There was Helen, her back against the balustrade, sitting on the dusty floor. It was bad lighting up there, but when she heard him and raised her head... he could see the tears running over her cheeks.“Hey, there you are. People were getting worried about you.”“What people?” she asked.“Well, Gonagle for one,” he offered. “Hell, I was getting worried. You’ve been looking ... I don’t know – maudlin, morose, whatever. The home front?”She gave him a long look. “You really wanna hear my drama?”“You. "The husbands' arched eyebrows shot up and their mascaraed eyes widened,red lips gaping open in shock to learn that they were trapped there,forced to work and be demeaned to pay off those unreasonable 'debts'.The tall man said, "Listen, I'm not a bad guy. Ask anyone around hereabout Master Spike. So let me offer you some alternatives to cover whatyou owe. Maybe you would rather be escorts," he suggested, giving eachof them a goose with his thick forefingers.The husbands yelped and shook. It was my pass-time because it led me away from my grandma, and I felt tough and powerful shooting and killing another living being. About 2 hours and 5 gophers later, I decided to head back towards the house. I stepped into the patio and put my gun away to be greeted by my cousin. She was younger than me but only by about 6 months. I had always noticed that she was very attractive and had had a crush on her for a long time. Now that I was 16 I could fully realize just how beautiful she was. I. I caught his eyes looking at me. He had noticed that I was watching her with more than a little fascination. The expression on my face made his craggy aspect bright with glee. He winked at me, and suddenly we were co-conspirators as well as members of an audience to her. He had been silent, with the exception of a grunt or two, staring at the space recently occupied by pigeons, now empty, crumbling the brown paper sack over and over again in his hands. She intoned ever onward, not seeming to.