Paradise Revisited Read Online Free Page B

Shit! Shit!”  I’m sorry. It’s been too long. And the way I feel about you, Megan.  It was too much. I’m sorry! The estate clown in action again! All together, now, let’s laugh at Andy.”
    “Don’t worry, Andy, it’s something that happens to all men, at least in my limited experience.”
    “Even Mike?”
    “Oh, yes! Especially when he was worried sick and tried to bury his fears in me.” Collecting some tissues from her dressing table, she cleaned him and the coverlet up, and lay down beside him again and with him in her arms, kissed his face,: his eyelids, the corners of his eyes,  his cheekbones,  his earlobes and finally his lips, a long languorous kiss of healing and forgiveness, of love and approval.  “Don’t fret. No shame. No regrets. No remorse. You are my Andy, and I love you just the way you are.” It was lightly said, but also, she realized with a twinge of surprise, was meant.
    “I love you too, Megan, I’ve never been all that I wanted to be, not with Matambala, not with Mike, not with you.  But with your help, I can at last find a way to be what I can be and be content with that.”  And they lay together for a long time, content to be entwined with each other soul and body.
    Some time during the night, Andy went to his own bed, where Buddy was waiting patiently.
    ***
    Chapter 8 – A Difficult Visit
     
    The next morning, Andy woke up with the conviction that he had to see his brother. He couldn’t just sail in, commit adultery with his wife, and never visit him.  So he told Megan what he was going to do, determined despite her disapproval, and after breakfast, drove up to Limbe where Newlands Home for Elderly Europeans was.  Megan had given him directions to where the total care unit was and had phoned ahead to warn them that he was coming, so he was welcomed warmly and ushered into his brother’s room without delay. 
    The man who was lying flat on the bed was scarcely recognizable as his brother.  His flesh had melted away and he was skin and bones. His black hair had faded to a dusty brown and was close cropped to his head and his skin had taken on a yellowish tinge quite different from the ruddiness he’d had when Andy had last seen him. His eyes were dull and he looked at Andy without any interest. “Who are you?”
    “I’m Andy, Mike. Don’t you remember me?
    “I have a brother named Andy. A useless chap he is, too, but he’s in England or somewhere. “
    “No, Mike, I’m your brother, Andy.”
    The eyes looked at him with a slight stir of interest, but Mike spoke without inflection. “Oh, are you. Do you know where that bitch Megan is? You remember. The slut who married me for my money.”
    “She’s on the estate. Do you want to see her?”
    “No, not especially.  I only want to tell her to go to hell, and if you know where she is, you can do that for me.”   That utterance, almost shouted, seemed to exhaust him and he closed his eyes and mumbled, “Nice to see you Andy,” and seemed to fall asleep, but roused enough to mutter, “Life’s a bitch, isn’t it!”
    Andy, close to tears, turned and fled, but once he was outside the room, the nurse stopped him.  “If you’re family, you should know that his kidney function is deteriorating.   The doctors are sending his wife a report, but they say there’s not much that can be done and it’s only a matter of time.”
    Andy thanked her and stumbled out to the car, his mind in turmoil.  To see his brother like that had been torture and the thought of his impending death a blow. But at the same time he had been moved to pity and concern.  Mike, whatever his faults, whatever his condition, was still his brother and deserved every consideration he could manage. The realization that sleeping with his wife was not part of that picture struck Andy with brutal power.   Whatever lust he felt, and the night before had made it clear that there was plenty of lust, would have to be put under wraps.  He