Disclaimer: I do not own the Clark Sisters.
Notes:
The sisters try to come to an understanding of what's been happening with Karen. This is mainly from Dorinda's P.O.V and more truth has been told about what's been happening between Dorinda and Karen as in why Dorinda has been so mean to Karen lately.
~ Long somewhat sad chapter ahead.
~ Idk I thought the song fit. You can play it anytime!
TW: Mentions of child abuse.
At church, Dorinda is still being a little iffy towards, Karen. But Karen didn't really care since, Drew took very good care of her. Dorinda saw how once again her baby sister could barely walk as she held onto Drew's hand while they were walking into the church. Even her kids knew their parents were doing something the previous night which was why they both decided to go too bed early sleeping with their music on in their room hoping that they wouldn't hear much or at least the music would drown out the sounds. But when they saw their mother the next morning being "happy" again they saw how funny she was walking which was wobbly one moment and then the next she instantly had to sit down.
It was Dorinda's turn to perform at GEI and since she did she performed a song that was heavy on her heart after she was done performing she went back to her seat to listen to the rest of the word that her Brother-In-Law preached. Dorinda tried her best not to be so mad at Karen since none of this was hurt fault. But she just couldn't help it. She was upset and she felt like their sisterhood was changing as Karen got older and that's what she was really mad at.
Tammy sensed the feud between Dorinda and Karen and tries to intervene using the child that she has so, she can get closer to Dorinda. But Dorinda still ain't fooling with Tammy just because she's upset with her sister that doesn't mean she's about to let anyone of her sisters enemies come in between them and put more strain on their relationship. Now, that would just be foolish. Dorinda knows better than to do that. But when Tammy asked for prayer for the little girl, Dorinda knew she couldn't deny her since she had the child with her. So, instead of praying with Tammy as Tammy thought she was gonna try to do to make Karen jealous. Dorinda knelt down to the child's hand and started praying with her after, Tammy told her to close her eyes because clearly the little girl didn't know what to do since, Tammy never really thought the child how to pray and Dorinda sensed this.
"Do you know how to pray the Lord's prayer?" Dorinda asked her smiling a bit trying to make the child feel more comfortable but she backed away and looked up at Tammy. "She does she's just shy." Tammy said as she slightly, eyed the girl but Dorinda caught her. "No, let her speak for herself." Dorinda said and she saw the child sucking her thumb. "Do you know it?" Dorinda asked and you could feel, Tammy growing tense. "You're not in trouble if you don't know it." Dorinda told her and so, the child shook her head no. "No one ever taught you?" Dorinda asked again and the child looked down but Dorinda knew that was a no too and looked back up at Tammy pursing her lips. "Mmhmm." Dorinda said, "Let me just spend some time with her and I'll teach it to her since obviously you did not." Dorinda said with her hands on her hips.
"Come on." Dorinda said taking the child to another part of the room in the Bishop's office and she placed the girl on her lap and started teaching her. Outside the door were bystanders who listened in. "I thought that child would've known the Lord's prayer by now." One of the mother's in the church said as she looked at Tammy a bit funny. "Well you know, Kid's just forget but I did teach her." Tammy said lying in the House of the Lord. "Awee she looks so cute with her." Another mother said, "That child is just so adorable." She cooed again. "We can't get over that her mama must have good looks or sumthin.'" One of the members said, "even though she left her for dead and abandoned her at least she gave her that to work with." One of the members said as they left. While Dorinda was teaching her the Lord's Prayer she realized that the young girl reminded her of Karen a lot when she was younger.
"You know you remind me of my baby sister when you were her age." Dorinda said, "Shy, Quiet as a mouse and now she's the complete opposite sometimes." Dorinda said just talking to her to make her feel less tense. "That's her on the wall in that picture right there." Dorinda said pointing to her and the child looked up at Dorinda and then at the picture. But then something else struck her. The child kind of looked like Karen as well when she was that age. But Dorinda brushed it off remembering the fact that Karen's child died and they didn't know whether it was a boy or a girl since, Karen had refused to see her or know what the sex was all Karen had in place was that someone else was supposed to get the child if they were to survive. But they in fact did not.
"Pretty." The child softly said looking at Karen as she looked back down shyly and Tammy heard her being jealous. "Yess she is pretty but she can also be bossy sometimes." Dorinda said jokingly. "Alright let's go get you back to your mommy." Dorinda said as she lifted the child off of her. But when she walked her back over to Tammy it was like the child didn't want to go back to her as she clung onto Dorinda's leg. "Awee look at that she already likes me." Dorinda said and Tammy became even more jealous. "Come on chilee let's go home." Tammy told her and the girl slowly walked up to Tammy grabbing her hand.
But as they left the room, Dorinda knew that something wasn't right but couldn't place her finger on it.
"Y'all I spoke to the child today." Dorinda said to her sisters Twinkie and Jacky since she still wasn't on speaking terms with Karen. "Ohh." Twinkie said a bit shocked and Jacky arched her eyebrow. "Chile it looks like she's afraid of Tammy." Dorinda told them and they looked at each other as if they were concerned for the child already. "But you know what else?" Dorinda told them. "That little girl looks exactly like Karen when she was younger." Dorinda said already startin' something else. "Lawd here we go."
Jacky said, "Dorinda whatever you're thinking it's not that child- that Karen had. Her child died." Jacky said and Dorinda looked at her putting one hand on her hip. "I know you lyin' to yourself." Dorinda told Jacky. "When Tammy asked for prayer for the child I prayed with the child not with Tammy." She told her. "That child's hands were clammy as could be." Dorinda told her. "And she ain't even know the Lord's Prayer and Tammy up in the house of God lying saying she taught her. I asked that little girl twice and she said, no." Dorinda told them.
"Well most of Tammy's relatives don't know how to pray or if they do know how to pray they don't pray." Jacky said, "That ain't nuthin' new with them we been knew that." Jacky finished as she ate some of her chips. "But what if Karen's child did survive and that's her considering the fact when Tammy first brought her to meet us Karen was afraid of the girl and y'all know, Karen loves babies." Dorinda said, "So that was very unusual for her to do that." Dorinda reminded them and they thought about it. "It's not like you can get a DNA test done especially since you won't talk to Karen for no more than 2 seconds let alone look at her again with your scary tail." Jacky said.
"You know IED be mentally messing with her. I don't know why you can't accept that this is Karen now. We just need to make adjustments." Jacky said trying to get some sense through to Dorinda.
"And you know, Karen is going through it right now." Jacky said trying to defend, Karen. "Chileee please if y'all ain't see the way she was walking today she's fine. Drew done went up in her again." Dorinda said after seeing how Karen could barely walk straight and Jacky and Twinkie rolled their eyes. "Just because Drew is taking care of her in that department that doesn't mean that she isn't still healing. It's not like she can't still get her freak on and heal at the same time." Jacky told her before she continued on. "But y'all need to stop this mess y'all heard that isolation wasn't good for her especially after what her psychiatrist told us." Jacky reminded them and Dorinda did feel a little bad but she was stubborn. "Got me calling to check up on Karen just to make sure that she's okay every three days out of the week and going over her house to make sure she didn't commit when I don't hear from her."
Jacky said. "Because if you've been checking in with your baby sister you would know that her therapist told her that she could be left alone now since she has been making progress." Jacky said, "And Drew has been doing as such but only for a few hours that he's been letting up." Jacky told her. "But every time we call or text you to go into the meeting with her therapist to see what's been going on with her you won't answer." Jacky said, "And you know that's wrong. You probably just mad cause you got your ass beat twice and almost got it beat a third time." Jacky finished. "We told you not to provoke her even the therapist said it we know this already." Jacky said annoyed at the fact that Dorinda was being so stubborn with something so serious.
"Because if something happens to Karen because of her IED and that little convo that y'all had while we were gone triggered it. Dorinda you know you're gonna be the first one crying and worried over her." Jacky told her. "And that's the God head truth!" Twinkie said agreeing with Jacky. "Look at her she can't even deny it." Jacky told, Twinkie and Dorinda just rolled her eyes. "Stop pressing her, Dorinda and just make up with her you know she's trying." Jacky told her. "It's not like we can get the old, Karen back after something like that happens to her. It changes a person." Twinkie said.
"So, we're all making the adjustments whether we want to or not." Twinkie told her. "I know but I'm just tired of having to make these adjustments for her. It's draining." Dorinda said, "Just think about how our baby sister feels do you think she would want us to have to do this for her?" Twinkie asked her. "No, she doesn't." Jacky asked for them. "She already feels bad enough." Jacky said being the one that did speak to Karen after Dorinda wouldn't talk to her and that left Twinkie as the mediator.
"Do you know how much medication she's on just to control her emotions so her disorder won't flare up?" Jacky asked her. "She's taking a lot trying to figure out which ones work best for her." Jacky said shaking her head. "Just look in her medicine cabinet you'll see. I was shocked as hell to see it full and Drew, I'm surprised he's not taking anything." Jacky said.
"Y'all need to talk this out." Jacky said.
When that next Sunday came they did exactly that. Once church was over they were all sitting in Drew's office looking around at each other after, Karen decided to apologize even though she couldn't control wanting to cause harm. She kept that part to herself wanting her sister to know that she meant it and she'll keep trying. But Dorinda still wasn't having it.
"I still need a little more time" Dorinda said and karen looked as upset as ever. "You can't stand to be around me can you?" Karen asked her. "I mean after everything." Karen said and they saw how watery, Karen's eyes got and Jacky and Twinkie looked at each other knowing that they don't know what the hell they talking about. "Look I'm sorry for trying to choke you out but I just blacked out. I honestly can't help it." Karen told her. "And I know you know you believe me so, I don't know why you're being this stubborn." Karen asked her. Karen knew she tried with her kids but she felt like she gonna stop trying to get along with her sisters as it was stressing her out to the max. At this point her kids were being more mature about it then her grown ass adult sisters were. Even though Jacky and Twinkie had came around quicker than, Dorinda did. Before, Dorinda could try to be hurtful towards, Karen Jacky cut in again talking to Dorinda. "It's simple then don't provoke her." Jacky said trying to get Dorinda and Karen to stop feuding putting it in simple terms.
"Nahh I'm tired of having to always walk around eggs for her or have to protect her. What she needs to do is grow some balls?!" Dorinda said rolling her neck and Karen was trying her best not to snap and especially not in church. "Now Dorinda you know that wasn't called for!" Jacky said but she didn't care.
"That's why she's such a child now!" Dorinda yelled at her and Twinkie and Jacky knew where this was going. "Mama always coddled her and Daddy gave her everything!" Dorinda hollered and Karen rolled her eyes again. "Dorinda you know why Daddy did that." Karen said and the sisters all looked at each other with Jacky and Twinkie being left in the dark.
"Lawd." Twinkie said rubbing her temples praying that Dorinda doesn't say what she think she's about to say. "That's why daddy always knocked you upside your head and beat you the way he did because you were a punk ass bitch then like you are right now!" Dorinda said sitting back in her chair staring her baby sister down. "Dorinda STOP we are in CHURCH!" Jacky warned her but she ain't listen. "I always had to be there to protect you when Daddy left you with his friend who touched you and wanted to make you his that's why she was so spoiled that was Daddy's way of apologizing for everything!" Dorinda screamed. "DORINDA THAT'S ENOUGH!" Jacky yelled at her not knowing that any of that happened. But once her two sisters stopped arguing she was gonna speak to them about it.
"Oh now what cat got your tongue or are you about to use your disorder as an excuse to try to kill me like how you tried to kill Daddy?" Dorinda asked knowing that Karen had snapped once before when it was just her, their Daddy, and Karen in the house and Dorinda had to control her. Playing with a strand of her hair Dorinda was now genuinely provoking Karen and Karen wasn't trying to fight her sister but she was making it hard for her. "What?? Mama ain't here to protect you no one is" Dorinda said and Jacky gasped. "Dorinda STOP IT YOU'RE OUT OF LINE!" Jacky hollered at her stepping in between the two sisters. "DORINDA GET OUT OF HER FACE!" Twinkie yelled at her trying to get her attention knowing that doing that only makes it worst as Twinkie scared everyone. But Dorinda didn't listen as she moved, Jacky out of the way getting eye level with Karen as she was sitting down.
"Nahh I want her to say something to me since she's all big and bad now. But couldn't boss up when she needed too!" Dorinda said gritting her teeth and Karen was trying so hard to contain her boiling anger crying angry tears as she never felt such hurt coming from one of her sisters that was supposed to be her best friend as she sat down on her chair.
"Look at her she's weak just like Daddy said you were-!" Dorinda said before she could even say anything else Karen got up grabbed her mouth nearly snatching it off and shoved her towards the wall pinning her there with her bare hands as she heavily breathed as Karen tried not to choke her death. So, she just kept her hands on her lips holding them closed together so, Dorinda couldn't say anything more.
"I don't know what the fuck I did to you but I'm done. I tried to control it. But I can't."
Karen whispered as she slammed Dorinda back into the wall for good measure as she walked out of Drew's office instead of knocking her right out. "Karen!" Twinkie called out for their baby sister. "Don't you pay her no mind!" Twinkie said to Karen. "Why would you do that Dorinda?!" Twinkie yelled at her as Jacky back slapped, Dorinda making her flinch.
"Now if something happens to her it's on you!" Jacky said. "Move I'm a go find our sister." Twinkie said to Dorinda as she walked out of the office pushing Dorinda out the way. While Jacky had it out with Dorinda.
To be continued...
Notes:
What else is there to say about Dorinda?
Will the sisters try to get a paternity test done with the child and Karen? Is Karen even gonna allow that. Don't even get me started on Tammy.
What y'all think Karen is about to do? 🥺💔
How y'all liked Twinkie and Jacky stepping in? Drew was around the church somewhere. He wasn't in the office that's why he didn't do anything. He ain't hear the argument yet.
Were y'all ready for Dorinda to even expose her secret like that? Did it have to even be exposed?
~Dorinda is just highly frustrated with having to be there for Karen. She just wants her to be stronger but she's going about it the wrong way. No, the sisters didn't know about what happened with Karen and there dad and their dad's friend. Only Dorinda and mama did.
Drew knew after a while when they first got married which was why he was so protective of her when it came to Deacon Roy.
Thoughts or comments?
Thanks for reading!