Blood Test by Kellerman, Jonathan

got,. went hiking through the back roads, breathing

clean air. Thinking of ways to get back at him.

“One day I met her while I was walking through

the forest. She was sixteen and the most beautiful

thing I’d ever seen, sitting on a stump and crying.

She saw me and got scared but I told her it was

okay. Instead of. rmning, or talking she started

to–” The handsome face darkened and distorted

with anger. “put it out of your filthy mind, man. I

never touched her. And that story I . told you and

the cop about the freeway blow job was bullshit. I

was just trying to throw you off.”

I n6dded. Another explanation for the fantasy

suggested itself: wishful thinking. But for now his

sexual impulses toward the girl he called his sister

were safely repressed and I hoped they’d stay that

way.

“It was because I treated her differently from the

other men that something special grew between us.

Instead of jumping her bones I listened to her. To

her pain. Shared my own. All .summer we met and

talked. And the summer after that. I started looking

forward to working the wells. We got to know

each other bit by bit, discovered we’d been through

the same thing, realized we were alike–two halves

of one person. Male and female components. Brother

and sister, but more.mow what I mean?”

I strained to look sympathetic, wanting him to

keep on talking. “You formed a common identity.

Like some twins do.”

“Yeah. It was beautiful. But then the old bastard

closed down the wells. Locked everything up. I

drove up anyway. On weekends. During holidays

fora week at a time. Crashed right here–used to

be the night watchman’s place. I cooked for hei.

Taught her how to cook. Helped her with her homework.

Showed her how to drive. Took long walks at

night. Always talking. About how we wanted to ‘kill

our parents erase our roots. Start fresh, with a new

family. We had picnics in the forest. I wanted the

little guy to come along, so he could be part of the

family, too. But they wouldfft let him out of their

sight. She talked a lot about him, how she wanted

to laim ler r’xghtS.’- her she’ sho’uld; taught

her about liberation. We made plans

met. The three of us were gonna runaway to some

island. Australia, maybe. I’d started collecting brochures

to find the best place, then he got ,sick.

“She called me as soon as she got to L.A. Wanted

me to help her get ajbb as a prizegirl on one of the

game shows, but I told her you nteded heavy connections

for that. Besides, I’d already lined-up the

gig with Adam and Eve. Got Rambo to let us work

as partners. The skits went smooth as silk. We

didn’t need any rehearsal because each of us knew

what the other was thinking. It was-tike working

with yourself. We got big tips and I gave them to

her to keep.

“Then one night she phoned me in a panic. Said

she’d confronted them and they’d snatched the lit-fie

guy out. I’d never liked the idea of him being in

that hospital in the first place but I was afraid they.

were gonna disappear south of the border, take him

where she’d never see him again.

“I rushed over and got there just as they were

leaving. Swope was coming out the door when I

opened it. I’d never met him, but I knew damn wall

what kind of shit he was. He started mouthing off

and I hit him in the face. Knocked him out. The

woman came at me then, screaming, and I hit her,

too, along the side of the head.

“Both of them were lying there, grokked. The

little guy was kind of dazed, mumbling in his sleep.

Nona got pissed alt of a sudden and started to tear

up the room. I calmed her down, .told her to wait

right there, and managed to load both of them in

the ‘Vette. Stuffed her in the back, put him in the

front seat. Drove ’em to the beach at Playa’Det ltey