Albatross by Ross Turner Read Free Book Online

emotions.
    Depression and anger and various other uncontrollable and immature feelings gripped her all too often nowadays, throwing her into a deep pit of suffering that, no matter how hard she tried, she simply could not climb out of.
     
    Now, saying that, Caroline was not the most likeable of characters.
    She was Dyra’s big sister, and in turn, made anything that was her baby sister’s business her own. That, unfortunately, included the ways in which Dyra raised her children, and she more often than not looked down her nose at them in the most obnoxious manner possible.
    Revelling in her own success, if you could call it that, she was, in a phrase, a stuck up cow.
    Married three times and then in turn divorced three times, the main quality that she sought in men was money. Consequently, out of her three marriages, she had made herself a small fortune, claiming all sorts of absurdities that quite simply weren’t true.
    She had two children of her own, neither of whom she ever made any attempt to see, and she only ever came to visit her baby sister Dyra to gloat about her latest holiday, and to see if Jen had sorted her life out yet.
    Cruel as that all might sound, that was, in a nutshell, Caroline.
    However, it made no odds.
    She was on her way, and that was that.
     
    It was several hours later, once Jen had had ample time to gather her emotions, and to allow for the joy of it all to sink in, that Caroline eventually pulled up outside Keepers Cottage.
    Of course, as was relatively standard, she was driving a brand new BMW: a shiny new blue with all the bells and whistles.
    Jen twitched with barely concealed frustration.
    Despite her mother’s best efforts, Jen wore a plain T-shirt over her scrawny frame, and loose fitting jeans.
    “Try to relax, Jenny.” Clare advised quietly as the click clack of Caroline’s heels up the pathway to their door announced her imminent arrival. “And try not to slap her…” She added, grinning eagerly.
    “Thanks…” Jen whispered back dryly.
    Clare was wearing a light blue dress with floral orange patterns splashed across it.
    As always, she looked lovely.
    Suddenly their front door burst open and Caroline swept inside with arms flailing and tones wailing.
    Jen couldn’t help but hold back a snigger as her aunt appeared. She always wore a big fur coat, regardless of the weather, heels of at least six inches, and bangles all up her wrists.
    The sight always for some reason made Jen think of Cruella de Vil, and Clare too concealed a smirk, knowing exactly what her younger sister was thinking.
    “My darling baby sister!” Caroline exclaimed dramatically, exaggerating her entrance as theatrically as humanly possible, and extending her arms immediately out to Dyra.
    Shopping bags hung off her wrists, as they always did, and her bangles clattered and jangled obnoxiously.
    “Hello Caroline.” Jen’s mother replied stiffly, embracing her sister reluctantly. Her big sister would have none of it however, and flung her arms about Dyra and gasped melodramatically.
    “Oh! It’s been far too long!” She cried.
    Jen winced and cringed visibly, and Clare stifled another snigger.
    Caroline turned to Jen and her eyes seemed to narrow warily and suspiciously, though the action seemed subconscious.
    There was no over the top greeting to follow; she simply looked Dyra’s youngest daughter up and down in what appeared to be the most critical and judgemental manner possible.
    “You’ve lost a lot of weight, Jennifer.” Were the first words to pass Caroline’s lips, rolling off her tongue with easy distaste and disapproval. “You look like you need a good meal.”
    Jen had expected nothing less and, much to Caroline’s displeasure, didn’t bite.
    “Hello Caroline.” She replied, though her voice simply dripped with undisguised loathing.
    “Aren’t you feeding her, Dyra?” Caroline questioned her baby sister then, glancing back around.
    “Erm…Jen…” Dyra started, not knowing