used to pick out the weeds from around the gardenia's and the roses and smooth fresh dirt around them. I only hoped that Sherry didn't think I was thinking on using it against her and I placed it on a nearby table filled with empty plant pots and other garden accessories.

Sherry was so full of Jack Daniels liquor I could smell it on her before she came within one inch of me. I dreaded being around Sherry when she was like this and so did everyone else in our family and the guest that came to CHATELAINE HEIGHTS for a visit or to one of our parties. Every time that Sherry became drunk, she was surly, proud and a loud hell-raiser and I totally despised her for that.

"Look at you..." Sherry pointed in my direction as if she were pointing at an object on the ground. I squinted up my nose from the strong smell of liquor, Sherry smelled as if she'd drink a half a gallon all by her lonesome, and if it were so then I knew what would come next, the liquor would make her sick and she would vomit it and whatever foods she'd eaten that day back up. I didn't want her vomit to get on me so I stepped back a few feet from Sherry. Usually when Sherry got sick off her liquor and vomited afterwards she'd fall over in it, the scenery was disgusting to look at as Sherry was while she was wasted. "You think you're too good for me to stand around Andrea Welsh?" Sherry cast her eyes down on me as if I was some kind of nasty disease or infected rodent. "You poor pitiful creature you're so weak Andrea, And the Lord doesn't have mercy for the weakling!" Sherry said raising her voice high in demand.

"God is just Sherry. He blesses the meek the same as he does the wicked. I claimed bold. For the first and second time of many times to come, I had spoken my mind to Sherry and I was finally behaving as a grown, mature woman instead of weakening down to Sherry like a scared chap as I usually did.

Sherry has always had her doubts about god and Jesus Christ. For one sherry didn't believe Jesus was the true son of god and she never believed he worked miracles. Sherry believed that Jesus was a witch and that he taught his disciples the occult in black magic. Sherry believes that is the reason Jesus was crucified on the cross. Sherry walked right up on me and poked me on my left shoulder like a big worrisome bully. The liquor on her breath breezed underneath my nostril so strong I nearly fainted.

"You think you're more woman than I am, don't you Andrea?"

"Sherry please, you need to calm down." I replied firm. I looked Sherry over quickly her appearance was sort of a sloppy mess. Suddenly I became bolder. "I hate you when you're this way, sloppy drunk and puking all over yourself and the furniture and then falling down in it is a total disgrace to this family as well as yourself Sherry and it has to stop!”

"No, no, no..!" Sherry stuttered wobbling, she near fell over on me. "Just shut-" Sherry made a fizzling sound in her voice. "You can’t talk to me like this! Get out!" Sherry cried. She became confused as if she was some old person suffering from Alzheimer's disease and not knowing what direction to take. "You don't belong here!" she whimpered with a mean frown.

Sherry wiped the sweet from above the top part of her upper lip, and it looked like she was having a hot flash, that our mother use to warn us girls about when we were in our teens. Mom use to tease Sherry and tell her that when that time came for her she would be the mean old grouchy one of the three of us, and that was the first time I really saw Sherry laugh.

"And don't you dare talk to me about Leonard again. That is my man and he's my problem not yours." Sherry stormed off and headed to the mansion, her mean words echoed like the trail of a bad wind as she went. The strong scent of Jack Daniels liquor on Sherry's breath remained a while after she'd gone back inside the mansion.

The next time I talked to Caroline I complained about the rude way in which Sherry had behaved towards me. We both sat in fancy vanity chairs with comfortable cushions in them; we were seated right outside my bedroom on the balcony. Caroline and I chatted over cookies and iced tea with lemon.

"Caroline Sherry made me feel as if I was to blame for her problems with Leonard and she shouted at me and told me I didn't belong here, and the last words she shouted to me were about me not talking to her about Leonard. Caroline our sister Sherry is terrible and she hates me!"Sighing, Caroline placed her tea cup on the matching saucer before turning to me with her response to my complaint about Sherry.

"Sherry doesn't hate you Andrea. And, you do belong here." Caroline reached over and hugged me brief, the hug felt warm and welcoming and it was just what I needed. "There are times when Sherry tends to be her very own enemy and no one in the family knows Sherry better than me and our brother Damien aside from our parents and may god rest their souls. If mom and dad were living now and could see Sherry this way I just know that it would break their hearts." Caroline beckoned for George Lucas our only butler to refill her tea cup.

George Lucas had been working for our family for seven years and he rarely missed a day in all of the seven years he'd worked at CHATELAINE HEIGHTS; accept to take off for a doctor’s appointment or to see the dentist. Old man George, fifty seven, was the perfect bill of health, and he'd only got sick twice. George was usually on standby whenever any of the family had tea. George Lucas is from London England and a very proper Englishman he is. George always dressed in butler attire and even at the ripe old age of fifty seven George is as handsome and dashing as a RHETT BUTLER from Gone with The Wind. The family is lucky to have him.

"Have you heard what happened with Sherry and Leonard lately?" Caroline hurried her words; her voice was filled with so much excitement.

I noticed she had tried to work wonders with her hair and make-up and it was merely working for the good for Caroline. I paid attention to almost everything or any person or persons that I saw.

"Sherry caught Leonard stork naked in a motel room with Gail Digger's sister Monique! I hate the ground that girl walks on." Caroline turned up her nose in dispute to Monique.

"What, oh my god, how dare those two sinners do Sherry that way!" I was furious.

I thought about the awful way that Sherry was in the flower garden and how hateful and cold she had been to me, and now I knew that is what was bothering our sister.

We live on the lovely ST. SIMONS ISLAND GEORGIA. ST. SIMONS Is the largest of Georgia's resplendent Golden Isles, an Idyllic southern enclave midway between Savannah and Jacksonville, Florida. The century-old resort community of 13,381 residents occupies an 18-square-mile island where the winding streets and bike paths are lined with moss-draped oaks, and two public beaches are among the most unspoiled in the region. Its marshes and woodlands, once the setting of colonial exploration and rice cultivation, now make safe haven for the more than 300 species of birds that pass through.

In the spring ST. SIMONS ISLAND GEORGIA is always the prettiest to me. Fisherman migrate here, too, to drop their lines right at the pier or to fish off-shore in the plentiful waters for fresh catch ranging from grouper and snapper to flounder, tarpon, and king mackerel. Golfers pack their clubs for a chance to tee off at any of the island's 99 holes of superb golf. And walkers love the John Gilbert Nature Trail in FREDERICA Marsh, which features a breathtakingly huge live oak in the heart of the Island.

After we finished having our tea and English cookies and our discussion about Sherry had ended Caroline made me promise that I wouldn't tell Sherry what she told me about her or that we had talked about Sherry at all for that matter. Caroline made me swear on our great grandmother's grave and I swore that I'd never tell and I always keep my promise and it's the reason why a few of the family members trust me with their best kept secrets. Caroline had her conniving ways towards me the same as Sherry had but only in the past, and it was mostly when she was in her teens and now that Caroline is all grown up, with it came a change of maturity, and a sense of well-being and responsibility. Sherry was kind of confusing to me or should I say that Sherry is a very predictable being, one minute she liked you and the next she doubted you or you were just being her friend to get to her Leonard. I swear he had that girl wrapped around his pinkie finger. Sherry showed somewhat responsibility too but she was so cold and mean at times. She'd often take her problems out on me and I guess because I was right there for her to take it out on, and as usual, I would stand there and take it off her for years because I was the meek one, the nicest of us sisters and Sherry saw me as gullible. Well, something has come over me, a change or maybe I am just maturing. My mother use to say that some of us mature later in life, and then, we no longer are roses but become full blown orchids, and I can gladly say that I've become that orchid- a full blown, mature and beautiful young woman.

One day I was outdoors taking a walk around the grounds of CHATELAINE HEIGHTS with Uncle Eric dad's only brother. Our father's parents had never had any other children so it was just the two of them. I can still remember how dad use to like to sit around by the great fireplace in the big family room, and tell all of us stories about his youth. I always enjoyed hearing about dad's Christmas; he said that both of our grandparents worked hard to make ends meet and that Thanksgiving and Christmas was always the hardest two months to keep steady work, although they had a permanent job. Grandmother Agnes worked as a production worker at a plant stacking and boxing burgers. Dad said that grandmother Agnes stood up on her feet for most of the day until three or sometimes five in the evening- she had a lot of energy and persistence to work in a place like that I thought- then dad had told us that when grandmother Agnes came home she was tired and a little bit fussy, and who wouldn't be I thought after being on their feet for eight hours a day in a cold burger plant that was freezing cold- not only was she patient but she was a hard worker too, both she and our grandfather. Although she had worked those long and hard eight hours on feet in a freezing plant that left her with nearly the flu that never stopped grandmother Agnes from cooking a good, hot meal and having it ready and on the table for dad and Eric and grandfather by six which was the time that grandfather came home from work. Our grandfather worked at an auto company, he put parts on cars, our grandparents jobs paid minimum wages which was considered good pay with the times being so hard back in those days. Dad said that our grandparents didn't think of themselves as well-to-do or even being rich for that matter but that they were blessed- able to provide clothes, keep a roof over them and their children's head and the cabinets were always filled and our grandparents were happy.

One minute Uncle Eric and I were walking along on the property chattering away to each other and stopping in between so I could pick at a flower. I picked it out of the place it was in and held on to it so that I could take it back to the flower garden. I loved being in the flower garden and tending to all those beautiful flowers, and, it gave me a feeling of control. It felt just like I was their teacher and the garden filled with just about every name in flower one could think of are my students or as if I am the caregiver and flowers do need tending to, even with that of mother nature’s care, flowers still needed more nourishing and protection from the cold and harsh weather in the cold of winter.

The next minute we were walking along in complete silence and suddenly Uncle Eric broke the silence between us and opened up to me about Sherry.

"Leonard is the love of your sister Sherry's life-"

"Please uncle Eric, Sherry never let any of us forget just how much she loves her man Leonard," I had cut uncle Eric off before I knew it. "It's a shame he doesn't show the same love in return." I mouthed off again and meaning no disrespect towards him. It was something that I had been holding back from saying for so long and needed to say is all. Uncle Eric was so soft spoken, genteel and patient.

"But it wasn't always that way between your sister and Leonard." O, well do tell Uncle Eric." I was all ears. "Well, you may not like what I'm going to say about Sherry and Leonard. It's kind of a sad story Andrea." Uncle Eric dropped his head slightly as we continued our walk around the grounds of CHATELAINE HEIGHTS. "I don't want to say because I'm sure that what I tell you about them will offend you." He shook his head sadly and turned away from me half-way but it lasted for a brief moment. We walked slower during our discussion.

"No, please tell me," I urged tightening my grip on the beautiful but very small bunch of flowers that I had made into a neat, cute bouquet. I held them in my left hand. I almost forgot that I was holding flowers- something so delicate and here I was nearly squeezing the life out of them and all because of the drama between Sherry and Leonard that I allowed to get to me so deeply.

The instant I realized that I was pressuring harm to my little delightful and colorful darling flowers I immediately loosened my tight grip and I dared to pick anymore flowers for I had nearly a handful, so I stopped at ten.

"Sherry's my sister and I want to know about her uncle Eric." I walked alongside him quietly, listening attentively for what he had to say about Sherry and Leonard.

Uncle Eric gave me side glances as if he were hiding something, and he wasn't the only one in our family to act so peculiar as if a secret was being kept from me, everyone else in the family was hiding something from me too, and at times it pained me to wonder what that secret was? Usually they would come to me with their secrets, but, lately they kept quiet and if I looked them in the eye, they couldn't meet my eye contact and I knew there was something that the family was keeping from me. And mother always said that it's best to let sleeping dogs lie because it saved a great deal of pain and deep fall-outs among family and friends, but, I just had to know and besides all of that, I was always the curious one among us girls.