Christian Loving: Shechem

Upon entering, Matthew asked Reuben aside for a talk. Dinah again went straight to her brother’s room, closing the door behind her.

Matthew didn't quite know how to begin, fumbling for words for a moment. “I found this on the floor while I was sweeping,” he said, holding up a tablet. “Right around where your sister and Jude were sitting last night.”

At first, Reuben studied the tablet to try to see what it was. A raging flame of hatred engulfed him when he realized its nature. He darted a look asking his roommate if what he thought was true.

“He must have dropped it in your sister’s drink.”

“Where is he?” Reuben angrily asked.

“I think I heard him talking on his cell phone about being at the library tonight.”

Reuben hastily made his way out of the house. Matthew tried calling out after him, to stall him and make sure he wasn’t blindly going to settle this. Yet he knew the matter now lay solely between Jude and Reuben.

* * * * *

Jude sat with his study group when Reuben walked in. He sniffed him out immediately. With a determined gait he approached the basketball player. Controlling his rage, he asked Jude outside for a moment. No need to create a scene inside, he reasoned.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Jude asked in an unassuming fashion once they stepped outside.

Reuben still could not believe Jude’s inconsideration for what had happened. “We found this,” he said, revealing in his palm the drug Jude dropped the night before.

“Huh,” Jude grunted. He stalled for a moment. “What is it?”

“I was hoping you could tell me, seeing as it’s yours,” Reuben replied, impatiently playing along with Jude’s game.

“I’ve never seen that thing before.”

Reuben struck at Jude’s collar, quickly grasping it and simultaneously yanking his head down towards him. In the same motion he pocketed the evidence to prevent Jude from destroying it. The calm guise he entered the library with burnt away from the fiery wrath he sought to control.

“Enough of this fucking game,” he snarled. “Don’t play coy with me. I will hurt you. You drugged my sister, didn’t you?”

If Reuben hadn't been a fairly well built person, Jude would have struck back at his housemate. He figured Reuben could do some serious damage on him if he wanted, especially if he was still stuck up about Jude having banged his sister. He wrestled himself from Reuben's grip, but kept with their confrontation.

“Well, c’mon man,” he replied. “I apologized. How else do you want me make it up to you? You want season tickets or something?”

Reuben clenched his right fist. “I want you to leave here. Pack up, and leave, and stay out of the media’s spotlight forever. No more sports - just life in relative obscurity.”

Jude laughed. “Fuck man, I can’t do that! I got a scholarship here. And if I want to, I can play anywhere. There’s a number of schools that would jump at the chance of having me as their star player.”

“Leave, or we’ll press charges. Don’t think I won’t go to the ends of the earth to ruin your life. We have the evidence. They have your sperm taken from her on file. There are a number of witnesses at the party who will attest to your actions that night. Not to mention the pill...” Reuben trailed off. The thought that his own housemate would drug and fuck Dinah disgusted him. “You raped my sister you son of a bitch!”

Jude became unsettled. Never before had anyone come after him for using the drug. Not that he always used it. It's just that no one really ever had a problem with it.

“Dude, come on. Is there any other way I can make it up to you?”

“Leave by the end of the month, or we’ll press charges. Then we’ll see how you do after you serve time and have the title ‘rapist’ tattooed on your forehead.”

The two bitter housemates stared at each other for a good number of minutes. They never were the best of pals, but neither suspected the other’s will. Finally, Jude turned around and walked back in to the library, his head hanging as he rationalized his next move.

* * * * *

Jude never came home that night. Dinah was seemingly asleep in Reuben’s room, as attempts to check up on her met with silence. Reuben explained the ultimatum he'd given to Jude. Matthew agreed it might be for the best, as the subject was obviously taking its toll. He would testify as to Jude’s behavior and how he came across the tablet if Dinah decided to press charges. Hopefully, Jude would leave and let them get on with their lives.

They awoke early the next morning. Dinah had a long drive ahead of her. Both she and her brother agreed that it would be best for the time being to not mention this to Rachel or Jacob. They didn't need to complicate the lives of their parents, much less their own. She felt strong enough to overcome it with her brother’s help. He would stay in contact with her and deal with Jude on his end.

Reuben’s reassurance helped his sister, and comforted him as well. Dinah seemed to be improving already. She was able to carry on a conversation over a make shift breakfast this morning with him and Matthew. Dinah even smiled and cracked a joke. It was good to see her regain her old form. At least she was trying to regain it. Reuben could tell she still wasn’t quite the same. The intangible aspects of her character still seemed out of focus.

Reuben gathered what information he could about his college while his sister got dressed after showering. His backpack stood littered with pamphlets and information about the various programs on campus. They had been meant to be a starting base for her while they toured. Now they would have to suffice for a false weekend’s worth of college scouting.

As he dug through the pockets of his backpack, he heard his sister sobbing. He got up and knocked on the door to his room, asking how she was. His sister only continued to sob as he tried once again. He entered his room to try and console her.

Dinah was sitting nude and hunched over on his bed. Her face lay buried in her hands. Her hair was undone, and Reuben could tell she hadn't completely dried herself off. Her clothes remained in a scattered mess on the floor. She was a mess.

She looked up as she heard him enter the room. Reuben closed the door behind him and could only stand there. He didn't quite know what to say. Here was his sister, recently eighteen and all grown up. She was an adult, and yet there were still monsters in her life. Sick, vile creatures waiting to take advantage at a moment’s notice.

Dinah scurried to try and conceal her naked form, quietly sobbing for Reuben to leave. She managed to pull a blanket across her lap before pausing. It dawned on her that Reuben wasn’t going to leave her. Her arms drooped as she gave up on trying to hide herself.

Seeing his sister naked emotionally stirred Reuben. Through thick and thin during their adolescence, they'd stuck by each other. He was always more social and willing to take a few lumps on the head while she was more reserved and innocent. She grudgingly accepted that he would go through his share of rough girlfriends before finding one that complimented his true self. He was resigned to the fact that she would save herself for Prince Charming, even though he knew no such person existed. Someone would come along for her that would best suit her eventually though, and she could finally entrust her purity to him.

Now she sat tarnished. Used. She still didn't understand why.

“Why does God hate me?” she cried.

It hurt Reuben to hear her say that. She wasn’t a hardcore Christian, but she was always faithful that there was a higher power of justice watching over. “You know He doesn’t hate you.”

Her response was predictable. “Why is this happening to me?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “I’d say it’s one of those tests, but I know it isn’t. There’s just some bad people in this world. I think it speaks highly of a person when they can overcome what these people throw at them. It won’t be easy, but I know you can overcome it. I know you Dinah. You’re a strong woman.”

His sister’s crying dried up, her face showing understanding as Reuben continued. “I think we’ve been through a lot. Not as much as some but more than others out there. Every time we’ve seen each other through the trouble. It wasn’t easy then and it won’t be easy now, but you can trust that me, dad, Rachel and all your friends will help you through this.”

His sister meekly responded with a sniffle. “I know you’ll all be there to console me,” she finally said with a slow, dragging voice. “But it will never change who I am. I’m, I’m a slut.”

Reuben tried correcting her as she continued. “I am! I’m just some puppet for other people to have their way with now.”

She began crying again as Reuben began explaining how he saw her. “No you’re not! You’re my kid sister. You’re the one who helped me get over the loss of mom. You’re the one who helped me accept Rachel as a stepmother. You’re the one who, when I was ten and you were nine, kicked me in the balls for winning at Monopoly. You’re the one who always wins at Trivial Pursuit.”

Again her tears dried up upon hearing her brother’s kind words. A smile began to creep through her face as he elaborated. “You’ve been the best sister a goofball like me could ever have. Who knows what kind of a mess I'd have turned into if you hadn't been around to set me straight? I certainly wouldn’t be as far as I am right now. Not without you, Dinah.”

She was glowing now; a radiant smile bursting through her tear strained face. She leapt up and hugged her brother. Dinah pressed herself against him as she rested her head on his shoulder, softly saying, “Thank you.”

Reuben returned her embrace by patting the back of her head. She nuzzled her head sideways on his shoulder. Her hair draped itself along his shirt, with a gentle wave cascading alongside him. The feeling had a sweet innocence for him, as if whatever barrier placed between them over the past few days had been torn down. They were now back together with each other, and an overwhelming happiness came over him. For a moment they embraced each other in that position. Reuben found himself lost in his joy, simply stroking his sister’s hair.

Dinah’s strong embrace comforted her as well. It reminded her of younger years, when she could turn to her teddy bears or her father when she was scared. She now found that same comfort in her brother, and she was grateful for it. Her lips incidentally found themselves ever so gently against Reuben’s neck. As an afterthought, she lightly made a kiss.

Instinctively, eyes closed, Reuben inhaled the scent of the woman whose head he was petting. A sense of longing and fulfillment filled his lungs as he inhaled. Seconds later he realized whom he was sharing this intimate moment with. His caressing stopped as another peck chanced aside his neck.

After a moment she pulled back. Her hands withdrew from his sides and placed themselves on either side of his face. Dinah saw into her brother’s opened eyes and knew Reuben also felt the same cheerfulness she did. Standing on her tiptoes, she leaned forward and gave him deep kiss.

Reuben closed his eyes once more, responding in kind. His tongue kept itself at bay, but his hands gently found the sides of her body. The softness of her skin was magical to the touch, causing Reuben to lose himself in the moment. It felt of a health and creaminess he had never felt in a woman before. His thumbs grazed the sides of her breasts. They yielded to his passing, rolling gently along his thumbs as his hands slowly explored her sides.

After what seemed an eternity, their kiss broke. They opened their eyes to each other’s sight. Dinah beamed with a happiness he had not seen since the night she arrived.

“Thank you.”

Reuben stood there, staggered by what had just occurred. What he felt left his toes tingling. The impression of her petal soft skin busily played itself in his memory. He didn’t quite know what to think of it. He only understood it was as perfect as could be.

She hummed quietly to herself as she padded across the room to where her clothes lay. Picking up what she would be wearing for the ride home, she saw that Reuben was still standing there. “Well go on,” she exclaimed, “I’m changing here!”

* * * * *

“Well, I’m set then,” Dinah said, hugging her brother one last time. “Give my regards to your girlfriend. Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to converse with her. If she isn’t trying to grind your pole.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Reuben said brushing off her comment. “I’ll send her your wishes. I’ll give you a call tonight, okay?”

“Alright,” she said sitting in her car. Starting the engine, she began to back out of his driveway. She managed to run over the curb pulling onto the street, something Reuben subconsciously knew she would do. Once she finally righted herself, she waved good-bye as she drove off.

Reuben understood it would be Thanksgiving before they saw each other again. Until then, he promised to keep in contact with her on a near-daily basis. Phone, e-mail, postcard. Whatever it would take to remind her it would be okay. One day she would be able to assess it for herself. Until then, he had his responsibility to her.

The university rattled with the news that Shechem had decided to quit the basketball program. The reasons were unclear, as Jude made himself a suddenly private fellow. Reuben and Matthew understood. They weren’t happy with having to cover his share of the rent. Still, they knew it was a small price to pay for riding themselves of the menace.

Sometime later, Reuben was digging through his dresser when he came across the photos Dinah had brought with her during her stay. He was glad to see pictures of his carefree sister prior to that weekend. If nothing else, he would treasure them for that reason alone.

He then came across the photo of Jacob and Rachel. “Wow,” he thought, “She must be even bigger now.” Again, his imagination carved out her body through her dress. Her extended belly, her engorged nipples, and her growing breasts. Checking to see that the door was indeed closed, Reuben made his way to the bed.