Tanned and pretty, golden locks, probably dyed, with wisps of red mingled in. Over a sunday afternoon beer she sits on the step and smirks at me. God damn meat eater, I want to throw her and her frozen burgers out of my house! But I dont. I watch as my wife flips burgers for her. My daughter and I both repulsed by the smell, we move to the end of the garden and I smoke a cigarette as I lean on the gate. My daughter looks up at me and says, "Do you think I am as attractive as her?" pointing to the australian subtly. I look over and then back at my daughter in her jean shorts and 'Slipknot' t-shirt. My daughter, with her flushed young cheeks, smiling and chewing her bottom lip. How could there be any contest.
"You are much more beautiful and when you're older, you will be more of a woman than she could ever be" I said quietly trying not to let my venom for the australian show.
"Dont you like her?" she asks me grinning and waggling her foot.
Smiling back, I want to tell her everything, share all my secrets and thoughts with this young lady who is flesh of my flesh but I cant because shattering her world would only bring us all greater pain. "I cant like everyone can I, think of the christmas present list!" I say sarcastically instead.
"Why dont you like her?" she pushes it as kids always do.
'Because she is a low down dirty whore!' I say in my head 'and she is banging your mother behind my back!'.
"Well because...well, I dont know, I guess because I dont think she much likes me either" I answer, examining the old weeping willow.
"Mum likes her though huh?" she asks/says and I am sure I detect something beneath that sentence. Like a hound dog I am almost definite about it. Looking back at her as she hides her eyes behind her fringe and pretends to be engrossed in the stick on the ground. It's one of those heart wrenching parental moments when you dont know what your're supposed to say, embarresed that even your kids can see how fucked up you are...and how much courage did it take for her to actually say that!
"Yeah, I think she does" I reply humbly, putting my arm round her and pulling her towards me. He arms reach around me and she reaches my chest now. God how they grow.
Walking back towards the bbq, the bitch watches us, her eyes low and I know she knows I know, she has to know, otherwise why that evil smirk? I walk right passed her, using my daughter as a shield and it works too because we both know that I have something she doesn't...
As we go into the house, I hear my wife make fake small talk "You really brought that sunshine with you huh" and I know that she thinks her coverse metaphors are undetected by me, I shake my head and bury my daughter under the bean bag playfully. Let them have their fun, I will fantasise that I have the last laugh.