The truth was that my wife was afraid of my sister, and was afraid of her even before we were married. She really never gave Susan a chance. Susan could as tough as nails and gentle as a lamb. Susan could find good in most people. " If you were "family", her loyalty was unquestioned. My wife only saw the" nails" They never were close until after Chastity's indiscretion.



While we were dating, Chastity loved to come over and play with the baby chicks. She thought the fuzzy baby chicks were just," "precious " My wife always loved animals. When we were engaged, Susan invited us to Sunday dinner. This meant fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits and gravy. My sister spent the whole day cleaning the house and getting dinner ready. I picked Chastity up at her apartment and brought her home. She immediately ran to the chicken coop to see all the baby chicks.

When she passed the back porch, Chastity saw the bloody bucket full of guts, feathers and chicken heads. My finance ran to my truck, her long ponytail bouncing behind her.



When I got there, she was inside crying about the poor chickens and how Suzy murdered them, sobbing," I want to go home." I held her and soothed her stroking her long blond hair telling her it was all right and she didn't have to eat chicken, Susan would be happy to cook her something else; adding "after all you and she will be family soon."



Susan stood on the porch and watched the whole thing unfold; her arms were crossed and that meant trouble. Approximately after another hour of trying to reason with her, I drove Chastity home.

I returned back to the house for dinner, Susan was on sitting on the porch waiting for me. I sat down across from her; my sister leaned forward then quietly said," I spent the whole day cooking for her." "I know she is your finance, but that is no excuse for being rude."

"It's obvious to me that her mother didn't raise her properly, her with her liberal ideas." "If she were my daughter, I would have taken the belt to her early on." " It's not that I dislike her mind you; Her mother aside, at her age she should know better. " Take your sister's advice on this; after you are married, Chastity is a woman that needs a firm hand. "You are the man, that's your duty as a husband. There is one more thing Jim, you will see Chastity before I will. My name is not Suzy it's Susan, that's the name on my birth certificate. Be sure and tell her that.



That all aside, The thing that really hurt and bothered my sister was that Chastity refused to go to her beauty salon to get her long hair trimmed. My sister had long brown hair that she always kept pinned up in a variety of buns. Susan could create dozens of bun variations and changed the style of bun every other day saying," It's good for business". Susan loved long hair on women and girls.



Trimming long hair was her specialty. I would hazard to guess at least 90 of her clients had long hair. They swore by her. As in everything she did, Susan was a perfectionist.

She was in great demand in the spring and summer for weddings and graduations. As a matter of fact, she had several clients that drove 50 miles or more just to get a trim from her.



Let me be go back to the point of the story where my sister found my wife: When I arrived, Susan met me in the driveway. When I got of the car we hugged and I kissed her cheek. "Jim", she said," your wife had an indiscretion."



All kinds of scenarios went through my mind on the drive home. I prayed she wasn't raped.

But then I discounted that irrational thought; Susan would have had me meet her at the hospital. This thought never crossed my mind. Chastity was a virgin when we married.

I pulled away from my sister, angry. I became wild and pushed past her running towards the house, my sister seconds behind me.

I screamed, "Where is that bitch," Susan calmly stepped in front of me and quietly said," Watch your mouth" "Your wife is in the kitchen". I followed Susan into her kitchen. Chastity was sitting at the kitchen table wearing one of Susan's white terry cloth bathrobes with her hair wrapped in a towel. Chastity was leaning forward with her hands over her face, crying. I screamed, 'look at me you bitch" and tried to lunge at her: my sister tripped me sending me sprawling. As I was scrambling to my feet, Susan punched me twice in the stomach, doubling me over with pain and the knocking the wind out of me.



While I was trying to catch my breath, Susan leaned over me and hissed," Don't you dare hit your wife in anger." I taught you better then that" adding; I told you to watch your mouth". Chastity had stopped crying, she had jumped up abruptly, overturned her chair and retreated with her back to the wall. She was staring at us with her mouth open, speechless and couldn't believe that Susan had interceded on her behalf the way she did.





I couldn't believe it either thinking, " how could a 49 year old woman hit so damn hard". While I was trying to catch my breath, Susan gently took my arm and firmly guided me to a chair and sat me down. Chastity meekly sat down across from me next to Susan. Susan put her arm around her and whispered for her not to talk but just listen.



We sat for a time not saying a thing. Susan broke the silence, "Take your towel off Chastity and show your husband your shame". My wife removed the towel from her hair shaking her head and smoothing down her damp hair with her hands. Chastity did not have beautiful long silky blond hair anymore. I loved her hair almost as much as she did. It was her pride and joy. She said it defined her femininity and sexuality; she loved touching it and having it touched. Chastity was left with a thick, choppy rough cut of a bowl of blond hair uneven at the bottom.



Continuing," This is your wife's shame". Susan said, "it is the punishment she received from the young man when he found out he was deceived by a married women". "I talked to her Jim, she confided in me" In my heart I know she told me the truth". Her shame is there for all to see"

"



Thank God things were kept quiet" This was the first and only time she ever strayed" "She gave him oral sex, which is bad enough; thank God she came to her senses and didn't have intercourse. Chastity tried to leave but passed out from the alcohol" "Drunk is not an excuse, but there you have it"." Whatever Chastity is, she is not a liar." I can't abide by liars." "She never lied before this and is not lying now" " I understand;" Chastity needs your forgiveness, and you need to forgive and let go." Chastity is family Jim, she is your wife and my sister in law; we don't turn our back on family" "That's all I have to say" as Susan placed her hand on Chastity's.



"Chastity walked to me and touched my hand saying," I'm sorry Jim, I so sorry and ashamed for what I did to you, to us; can't you please forgive me" I prayed Jim, I prayed to God and asked his forgiveness". " Susan forgave me." I promised God to be a good wife." I made a promise to God to make amends " I made that same promise to Susan." I promise I will do whatever you say if you will only take me back." "I know in my heart you love me as I love you."



Exhausted and drained by the turn of events, all I could say to her was," Chastity, I can't deal with all this right now."" I want to say yes, but I need time to think and I can't be with you right now" I got up and left, Susan followed me to my car,

"

Do you love her little brother?' she said gently. I sighed and said, "I love her Susan; will you tell her that for me?" " Chastity knows you love her, but I will tell her." "You have loved her since you were 15 years old" "



But how can I trust her now, Susan?" "Chastity is not a liar, may God strike us both dead if I'm wrong", Susan replied, "Your wife is a good, but willful woman" "Chastity needs some direction in her life to mature." 'She needs a firm hand to guide her. That same firm open hand on her bare bottom; but never in anger or violence; only to correct her."



"You are partially to blame." You're never home" You are always at work". " When you are not at work you are fishing with your friends." You have stopped doing things with her; at one time, you and Chastity were inseparable."



You own your own business. "You are your own boss. You can make your own hours. God bless you, you have good people working for you. You have put your job before your family. Chastity doesn't need a fancy car and expensive jewelry, she need you, and you need her" I've never interfered with your marriage but like it or not I'll have my say hear and now."



Chastity can stay with me for a month or so." There are things I can teach her, despite what she thinks. God knows she's a trial some times and irritates the angels but despite everything, I love her dearly." I see that look on your face";" don't be so surprised. "



"Stay away from her, talk to on the phone if you like, you both need time to heal." "Alright, I'll trust you big sister, but why are you so sure? My sister paused as if she didn't want to answer. "I took the belt to her three times. "But Susan you said you believed her? I do, but the Bible says with confession, followed by forgiveness, then contrition" The first time was her punishment for her indiscretion; then I washed her mouth out with soap. Why the second time, Susan? "That was for shaming our good name; the third time was for calling Suzy."