177 lines
8.2 KiB
Plaintext
177 lines
8.2 KiB
Plaintext
"They Were June Raindrops On His Lips"
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by Jess Anniwund
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I was sitting in my living room one overcast afternoon.
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It looked as if it was about to rain, in fact, pour.
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I had a very slow piano piece on the stereo and I was
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looking at the vase of gladiolas, remembering briefly
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what it was like to be not alone.
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I tipped my head back and watched the last of the faint
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sunlight slide across the ceiling and out the window.
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The approaching rain brought a waft of breeze through the
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open windows, animating the light curtains, bringing the
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solace of movement like a dancer's caress against a dried
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floorboard. A light drizzle followed shortly, sounding
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delicate on the streets that have been softened by the
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humid morning. I thought to myself that this was the elegy to
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the departure of Spring, that soon, that'd be hot days and
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brutal muscular men parading around in sleeveless
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undershirts and loud factory-ready sports cars, girls with
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obnoxious tans wearing flourescent sunglasses and teased hair.
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I closed my eyes to enjoy what little was left of the quiet
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day.
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There was a tap on the front door. Who could it be?
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I walked to the threshold and opened without checking
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to see who it was.
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"Oh, hello. I'm so sorry to disturb you. But my car has
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seized just a few streets away, I was wondering if you
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I could borrow your phone."
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He was a slender, clean shaven man about my age- early
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twenties. The thing that struck me from my afternoon daze
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was his clothes. He was standing there in one of those
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smart, hunting-horseriding outfits, red jacket, white blouse,
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breeches and black boots. His dirty blonde hair was damp
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and fell just at the tip of his dark eyebrows.
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I caught myself just in time to keep from appearing like a
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deaf-mute and asked him to enter. I pointed up the short
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staircase which he proceded to ascend. I watched his rear
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and the elegance in the way they moved with each step taken.
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I forgot momentarily all the women I had lusted after. I
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forgot for example Pam, whom I doted on and grew flowers for
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in the youth of my adoration.
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I listened to his lithe voice mingle with the hush of the rain
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pattering outside. After a moment, he reappeared at the edge of
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the kitchen arch. "Thanks very much, I will show myself out."
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"Did you get help?" I asked.
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"It was an answering machine, but eventually help will
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arrive."
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"Is your car safely out of the way?"
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"Not really, but, I'll manage."
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"Oh come, I won't hear of it! I can do a little pushing
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myself," I said more or less as a statement and not an offer.
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When we were outside, I opened my umbrella and we walked
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together along the glistening lawns. I told him that I didn't
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know there were horse-riding grounds around my parts, but he said
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he was just passing through.
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When we got to his car, he rolled down the driver's window
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to push and steer, but I refused on grounds that his clothes were
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too pristine to be spoiled by a trivial problem like that. I
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told him to get inside while I stood against his door and listened
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to his description of the car problem. After popping the hood,
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I felt around, burnt my fingers on the flywheel, jammed my foot
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on the carburetor, and freed the fuel filter in that order. I
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stuck my index finger on the float to keep it shut and told him
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to turn it over. Once we got the car started, he offered to buy me
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a drink. But instead, I said I'll make some coffee for the two of
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us in my place.
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In my living room, we sat and talked about the types of
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riding he was into. When asked about my occupation, I said I
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was a writer, in other words, a professional slacker. We laughed
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and I watched his damp hair and his thin face almost like a horse
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warm the arriving evening. I sat across from him as
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we talked, leaning forward with elbows on kneecaps. Our voices
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relaxed in a good-natured way. It was nice to share some time
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together, even with a stranger. He absent-mindedly ran his hand
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over his thigh as he looked out the window and recounted a
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story about one of his horses who had to be put to sleep. I
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listened to the sadness in his voice while slowly being
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hynotized by the white breeches that looked as if they were
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painted-on to his perfect thighs. The coffee had made his lips
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glisten like freshly watered fruit. He was the very picture of
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allure.
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When he came to the bottom of his cup, he got up and thanked me
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for everything I had done. I saw him to the door, my hands
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practically unabled to keep from touching his firm, well-dressed
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body. My arms barely unabled to keep from embracing his thighs
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and nestling my face in the warm bosom of his immaculate seat.
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Behind the back of his neck, I opened my lips to force out a
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desperate plea for him to stay a while longer. He turned around
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just then, having reached the door. I snapped back, mouth opened,
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transforming to a half smile with a great deal of effort.
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"Thanks again," he held out his hand.
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I took it and felt the softness of his palm against my greasey
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callused one: his were hands that had been protected by riding
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gloves for a lifetime, mine were weathered by class.
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We waved as he got into his car. I watched him drive off and
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stared at the empty road for a few more minutes. The stereo
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swirled into my attention with this old song called "1963."
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It was an airy piece of pop that danced just as the rain was
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doing at that moment. I closed the door and stood against it,
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eyes close, listening to the first lines of the lyrics.
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The beat was infectious, but it was shortly interrupted by an
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off-beat. It was the someone knocking at the door.
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I opened it once again.
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He was standing there but this time we didn't exchange any words.
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We just looked at each other before he took three steps forward
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through the door. He cupped my cheeks in between his hands and
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put his lips against mine. His tongue felt so smooth and cool
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in my mouth. I unbuttoned his hunting jacket and slid my hands
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against his silk white blouse, the warmth of his body charged
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through fabric and onto my fingertips as I held him tight.
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My eyes close at this beautiful forbidden union, this sweetness
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of his mouth, this feeling of togetherness.
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I ran my hands through his damp hair, I kissed his eyebrows, I
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caressed his marble neck which blossomed from his jabot like
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a treasured stem which had its roots at his heart. His fingers
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were stroking the back of my body as his chin moved against my
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neck. I wanted to kiss him some more, and I did, as we lay
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there on the steps. I could feel the hardness between his legs
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straining against his breeches, against my thighs. As we kissed,
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I reached down to undo his breeches before resting my hand on
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his smooth, shaven crotch. It tightened confidently in my hand,
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and it tasted as Eve's first apple must surely have.
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When night time came around, it thundered and roared with lightning
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illuminating the entire living room while we lay there on the
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floor. I kept myself inside him as I embraced his body and our
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hands held together. We were both very still.
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e p i l o g u e
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It had been several months since that day.
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As quickly as he had walked into my life like an angel of hope,
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he departed without the slightest trace of having been there.
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The summer came and took him away. At the gas station,
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jeeps and trucks towing jet skis and boats baked in the
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sun as suburban boys eager to out-man each other took to
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blasting rap music by performers who knew as little about
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violence as they did.
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Then a truck towing a horse-trailer pulled in at the far end.
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I squinted to see more clearly as a pair of boots came out
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from the passenger door on the opposite side. Just then,
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the attendent came to collect the money.
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"Is there a horse-riding club around here?" I asked without
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taking my eyes off those boots.
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"Nah, not that I know of. Why, do you ride?" He talked in
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a hoarse voice that was empty of curiosity.
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The boots came around the rear of the trailer. It was a heavyset
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forty-something man weaing a plaid shirt.
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"Nah," I smiled to wave the sadness away as I got on my scooter
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and started it up. "Just passing through."
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