Chapter 10-Hypocrites meet Alyson
The Grey's stood in the terminal at the airport. "Always late! Do planes ever leave on time?" Charles was sitting in the chair, stomping his foot. Barbara was beside him, washing the onion 'out of my complexion.'
She'd spewed tears at the meeting with the pastor half an hour ago. He'd gotten slightly suspicious, so she'd excused herself, and washed her face, rubbing it vigorously with the towel to roughen it up.
"Dear, it's only a minute after the hour. I can see the plane coming in as we speak. Stop worrying. The fund is up, and donations are pouring in. We'll have to hire a professional photographer for the funeral. Maybe a cameraman, have some footage to 'agonize over,' so that people think we need to get on with our lives."
Charles grumbled, but didn't speak on that subject again. "Dear, do you think it's possible Crystal will recover?"
Barbara laughed loudly. "Our little brainless mistake that refused to die? I don't think it can. We'll just have to kill it again. She's had too many years on this planet. But I must say, the millions of dollars we've collected off various donations for diseases has had it's benefits. Doctors will say anything for a little more cash."
Alyson crept over. *These are the Grey's? I think the word hypocrite has a whole new meaning now.* She smiled, and popped up.
They hurried to put on somber faces. "Oh, Alyson! We hate to be the ones to tell you-"
Alyson rebelliously finished the thought. *No, you've been dying to tell someone!*
"-But our daughter appears to be giving out." Alyson put a confused face on. "My friend Meilin tells me the girl's shown some signs of brain activity. This is my monthly visit to my father. He's piloting the plane for the flight. I think I'll come around after you've seen your daughter." Alyson stood, and walked away.
Barbara and Charles Grey exchanged frantic glances. She suspected! And she was coming to check? They'd have to pay her into silence once she found out.
Charles grumbled, but gave his wife the hundred dollar bill. "She'll just rush into the gift shop, and spend it on pretty glittering junk, not worrying about OUR welfare!"
Of course, he was comparing Alyson to his frivolous wife, not a fair comparison. Barbara was a content hypocrite, satisfied on living off pity. Alyson was a Christian teen, dealing with school, church, and hypocrites like the Grey's.
What she didn't know was the connection between Barbara Grey and her mother, a friendship that had crumbled 10 years ago...
The Grey's stood in the terminal at the airport. "Always late! Do planes ever leave on time?" Charles was sitting in the chair, stomping his foot. Barbara was beside him, washing the onion 'out of my complexion.'
She'd spewed tears at the meeting with the pastor half an hour ago. He'd gotten slightly suspicious, so she'd excused herself, and washed her face, rubbing it vigorously with the towel to roughen it up.
"Dear, it's only a minute after the hour. I can see the plane coming in as we speak. Stop worrying. The fund is up, and donations are pouring in. We'll have to hire a professional photographer for the funeral. Maybe a cameraman, have some footage to 'agonize over,' so that people think we need to get on with our lives."
Charles grumbled, but didn't speak on that subject again. "Dear, do you think it's possible Crystal will recover?"
Barbara laughed loudly. "Our little brainless mistake that refused to die? I don't think it can. We'll just have to kill it again. She's had too many years on this planet. But I must say, the millions of dollars we've collected off various donations for diseases has had it's benefits. Doctors will say anything for a little more cash."
Alyson crept over. *These are the Grey's? I think the word hypocrite has a whole new meaning now.* She smiled, and popped up.
They hurried to put on somber faces. "Oh, Alyson! We hate to be the ones to tell you-"
Alyson rebelliously finished the thought. *No, you've been dying to tell someone!*
"-But our daughter appears to be giving out." Alyson put a confused face on. "My friend Meilin tells me the girl's shown some signs of brain activity. This is my monthly visit to my father. He's piloting the plane for the flight. I think I'll come around after you've seen your daughter." Alyson stood, and walked away.
Barbara and Charles Grey exchanged frantic glances. She suspected! And she was coming to check? They'd have to pay her into silence once she found out.
Charles grumbled, but gave his wife the hundred dollar bill. "She'll just rush into the gift shop, and spend it on pretty glittering junk, not worrying about OUR welfare!"
Of course, he was comparing Alyson to his frivolous wife, not a fair comparison. Barbara was a content hypocrite, satisfied on living off pity. Alyson was a Christian teen, dealing with school, church, and hypocrites like the Grey's.
What she didn't know was the connection between Barbara Grey and her mother, a friendship that had crumbled 10 years ago...