THE QUESTIONS

THE QUESTIONS While Maria and I remained "intimate" friends, over the years, we did, in fact, watch as Calvin had his benefits cut off, many times, as well as serving time, for what was described as "welfare fraud". Simply stated, Calvin used up his benefits, the first week, of every month, at convenience stores. For the remainder, of the month, Calvin stole, and sold, anything he could get his hands on, for food money. Atleast three times, Calvin was sent to jail, for six months. This, for recruiting a friend, to aid Calvin, in breaking into food pantries. Calvin broke in, then he, and his accomplice, packed the truck, full of food. Since food pantries, like churches, are considered "holy ground", few have alarm systems. Each time Calvin was caught, it was during a random, home, visit, by his case worker. Calvin was arrested, each time, since he did not even bother to hide his "booty". Maria and I watched the man being taken to jail, several times. Each time, she snuggled up to me. Maria and I had become friends, over a conversation, over mens, and womens, habits. Everything from goals, to relationships. Even motor vehicles. When we, first, began to talk, Maria provided some deli type food. Not all that tasty, but good, all the same. When Maria had mentioned "Not near as good as my mother can cook." I suggested buying the ingredients, then fixing the food, the way her mother did. I was surprised when Maria asked me "Will you help me to eat it all? Even if it means multiple meals?" I suggested "Might make good practice, for married life." This is how we "began". As for the romance, that part came, naturally. As Maria's cooking improved, I went from verbal compliments, to kissing her. Soon, embraces were added, and, before I knew it we were resting, in her bed, after meals. It was easy, finding time to spend, together. Calvin was away, so much, that Maria and I could date, sometimes, for months, before we saw Calvin, again. This is how I learned that Maria was not just into home-cooking, but that my favorite grocery store, was hers, as well. A discount, grocery, store. A place, with ten times the variety, of the convenience store. The one thing, that I had to "watch", with Maria, was her desire for filling meals. While she had to get used to the fact that I did not drink beer, she, also, learned that I preferred HUGE salads, to huge meals. Maria was just happy when I took over Calvins weight training equipment. (Man, had he told Maria, several times, how he could become a professional body builder.) As I told Maria, with my back injury, I had a choice. Either exercise, or take HIGH potency, pain medication. I CHOSE exercise. Maria watched as I sculpted my body, into a mass of muscle. Now, while this did not encourage my spine, to heal, any faster, the extra muscle protected the spine, and cut down on pain, as I built up. While my health campaign continued, Calvin was sentenced to a full year, in prison, after being convicted of breaking into five pantries, in a single night. Street camera's had caught the fleeing vehicle, and the police arrested Calvin, with an apartment, full of stolen food. Calvin caught an extra eighteen months, when an officer used a night stick, to push Calvin forward, only to have Calvin beat the guard, with his own stick. The judge, overseeing the case, would have ruled that Calvin was ordered to work, to pay off his debts. This, however, with Calvins work record, showed would, never, work. Calvin did not CARE about work. IF he showed up, that was fine by him. IF he didn't... As Maria pointed out, this is the same reason why workers had to collect Calvin, for appointments. IF he showed up... This is why his workers had to pick him up. For Maria, I was a delightful "change of pace". I was the one who, when schedules were made, I kept to them. Maria did wonder how Calvin would adjust, when a judge, finally, sent him into LONG-TERM care. Still, Maria had me to train on. She just had to get used to the fact that, even afer day-time sex, instead of television, and beer, Maria found me with iced tea, and at her computer. What I dont understand is why, when my plans began to see yields, that I was told that Maria was "too old". After all, she was only twenty-nine. Turns out that the media would pay MORE attention if I were seen with an eighteen year old. When I asked Maria, she said "Sad, but true. To the media, I am a relic." Well, if Maria was a "relic", at age 29, then WHAT was I, at well over fifty? As for the reason why I began asking Maria to teach me Spanish, there was more than one reason. First of all, there was tthe "problem" that, when Maria got really aroused, she forgot how to speak English, and returned to Spanish. While I respected her right to her native language, my problem was "Maria, when you speak Spanish, I do not know if your words mean "More, baby, more", or "You are hurting me." When Maria suggested "My friend, Tequilla, has a deal, with her man. Anytime she slips into Spanish, he slaps her." When I suggested "Not my style." When Maria would ask "What then?" I suggested "Why dont you teach me Spanish. This way, in either language, I will know when you want more love." I, truly, do NOT know how she did it, but Maria had me able to master basic conversation, in Spanish, inside four months. (Maria only asked me NOT to tell her friends.) I found out why when Darlene visited Maria, one day. In Spanish, Darlene was telling Maria "I, really, thought that Marguerette was the one. She was so GOOD, in BED. I swear that I even tried to BUY her affection. She wants a man, though." Then looked at me, saying "I cant understand why." When Maria tried to explain what it was like, having a man, inside her body, all Darlene would say was "I know of vibrators, which can do better." On another day, I caught Darlene actually asking for Maria's breasts. When Maria reminded the woman "They belong to my man." Darlene all-but DRAGGED Maria into her arms, bent Maria over, and kissed my woman, about as deep as I did. While Maria accepted the un-wanted kiss, and necking, it was when Darlene rippeed Maria's top open, saying "I want some." That Maria called out, in Spanish "Husband". When I grabbed Darlene off of Maria, the first thing Darlene asked was "When did you (me), learn Spanish?" As Maria sat up, she told Darlene "I taught him." When Darlene asked "WHY?, This is our language. That of our ancestors." Maria said "My husband wanted to know when he was making me happy, and not just in Engish." What I noticed, but Darlene did not, was that, even as Maria rested, she did nothing, to cover her breast. In fact, what Maria DID do was to carress the flesh. What I could not believe was when, as I moved, to comfort my woman, Darlene all-but pleaded "Can we make it a three-some? I need some woman, BAD. Even if it means having a "man", as well." When Maria looked at me, asking "Husband?" I told her "My angel. It is YOUR body. She is your friend." In the bedroom, Darlene was the first, out of her clothes. When Darlene entered our bed, she, actually, called out, in Spanish "Me, first, Maria." The problem was that, while Maria was more WOMAN than ever, what Darlene had wanted was more of a man. Someone who would "take control." When Darlene cried out, in desire, Maria moved aside, asking "Husband, YOU are on." While Darlene got me off, until I was empty, once she rested, for a moment, she slapped me as she said "I dont need a man. I need a woman." I think that the moment, when Darlene got angry enough, that she took her clothes, and left, was the moment, when I took Maria into my arms, gave her a DEEP kiss, then drew my beloved into bed. After a night, of incredibly deep passion, Maria snuggled to my side, as she whispered "You know, for a confirmed Lesbian, Darlene sure "got off", with you. I think that is why she got mad." This is when I embraced the woman that I loved, and kissed her. When she went into Spanish, saying "More and deeper", I gave her what she wanted, atleast until my stomach growled. After this came a terrific breakfast, then I started out, on my daily errands. This, while Maria stopped by her mothers house, to tell of the nights activities. Maria tried to be tender, considering the fact that Darlene was who she was. This is why Maria was delicate, in telling her mother. Sure enough, mother repeated her same phrase. "All that woman needs is a man, to take CHARGE. Someone, who will force her to be a woman." When Maria would suggest "Mother, this is America. Freedom of Choice." All mother would do was whisper "Get a good man inside her, and watch her turn into a woman." Maria knew there was no chance, of winning this, so she informed her mother, about us. Here, again, mother had warned her daughter "Once you teach that boy Spanish, there will be no more secrets." Still, Maria had no regrets. While we remained friends, once Maria saw her friends getting pregnant, we broke off when I told her that she needed to find a man, who wanted children. I just dont know why her friends could not understand that we had broken up. After all, the most we did, in public, was embrace, and kiss. Not like Francesca, and her man. While the two "broke up", before we did, thee women noticed how Francesca made no complaints, even when the man, while kissing her, carressed her breast, through her top. As if that were not enough. Any time there was oral sex going on, Francesca, and her man, were in the middle of it. While the two gave, and received, oral, it was when the "main course" began, that the two "went at it", with the passion, of newlyweds. After the fact, the two would lay, side-by-sidee, just as Maria and I did, in bed. These two, however, lay, exposed, in front of the party, laughing at how good sex was, with an "ex". While Maria and I agreed that, in return for my reading her mail, we would embrace, carress, and share a kiss, it would seem that Maria had forgoten something. Maria had forgotten how much she LOVED swapping me what I wanted, in return for my assembling her kit furniture. Since nowadays, Maria did not have much kits left to buy, she made deals with her friends. I would build THEIR furniture, and Maria would "pay" me. Pay, Maria did. In fact, she went from offering me weeks, in return for construction, to offering months. While Maria KNEW that, eventually, she would have to re-enter the dating game, she traded me a few weeks, here and there, for escorting her to parties. Maria's biggest ask was with her grand-mother. An elderly woman, who felt that a womans first purpose, in life, was to bear children. While grand-mother considered Maria's sisters "bohemians", for working in arts and crafts, the woman, also, made it known that she did not like Maria's last man. Frankly, he did not like her family, either. Especially after her sisters reminded him that he was with Maria. This is why Maria was so happy, when she met me. Since her grand-mother made it clear that I ws her "favorite", for Maria, Maria got "off the hook", for the question: "When are you going to find a man." For the past, few years, grand-mother had been reminding me of he "joys, of parenthood." Now that we were "no longer", Maria had a problem. How to tell grand-mother that we had parted. Maria's suggestion was "I want to wait, just until we bury her. Then, I will tell her." When I asked "Until then?" Maria would say "I give you all that you want, and you pretend that we still, love one another." When I asked "What happens if we DO fall back in love?" Maria would, only say "I never knew we were OUT of it." For each holiday season, that I agreed to be her man, Maria would grant me an extra YEAR, of V.I.P. status, in her bed. As to the question, of how LONG this could last, I had no idea. After all, how LONG can two people be in love? Life was just one question, after another. Would the questions ever end?