The police officers had started their job of questioning the neighbors. Gossip mongers all of them, drawn to the scene like flies to rotten fruit. Whisper whisper… gossip gossip… They were all gathered like a murder of crows picking on choice bits of roadkill.
Everyone had something to say.
The premier Gossip King, who seemed to know everything, even when and how many times a cat stepped past his house and sneezed, was in high spirits. He could not wait to share his "knowledge" with the rest of the fluttering, tittering flock of hens who had gathered to watch the last bits of the drama unfold.
"Did you hear about the neighbor at house number 4?" Gossip Aunty Number One whispered in hushed tones.
"Yes yes. I heard all about it from my sister's daughter's husband who was the medic on scene." The Gossip King said in a similarly hushed whisper.
"What is the world coming to? What is this neighbourhood coming to? It's better not to have this kind in our neighbourhood." Gossip Uncle Number Two fanned himself furiously with his hand fan, as if the wind generated could waft off the entire scene in front of their eyes, like an unpleasant smell.
"Yes, yes. I agree." Agreed Gossip Aunty Number One.
The Gossip King beckoned the gossips to come closer so he could bare all. "Did you hear? First the husband, then the daughter. Seems like she murdered them all."
"My, oh my! Are you sure?" Gossip Aunty Number Two gasped.
The Gossip King nodded and continued his story.
"So my daughter's best friend's uncle who works at the coroner's office said that apparently the father and daughter went the same way. Overdose of sleeping medication. She was being investigated but nothing to tie her to the deaths."
"My god!" Gossip Uncle Number Two rumbled.
"My goodness! All these happening under our noses and to think we didn't know!" Gossip Aunty Number One nearly shrieked but quickly calmed herself as heads from the gathering crowd started to turn towards her semi shriek.
"This type. What if she kills more people? Why should they wait to find out? It's better that they quickly lock her in prison forever!" Gossip Uncle Number One fanned himself even more frantically.
"Nothing has been proven yet! But she is also rather pitiful." The Gossip King rearranged his expression to look sad, and acted as if the story was a personal tragedy he was involved in.
Gossip Uncle Number One was not convinced.
"How can a murderess. Okay, okay. Possible murderess. Be pitiful?!"
"I heard from my cousin's wife's sister who used to be a part time waitress with her back when she started waitressing. It was because her frou-frou family kicked her out and didn't want her any more because they had a newborn son to carry on the family legacy. She needed money. So the ex-rich girl had to lower her pride to serve other people for a living!" The Gossip King paused for dramatic effect.
"Oh my!" Gossip Uncle Number Two's mouth dropped open.
"Yes, yes. And my cousin's wife's sister also said she worked 3 jobs to keep herself fed and to pay rent for the room she shared with 3 other girls, all while studying."
The expression on Gossip Aunty Number Two's face softened in pity.
"Oh my poor soul. Such a thing still exists? But she is really so hard working! If I were poor, I won't even know what to do with myself!"
Internally, the Gossip King rolled his eyes. These spoiled, rich homemakers. He felt superior, since unlike them, he came from more humble roots. However, much as he looked down upon them, he wanted to continue the story and was unwilling to lose his currently captivated audience.
"Wait! And listen to this! My cousin's wife's sister said that it took her years to be stable. She is also a little… not right. She keeps having what everyone calls "episodes". And then she met her husband at one of the offices they worked at. He was some big shot that was taken by both her really hard working attitude and beauty. He fell for her, not right-ness, episodes and all, and she later fell in love with him too. They got married after."
"That's so romantic!!" Sighed Gossip Aunty Number Two.
"No. She is unlucky and cursed! So! I happened to hear this from my aunt's best friend's brother's cousin, who I got to know and who knows her too." The Gossip King continued.
Gossip Uncle Number Two muttered "It seems like you have quite the very wide network."
"No, no, it's a small world! Do you want to hear the rest or do you not want me to finish the story?" Gossip King waved his hands dismissively in response and turned his bright eyes to the gathered people.
It was there and then Gossip Uncle Number 2 made up his mind to never ever offend the Gossip King. Who knows what ancestor's name, date of birth and death date this Gossip King could pull up if the mood struck him. Worse still. What information he already possibly possessed. Gossip Uncle Number Two tuned out the rest of the gossip and started to wander off. His mind had started to turn to what he could bribe the Gossip King with to ensure future silence.
