Cards with My Sister

The fact that this story has been published after gathering cyber-dust for some time is all down to Jo -- without her help, her encouragement, her patience and her understanding I would never have found the impetus to finish and submit this piece. Thank you Jo and happy Birthday xxxx

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This story is set in the North of England in the winter of 2009/2010. As any readers from the UK will know, it turned out to be the worst winter in 50 years with snow around from before Christmas and well into the New Year. It was because of those weather conditions that this story occurred.

My sister, Anne, and I had never been that close until about 5 years before that winter. She was 3 years younger than me and had had to get married at the age of 18 when she fell pregnant. She married Martin as a result of the pregnancy and despite that rocky start they had made a long and seemingly quite happy marriage.

We both grew up in a small terraced house in a working class area of Lancashire with little in the way of home comforts. In fact even at the time that we were both in our teens we still had no inside toilet. The main reason for this was that the house only had two bedrooms. My mother and father had one and as the eldest child I had the other which resulted in my sister finding herself sleeping in a bed which was in the bathroom and the presence of a bed there left room only for a bath and washbasin.

I often think that the desire for a bedroom of her own was one of the reasons why Anne managed to become pregnant at such an early age -- it was one way of securing a bedroom for herself. For whatever reason the sleeping arrangements were definitely the source of some bitterness between us as she no doubt resented me having a room of my own and when I left home for college she had moved in there in a flash and whenever I came home for the weekend or on holiday I found myself relegated to the bathroom bed.

I think another bone of contention had been the unplanned pregnancy. I think it had been the only time I had ever seen my father cry and I think I blamed Anne for the distress she had caused my parents.

Once Anne had left home we did not see too much of her and it was not long before I was also getting married and moving about half an hour's drive away which made our contact even less. It became just a weddings, funerals etc. kind of a relationship. We had never really fallen out but were never very close either. I guess it might have been different if she had been a brother but it was just one of those things.

Martin and Anne did ok for themselves. They only ever had the one child ( the result of that unplanned pregnancy ) but got on financially as my sister got quite a good job working for a government department. Once their son was grown up and was with a partner and child of his own they bought a cottage up in the Yorkshire Dales and set about renovating it. They were now about 75 to 80 miles away from me and our contact got even less.

In the late 1990's we all attended a meal for our parents' 50th Wedding anniversary and for the first time I noticed that Martin was looking unwell but did not think a lot of it.

Then in 2004 our mother had a massive stroke which left her in hospital for some months and bed ridden and doubly incontinent when she did eventually come home. Both of us started to spend as much time with her as we could and met at least once a week. As a result we started to become closer than we had ever been when younger and as our mother's condition deteriorated I suppose we realised the importance of family and both of us seemed to be trying to make up for lost time.

2005 brought various bombshells -- firstly our mother died, which was not unexpected, but Martin's condition was finally diagnosed as Parkinson's disease. To make matters worse the doctors dealing with him seemed to indicate that the condition had not been helped, and may in fact have been brought on, by medication he had been taking for some time for a very minor heart problem.

Anne was not one to accept this kind of thing lying down and her government job had the benefit of giving her lots of valuable contacts. Soon she had found someone who was interested in making a compensation claim on Martin's behalf and as a lot of that claim surrounded his growing inability to work and his reducing income I offered my services using my accountancy knowledge to do anything I could to help them.

Soon Anne and I were closer than we had ever been and I made regular trips to her home to meet up with medical experts etc. As usual with these things the case seemed to drag on forever and was no nearer a settlement when Martin's condition took a turn for the worse and in early 2009 he died.

In addition to the ongoing compensation case there was now Martin's estate to sort out and as I have had experience of those things with one or two relations and also clients I again offered to do whatever I could.

About once a month or so we tried to get together to bring things up to date. Often my wife accompanied me on my trips to see Anne but would often get bored very quickly as we droned on about things that were above her head and so in recent months I had gone alone.

Christmas 2009 came and we had not met up for a few weeks because of the festivities etc and also the snow which had covered the North of England for so long. In the run up to Christmas the covering of snow had seemed quite pleasant and set the scene for the time of year but once January arrived it was something everyone was looking to see the back of. Unfortunately the weather had other ideas.

About mid January there seemed a break in the weather and I made arrangements to go off to the Dales unless things got any worse before weekend. My wife advised me that she was going to stay at home and recommended me to take certain things with me -- a spade in case I got stuck anywhere -- a flask and some food -- and an overnight bag in case the snow returned. It seemed like she was being somewhat over-cautious but I knew from previous experience that she had a sixth sense about these kind of things and didn't argue.

So there I was mid-morning on the Saturday, setting off with briefcase, over-night bag and the various other things and promising to ring my wife as soon as I got there to stop her worrying.

The journey took longer than usual but not as long as I had thought it might. The roads were quite clear until I got to the country roads for the last few miles and even then there was not too much of a problem. I was parking up just after lunchtime and Anne was greeting me on the doorstep. After ringing my wife to confirm my arrival we got down to work.

The afternoon passed quickly and then we realised that we had only stopped for a coffee and that neither of us had eaten since breakfast. It was going dark outside and we decided to walk down to the pub in the village. It would give us some fresh air and the chance to stretch our legs and the pub also served good wholesome food, nothing fancy but just the thing to give us that lift to finish off one or two things before I set off home.

The walk down into the village took about ten minutes and just before we got there we saw the worrying signs of snow beginning to fall. Perhaps it would only be a few flurries. The inside of the pub was warm and welcoming. A roaring log fire burned in the main bar and we settled down and ordered our food and drink. As we sat and ate and watched other people enter the pub it became clear that this was something a bit more than flurries. By the time we left the pub the snow was falling heavily and as it was Saturday there seemed no signs of any gritting crews trying to keep the roads open.

The walk back to Anne's cottage took twice as long as the walk to the pub had as we found ourselves tramping through soft, virgin snow. As we walked through the door the phone was ringing. It was my wife telling me how bad the weather was at the other side of the Pennines and it became more and more likely that I may have to stay the night. I agreed with my wife to give things an hour, which would give us time to wrap up our paperwork and then make a decision, although as I looked out through the window the decision was really already made.

An hour later our work was finished and I went to the front door. Conditions were even worse than before and I was only waiting for Anne to make the suggestion that I stayed.

"It would be stupid to try to drive home in this" Anne said "especially in the dark. Give Janet a ring and tell her you are staying while I go and check that everything is ok in the spare bedroom."

I rang Janet and she sounded relieved that I was not going to attempt the trip back home and I told her I would ring in the morning to let her know how things were.

Anne had come back down from the bedroom and announced that everything was sorted. I nipped out to the car to bring in the overnight bag. I was so glad that Janet had had the foresight to make me bring it.

Anne drew the curtains to conserve the heat and then looking at the logs lying unlit in the hearth I made a suggestion.

"How long since you had the fire going??"

"Christmas time" Anne responded "It never seems worth it just for me"

"It looked so inviting in the pub" I said " Really cosy"

"Well its all yours" laughed Anne " If you can be bothered to get it going then don't let me stop you. I'll go and fix us some coffee"

It was years since I had lit a real fire but I was determined to give it a go and soon the wood was beginning to crackle and small flames began to flicker around the room.

"Well done" said Anne as she at last accepted that my efforts were going to be successful.

I settled down to drink my coffee and admire my achievement.

"I'm wishing I had tried a pint of beer in the pub instead of orange juice" I said with a hint of regret."If I had known I was not going to have to drive we could have stayed longer"

"Perhaps we can have a walk back down there later if the snow eases a bit. It's a long time since I had a serious drink" replied Anne, clearly excited at the thought of having some company for the evening "In fact it's a long time since I did a few things"

At that minute I did not pick up on Anne's last words but I would learn more as the evening wore on what she was referring to.

"In the meantime there is beer in the fridge -- or wine if you prefer"

"How about both" I said " It might be a long night. We can start on a beer and then move on to the wine"

Anne nodded her agreement.

"I can't hold my drink the way I used to" Anne said "but let's see where the evening takes us." We made eye contact and there was something in her eyes that hinted at things that I hesitated to contemplate.

I suppose I should say a little more about Anne. She was a little shorter than me and nowhere near as heavy. I think that I must have inherited my mother's genes as, like my mother, I had always had difficulty in keeping my weight under control. I only had to look at a chocolate biscuit to feel the pounds going on. Anne, on the other hand, was slender and looked almost fragile. She had had her own health worries in her 40's with a cancer scare and since then had always been careful to watch her diet. Despite the fact that she did not do any exercise ( other than walking her dog ) she had a body that many younger women would envy. From the neck down she would have passed for a woman far younger than her 57 years.

Unfortunately her face let down the rest of her body somewhat. The worries which had been caused by her own health problems and Martin's long illness had clearly taken their toll and her face had wrinkles that indicated her true age and her neck was a little scrawny too.

All in all, however, Anne was still an attractive woman, especially when she smiled but that had not been too often over the past few years despite the ongoing attempts of her friends and family. She had let herself go a little but I sensed that when she finally got through this period of mourning and self-doubt she was the kind of woman who would pick herself up, give herself a serious makeover in terms of clothing and make-up and if and when she felt confident to get back onto the dating scene there would be no shortage of eligible suitors, and probably many more who were not so eligible.

"I'll go and get the drinks sorted out whilst you go and get yourself cleaned up after getting the fire going" Anne said as she left the room heading for the kitchen.

"Yes and I can take my things up to the bedroom and get myself sorted out" I replied as I headed for the stairs.

By the time I had returned from the bathroom and bedroom Anne had everything under control. Two cans of beer were on the coffee table with two beer glasses and then an opened bottle of wine and two wine glasses next to them. There was also a selection of nibbles to keep us going through the evening.

The television was turned on and Anne was sitting on the sofa with her legs raised up. I took the two beers and poured them and passed one to Anne before settling down in the armchair.

I looked at the television. "I just wanted to watch this programme" Anne announced " I have been following the series. Then we can either listen to some music or find some other way to amuse ourselves" She turned to again make eye contact with me as she uttered the last few words. "Whatever you fancy"

As Anne relaxed even more on the sofa the idea of "whatever you fancy" seemed strangely appealing. I had to admit that over the last few years, since our reconciliation, I had found myself more and more attracted to Anne and whilst I would never have dared admit it to anyone there had been occasions when I had fantasised about her. I think the long period of estrangement had meant that when we began to get close again I started to think of her as a woman and not just a sister.

My own sex life had been virtually non-existent for several years and I was guessing that Anne's may have been no better, especially knowing that Martin had been ill for many years.

As I looked across at Anne relaxed on the sofa in her black t-shirt and faded jeans that seemed to touch her body in all the right places I must admit to a longing that she was not my sister and my mind drifted to the ways we might find to pass the evening if she were not.

My beer was gone in double quick time and Anne advised me there was more in the fridge. I hesitated and decided that as the wine was already open I would try some of that and so I poured two glasses for us and returned to my armchair.

Anne seemed quite intent in her watching of the programme and although it was not something that interested me I sat pretending to be interested for her sake.

Soon it was at an end and Anne got down to the task of drinking her beer and wine so as to try and catch me up. I was on my second large glass of wine now and as she left the room to go and bring in a second bottle I felt the need to watch her walk across the room and out of the door. The jeans fitted so tight on her backside and I could swear she was walking in a way that accentuated it. Her hips seemed to sway from side to side and for the first time that night I felt a stirring in my loins that would get stronger as the evening went on.

Anne came back into the room and asked what music I would like her to put on the player but as she stood there the decision was made for us. The television flickered, the lamps in the corner of the room went out and the room would have been in total darkness but for the flickering light thrown out by the blazing log fire.

"Not again" Anne complained " I forgot to warn you. This has been happening all winter with the snow causing such problems. Sometimes it can be off for just a few minutes whilst other times it can be several hours."

"Lucky I lit the fire" I stated " at least we have some light"

"Yes and heat too" replied Anne " because the central heating will have gone off too until the electricity comes back. I have some decorative candles in the kitchen which will help things."

In a minute she was back with one or two scented candles positioned so as the light up the gloomier corners of the room whilst we relied on the firelight as our eyes became a little more used to the situation.

"So what are we going to do till it comes back on" I asked.

A few seconds passed until Anne responded. "What about a game of cards. There is a pack in the cupboard over there."

Without waiting for my reply Anne went to get the cards and sat down on the rug before me.

"So what are we going to play" she said.

I sat down on the rug quite near to her so as to make it easier to see the cards. After a few discussions we settled on a card game we had played as children, a kind of rummy where you had to make up various tricks from 10 cards and the game got underway in the firelight.

The first few games were ok but as with anything the novelty began to wear a bit thin after that. Then Anne suggested a variation.

"Why don't we make it more interesting " she said taking a long slurp of wine.

"How" I answered, unsure as to the direction this conversation was heading in.

"The loser of each hand has to pay up" she added

"Money" I questioned

"No, a forfeit of some kind" said Anne

"Like what" I asked naively

"How about the loser of each hand has to remove an item of their clothing? And to make it more interesting every little thing counts , watches, jewellery, everything "

I was filled with a mixture of emotions partly fuelled by the beer and wine. What harm could it do and any way the room was pretty dimly lit. A part of me also longed to see what Anne was wearing under those tight jeans.

"Ok" I finally agreed "You're on. Or off might be a more appropriate description. Deal the cards"

The incentive of removing clothing and other things certainly enlivened the next few hands, or perhaps it was the drink. We were already halfway down the second bottle of wine.

Soon each of us had a small neat pile of items removed. In my case it comprised of shoes, socks, my wristwatch, ring and the St Christopher I wore around my neck. The hands had been quite evenly contested as Anne's pile indicated with her shoes, earrings, watch and rings neatly arranged.

From now on it looked as though things might get a little more interesting and though Anne was my sister and there was something inside me that felt slightly uneasy with the situation there was a much stronger something that had me quite aroused at the thought of seeing her slowly undressing before me in the firelight.

The accountant inside me was trying to make calculations of what items were left to remove but the wine was taking its toll and it was taking much longer than on a usual day in the office.

I did a quick sum and figured I was down to 3 items, my shirt, trousers and boxer shorts. As for Anne's situation I could only make an educated guess that she was down to 4 items, her t-shirt, jeans and presumably bra and panties. On that basis I was one item behind and even more determined to win the next hand.

My determination was rewarded with victory and I presumed that Anne would remove her t-shirt. She obviously realised what I had been thinking as she flashed me a naughty grin before lifting the bottom of her jeans to reveal a silver anklet. 'Damn!' I thought as the realisation dawned on me that my lustful thoughts had been put on hold. But the delay only served to heighten my state of arousal and I sensed that my cock was starting to harden. However much I tried to persuade it to behave more reasonably the harder it seemed to be to control it. Whatever my own thoughts were my cock seemed to have a mind of its own.

As I mentally wrestled with my hardening cock I lost my way in the next hand and soon found myself unbuttoning my shirt and adding it slowly to my pile as Anne dealt the next hand. Somehow I sensed she was deliberately trying to keep things on an even keel as I seemed to win the next hand more easily than any recent one.