,
Dear reader.
I have read the story 'A Joke' by Agena and that inspired me to write my own version.
The last publication from this awesome writer was October 31st, 2010 and the last modification to his biography was June 15th, 2014. I have asked for a reaction to my story, but to no avail.
For me this could be published in either 'Loving Wives' or 'Romance'. On advise of my editor you will find it in Loving Wives because there is alot of disrespect. However, there is no cheating.
I hope you will enjoy it.
Disclaimer.
All likeness to persons, institutions and companies in the story are completely incidental.
Nothing in this story has any relation to reality and of course everyone and everything engaging in any sexual activity is over eighteen.
Turning502019 is my editor. He corrected numerous mistakes and typos in this work.
His effort, patience and help helped make this story much better than what I started out with.
Again, thank you for all the hard work Will.
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Feeling apprehensive. Peter walked into the garden of his sister-in-law. He always dreaded the family gatherings of his in-laws.
With exception of his sister-in-law, the family, including Victoria, his wife of 23 years, had a boisterous sense of humor and he often bore the brunt of it. He repeatedly warned Victoria that one of these days she and her brothers will go too far and it's going to cost them their marriage. Victoria always laughed it away; weren't they just joking?
Victoria went the day before to help with the preparations and took the car. Peter walked the 30-mile journey.
He had his reasons. First and foremost, he was addicted to long distance walking and in his book 30 miles was a medium long walk that takes about 8 hours to complete. The second reason was that he arrived somewhat later at the scene and saved himself a few extra hours of sitting on hot coals.
The problem was that when his in-laws were not together, they were mostly friendly and helpful, but when they were together it was as if they were possessed. One time he had to shave his head because they thought it funny to superglue a wig on his head.
Also, Peter already suffered a couple of bruised ribs from another joke. A week later his eldest brother-in-law thought it funny to give him a firm pat on the back, knowing full well that it would hurt as like hell.
Peter bit the pain and retaliated. A few seconds later the man lay unconsciously on the floor with a broken wrist. But they didn't seem to get the message and Victoria was still furious at Peter for retaliating. That was when he told her, in no uncertain terms, that one more joke like that and she could go and look for another husband.
Therefore, Peter's relation with his family-in-law was tenuous to say the least.
Peter van Rijn was 45 years old and the first impression of most people was that he was not a very intimidating man to look at. Dark hair with some gray in it. Tanned friendly face with brown-green eyes, a generous nose and lips. Peter was introverted to the point that he could be called shy. He only came out of his shell with people he knew and trusted to reveal that he was a caring, funny and very intelligent man and a very good teacher. Especially for children whether with self-defense or schoolwork for both he volunteered at a nearby community center. He was even tempered up to a point. Pushed too far, but that was very far indeed, he exploded without warning.
Of average height with his 6ft and at only 165 lbs he was a wiry man. He was very fit, His muscles rippling with each movement. He didn't have an ounce of excess fat on his body, but he didn't like showing it. Even in private company, he always wore long sleeved shirts and baggy trousers to hide himself. He had long, rather slim, but muscled legs. He was well endowed in the propagation department, which he also tried to hide.
Besides walking he was rather accomplished in Tai Chi Qigong and Wushu. He worked out religiously every day. Peter needed the Tai Chi exercises to keep his temper in check. He had grown up in a rough neighborhood and his skinny appearance made him numerous times the victim of the neighborhood bullies. That was, until his temper got the better of him and he fought back. After a while the bigger boys came to a painful conclusion that one better avoided skinny Peter.
Very early in his life Peter realized that big bulging muscles weren't going to happen on his slender build. Until he saw a professional ballet dancer on television, then he knew that he needed another training regime all together and started to do some research on how to accomplish that.
Despite his background he worked his way up in the civil engineering company he still works for today. The company builds very large structures such as dams, dykes, locks and channels everywhere in the world.
Peter started when he was 18 years old, just after the death of his parents and his little brother. They died when their car was swept up by the water during a thunderstorm.
There, on a job, for the first time, he met Kevin Rhodes on a job dredging a channel.
The foreman of that dredger liked the smart, hardworking young man and took him under his wings. This very much to the dislike of Kevin, who suddenly saw the boy as a competitor.
After Peter spotted a mistake in a blueprint of a dam the foreman sent him with a letter of recommendation to the site manager. After a talk and a capability test, they offered Peter a job as an apprentice planner.
His career took off. Slowly at first but he soon was the rising star. Today he makes a salary well into the top half six figures. As a senior logistics planner, he had final responsibility for the planning and execution of major projects. This much to the envy of Kevin, now his brother-in-law.
They both met the sisters at a party when Peter was 20. Elizabeth just celebrated her 18th birthday and worked part-time as receptionist at the office of the company Peter and Kevin worked for. She brought Victoria who was 5 years older as chaperone because she wasn't allowed to go alone.
At the party the girls had lots of attention from the men. They, both, didn't notice the young man at the bar quietly drinking his water, with a slice of lemon, observing the mating ritual.
The girls were dancing with Kevin and another coworker when there was a huge commotion at the bar. Someone tried to spike the drink off one of the girls and Peter had noticed.
Before the man could open his hand to drop the little pill Peter got hold of that hand and squeezed it so the man couldn't let it go. The man tried to get away but made such a ruckus that security came to check what was going on. Only then Peter let go of the hand to show the drugs. Much to the chagrin of Kevin the sisters now were more interested in talking to Peter than dancing with him.
Later that evening Victoria became aware that Peter was the talk of other girls as well. One girl had seen him in the gym the company sponsored and was talking about how Peter worked out. It was so different from the rest and how the results showed on his body.
She sought his company and became charmed by the introverted man. Victoria gathered all her courage and asked him for a dance. Peter said yes and Victoria was duly impressed by the gentle mannered man.
They dated. Much to the dismay of Victoria, Peter always said his goodbyes with a chaste peck on her cheek. She wanted more but Peter kept his distance. In desperation she recruited Elizabeth.
The next day Elizabeth, who was so much more forward, saw Peter during lunchtime and asked him, "Peter, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure Elizabeth, what's the matter?"
"Do you like my sister?"
"Of course, what's not to like about her? I like her a lot, otherwise I wouldn't go out with her. Would I?"
"Then why didn't you try to kiss her?"
"Huh? Why would she want to be kissed by me? She has lots of men chasing her. Why should she be interested in me?"
"Because she has a crush on you! You, doofus." Elizabeth shook her head in despair, walked away and called her sister to report the short conversation.
After that, Victoria decided to take matters into her own hands. As a result, they were married a year later.
It took Elizabeth and Kevin years longer to become a pair. The first few years they had an on-off relationship and only when Elizabeth told Kevin he had to choose between his bachelor life and never seeing Elizabeth again or grow up and become an adult he gave in and they married too.
Kevin discovered Victoria and her brother's love of practical jokes, he had an idea and started to undermine Peter's position within the family and the pranking began. First very innocent but gradually getting worse and more demeaning. Peter, though, kept to himself and mostly suffered in silence. He had warned Victoria that one day it would cross even his boundaries and after that there would be no going back. But as usual with bullying, the perpetrators didn't see any harm in their actions. The only outlet Peter had been his conversations with Elizabeth and the diary he kept since his parents died.
Peter and Victoria were blessed with three children. A daughter of 22 and two sons who are 20 and 18 years old. All three very successful in finding their own way in life. Miranda, their daughter, was very close to Peter. The boys were more drawn to their mother.
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Peter was already on edge when he walked into the garden. He looked around and noticed the body language of the family members and thought
Shit, they're up to something. Again!
.
Wandering around, he observed the sidelong glances they threw at him and the knowing looks to each other. He just sat and waited but nothing came. Finally Peter decided to go upstairs and take a shower.
He walked into the house and up the stairs when he heard Victoria moaning. "Oh yes. Yes there, don't stop. Go on! Harder!"
He didn't believe his ears and a deep nauseous pit opened in his stomach. He thought,
please, Lord, let it be a joke too this time.
He took out his phone and pressed the video mode. He held the phone around the doorsill and saw Kevin pounding Victoria from behind like a piledriver. Peter took a few minutes to record the whole performance and softly retreated downstairs again.
He sat heavily in the chair where he 'parked' his backpack. He saw the smirks of the rest of his family and his anger started to rise. He sat there, just looking straight forward, getting angrier and angrier.
