Luap walked into the kitchen and placed the kettle on the stove. His belly growled. Although it was past 10 o’clock, he hadn’t eaten anything yet. He opened the refrigerator, and the two liters of soda was the only contents it housed. He slammed the door shut. What was he going to eat? He got laid off from his job because the company did not need his service anymore. The pandemic had placed a halt on the workflow and revenue. He had been home for three months and had run out of money.
He leaned against the kitchen counter and reflected on his situation. He had never felt this empty as his refrigerator before. He had been telling everyone who asked that he was okay, but he was not. His thoughts drifted to the last money he spent on buying food from the restaurant. With the money he spent on that food, he could have brought some food from the supermarket and cooked it himself. As a result, he would be eating for days instead of the moment. He swallowed the water that pooled in the corners of his mouth and stood up. He opened the pantry door as if the food would materialize there, but no food.
How did Luap get to this level of need? He was only fifty-two years old. Although he did not have a college education, he became a master carpenter. He would go from house to house in search of work. One day he stumbled on a new construction site and went in. He pitched his experience and his willingness to work with the contractor, and he got hired on the spot. He worked with that company for five years as he built a reputable relationship with the company.
Luap worked hard, and he played hard as well. He loved to party and spent his money on women he met in the clubs. That was where he met Azil. She named herself the Princess of Heels. Azil was a dancer at a gentleman’s club. It was her first night at the club, and she maneuvered her way around the pole with stealth, accuracy, and seduction. Azil’s heels were as tall as a six-inch ruler. Luap was fascinated by her flexibility on the dancing pole and threw his money generously at her. She focused her attention on Luap and eventually gave him a lap dance. And from that day, she began to dance on his pole.
Luap wanted Azil to stop performing, but she refused. She had been a dancer for the past five years. He gave her everything she asked to prevent her from dancing. Luap was in love with her and did not want to share her with anyone else. The last relationship he was in ended with him stepping away because the woman was not fulfilling his sexual needs. He needed more than she could or wanted to give. Here was Azil, his forty-year-old princess, the woman who, after two children, had the sexiest body and fetish he desired. He was happy and afraid at the same time. He felt fortunate to have her as his girlfriend but afraid she would leave him for another. So, he showered her with her heart’s desire to the best of his ability, and everything was going great until she requested to get surgery.
They had just finished making love, and he was teetering on the realm of sleep when Azil turned and laid her head on his chest and began to twirl the hairs on his chest. Luap knew what that meant; she wanted to talk to him about something.
He ran his fingers through her hair, “What is it, baby?”
“Daddy!” she began.
Luap eyes flicked open. Azil called him Daddy; this was a serious matter. She only used that name when she needed his financial support. What was it now?
“What is it, baby?” he asked with a pessimistic undertone.
“I…, I…,” she stammered, then paused. “I would like to do a surgery,” she continued. “In fact, I need this surgery. I have been thinking about this for a long time. Now, seeing the other ladies at work has convinced me to get them done as soon as possible,” she responded in one breath.
“What surgery are you talking about?” Luap moved her off his chest and sat up in bed.
“Breast surgery,” she answered. “Look at my breast! They are not firm anymore. For lack of a better word, they are sagging.” Azil’s breast dilemma was the aftereffect of the two children she breastfed, who were now away at college.
“I do not need to look at them. I know how your breasts look. Why would you want to spoil that masterpiece God molded? You are a mother, for goodness sake. I love them the way they are,” he responded. His brows cringed.
Azil got out of bed and stood in front of him. “Look at them,” she demanded as she shook them. They swung from side to side as her torso gyrated to create a flaying arm effect. She used them like flippers to hit Luap in the face. Luap grabs them in both palms.
“Ouch!” Azil screamed out. “That hurts!”
“Seriously, your breasts are okay the way they are. When you put on your bra, they look perfect.” He caressed her breasts.
“Daddy, I do not want my boobs to be okay. I want them to look fabulous without a bra,” Azil giggled from the sensation at play as Luap placed a nipple in his mouth. “I know you are doing this to distract me from the topic. It is not going to work.” She moved and sat next to him. “I need this surgery, and I need your help to pay for it. I have already done the footwork for a doctor and the cost.” Her lips pouted in soliciting his help. “Daddy, please, I need some money to get this done. Think about it, do you not want me to be happy with who I am? She turned to look at him, but he had his face buried in his palms. After pleading her case and showed him the brochure, he eventually agreed to give her the money.
The surgery was a success, and Luap agreed that the breasts did look better and more voluptuous. He couldn’t wait to reap the benefits of his investment. It had cost him thousands of dollars. Azil was happy, and he was a happier man until Azil went back to work and back to the eager men that awaited her in the lion’s den. She started to get home late, and her attitude changed as well. She was not the humble Azil; she became the queen of heels with a nasty attitude. She and Luap constantly quarrel about the smallest situation. She changed her schedule and did not tell him, and he only found out when he got to her job to pick her up, and the guard told him that she was working. Luap was puzzled; she left early for her regular shift; where did she go? When asked, she responded that she had to go in early for rehearsal.
Luap had been away for three weeks with his company on a project out of town. They finished ahead of schedule, and Luap decided to return home. When he got home, all of Azil’s belongings were gone. He called her, but the call went to her voicemail. He went to the job, and she no longer worked there. He was heartbroken. He gave up on loving another woman and vowed never to spend money on another woman again. After all, they had been through, she packed up and left him just like that. Luap’s life hadn’t been the same since Azil left him. He was alone and broke. He had spent his money on her. The money he needed now more than ever.
The kettle vibrated as the water rumbled inside its metal confinement and forced the steam through the spout with a piercing pitch. Luap stepped forward, turned off the fire, and poured the hot water into his cup. He sighed as he made a connection between the kettle and his life. He needed to release the pent-up anger and hurt he carried and be free. His phone rang on the counter. He looked at it; it was Azil.
Ok, I said it!