Friday, November 4, 2011

Permanent Declarations of a Temporary Love



If you called me stupid you certainly wouldn’t be the first. 
I was back at the airport.  This time putting Sara on a plane.  Rin had gone along for the ride.  My sum total of time spent with Sara had been less than a day.  Half of that time with my neglected appendage tucked away in warmth and wonder.  Was this how it was going to be?  Fleeting flings in tired sheets and then back off to Asia?  I didn’t think I could live the rest of my life this way.
“I know you’re upset with me,” Sara said.
“I understand.”  I was tapping my foot.  That must have passed for more than boredom.  Rin kept a respectful ten feet away looking at the arrival and departure monitors.
“You’re just saying that.”
“Yes, you’re right.” 
“I’ve got to do this.  You know that.”
“Knowing it and liking it are two different things.”
“You know, you are a free agent,” Sara said.  She looked into my eyes for me to say something in return.
“Is that your way of saying you’ve got some man stashed back in Korea or Japan or some other ricey place?”   Did I really hear myself say ricey place?  Sara pressed her body against me and kissed me for a long time.  It was one of those kisses, although immensely enjoyable, I wanted to peek an eye open to see if we were being filmed or watched by hundreds of potential passengers and gossipers.  I broke it off and hugged her tightly.  Rin was engrossed in us now. 
“You’re the man,” Sara said, coming up for air.  “But, look.  We’ve never been exactly about commitment.”
“That would be your choice,” I said, picking a particle of dust off her sweater.
“I can’t begin to help who I am anymore than you can help writing your next great American novel, reading Dostoevsky, or finding ambient music endlessly fascinating.  And notice I didn’t even mention your penchant for bedding young girls.”
“Uh, you just did.”
“I think Rin might just have a thing for you.”  I looked over at Rin.  She was staring at us.
“Let’s not go there shall we?”
“Oh, I won’t go there.  I don’t swing that way.  But, perhaps, you might just get lucky.”
“Luck I don’t need.  It’s you I need.”
“And we might just accomplish that one of these days.”
“Yeah, when I’m close to eighty and this thing doesn’t work anymore.”
“This thing?” Sara patted my crotch.  I looked to see who was looking.  Ten seats worth of a girls soccer team and three nuns seated across from them.  And an airport security officer headed our way.  I put a bit of distance between us and he walked by us.  Apparently we weren’t the object of his intentions.
“Any idea when you might be back for more than just breakfast?”
“You forgot about dessert.”  Sara looked up into my eyes. 
“Are we over, Sara?”  I guess I just had to know.  If you don’t ask, you don’t know.
“We’re never over.”
“I need more than an occasional dipping of the stick, you know.”  The boarding announcement came over the loudspeaker for Sara’s plane.
“I’ve got to go.  I’ll call.”  Sara kissed me on the lips and was off to get in line.  I stood there looking like the loneliest person in the world.  She turned back around.  “A dipping of the stick?”  She shook her head and walked through the door to board the plane.

. . .from the novel in progress . .. 

No comments: