Promise Kept

When she said this I looked at Debra and she just melted in front of me.

"The first poster is the one you were looking at that Debra brought home. I plastered them everywhere at her work site.

I asked for support for you Michael and embarrassment for Debra and her fuck buddies. The other two posters are the same but with different people.

The second poster is of Reverend Taylor. You know him Michael. Betty his wife is good friends with your wife Debra. Imagine that! I put these all over the church and the cars' of the people attending services this morning." she finished.

Debbie lifted her head as soon a she heard Taylor's name and saw the poster. It had Debra in sexual positions with the holy man himself in all his glory. Again it had my picture on it in my wedding photo. She realized just what it meant. My wife cried out "Noooooo..." and went silent.

"But that is not the last one. Your lovely wife has been seeing a Mr. Edward O'Brien." And at this she presented the poster with the same message but had Edward O'Brien in the pictures having sex with Debra. It looked like anal sex was their favorite from the snapshots. "I put these all over his neighborhood and home."

I rounded on Debra again and shouted at her.

"You were even fucking Eddy 'The Snake' O'Brien?!? Oh my God! That guy fucks anything and I mean some of the nastiest skanks and crack whores in town. I probably have the clap or some nasty disease now. Holy shit! Eddy 'The Snake, I still don't believe it. You will never touch me again" I yelled at her as I pushed her away from me like she was infected.

I was so angry I was shaking. My sister pulled me up and pushed me in the direction of the front door. I just stood in the hallway waiting for Carol to tell me or direct me into action. I was numb.

She went back to Debra and addressed her.

"Ok this is what is going to happen. Stand up and look at me." Carol ordered her. Debra slowly stood up and tried to look at me in the doorway. Her legs were very shaky on her feet.

"I am sorry Michael, I really am. I do love you. I..." she went quiet as Carol gave her a look that would kill.

"Now you will pack a bag when I take Michael out for some fresh air. In an hour I want you out of here. I don't care where you go or who you stay with. Check your boy toy stable and see if any of your studs' wives will take you in. Not likely." She finished to my wife.

"My Mom wanted me to give you a message from her before we leave. She wanted to tell you something, and I want to be sure I get this right." She hesitated and recalled what Mom wanted her to say. "Ok here goes."

'If you had kept your promise to me, you and Michael would have a beautiful, healthy and happy life together. No one would know what you did today in the restaurant. But since you lied and broke your promise, everything that happens to you has been brought on by yourself. You will have bad health, sadness and be lonely for the rest of your life. That is my wish for you.'

With that Carol wound up and swung her hand around towards Debra's cheek. I heard the smack just after the hand hit her face. The slap knocked her back down on the couch again.

"That one is from my Mother BITCH! Don't ever talk to me again. You may not have killed my Mother but you sure as hell drove in some of the coffin nails." Carol added as she turned and grabbed my hand and led me out the front door to her car. I knew life would never be the same.

*****

Epilogue:

I should fill you in on what went on after that day when Debra was exposed to the world. Almost 2 years later I was sitting on my porch in a chair when a car came up my driveway. It was Mr. Slater my old track coach. He was all smiles. He just heard the news and was beside himself.

He got out of his car already talking. "I just can't believe it! We are going to be related. I told you that day I called you about my niece Mary and I was right wasn't I?" he asked me as I just smiled and he shook my hand over and over.

"Tom you were absolutely correct. Mary has been the best things in my life since I met her. I never realized you were talking about the teenage girl in pigtails who brought you your water bottles at practice all those years ago. She is a beautiful woman now and I am very lucky you introduced us. Thanks for looking after me Tom it really meant a lot to me and Carol." I finished as he started to tear up.

He punched me in the arm and started to laugh. 'Look at me Michael, I am about to cry like a little girl. I better get going and remember to take care of Mary, I know you will son. See you later and don't forget my wedding invitation in the first row." He finished as he jumped in his muscle car and drove off.

I was doing alright. My Mom was correct that I would feel all alone and by myself. The funny thing is Carol reminded me that was what Mom didn't want. Mom knew me well enough to know I needed a support system. She knows I always kept things inside all to myself.

Well at first I didn't like everyone reminding me of my situation but then I got it. My Mom knew it also. The people were not prying into my life but they wanted to make sure that I know they cared about me and my life. They were not digging up old wounds but giving me support no matter how clumsy it may have seemed trying to do it. These great people in my town were behind me and supporting me. That feeling alone has made all the crap I went through with Debra look tame. I could still walk around town with my head held high.

Debra didn't fare as well. We divorced as soon as I could. She never contested anything. I got a call from her Dad on the West Coast last week filling me in on how she is doing. He still asks if we will ever get back together (...she made a mistake, we are all human, she needs you badly) anything he could think of to get us back as a couple. That was not going to happen.

Debra moved there after only a week in town. She literally became the poster child for cheating in my town. People nick named her 'Poster Girl' up until she left town. No one would call her by Deb or Debbie, just Debra. My sister made sure of that. She was treated like she had leprosy in the town. No one would help her and I did feel sorry for her, but she brought it upon herself and it was beyond my control now.

She was fired that day she came home with the poster along with Mr. Paul Perdue. His wife divorced him and took all his money and the kids. He was broke and everyone in town hated him because of what he did. He left after two weeks.

Reverend Taylor disappeared that day and left his wife Betty. Nice holy man I thought. He was reportedly in New York and started another church but some anonymous source (me) informed the new church members of his past. He is now out of New York and his location is unknown.

Eddy 'The Snake' O'Brien got it the worst. His wife's brothers had enough of Eddy playing around on their sister. When the poster went up around Eddy's house and neighborhood they beat him up real bad. I didn't feel sorry in the least. He ruined a few marriages in his day. He left town the day he got out of the hospital and no one seemed to care where he went.

The curse my mother put on Debra seemed to be holding. She was gaining a large amount of weight. She was drinking and taking prescription drugs for depression. She has high blood pressure, diabetes and is always depressed. She has made no friends at her new location, didn't date anyone and seems to be going steadily downhill. Her health and her mood were bad and getting worse. Her dad said she was slowly dying and he could do nothing about it. She had no real friends to speak of. I still love her and always will. I just wished things turned out differently and Debra had kept her promise.

THE END