15. Solstice

“Do you think it’ll be fine if I’ll leave it here for the meantime?”

Leonore looked up at Sally as she was unloading herself with the piles of mattress sheets that were a variety of texture and fabric. Sally placed the mattresses with such gentleness that can only be found in women who are trained to be prim and proper or women who were bestowed with such a gift of modest character.

Leonore envied the thought because she belonged to neither of the options. However, she rather smiled with the idea that though she has all the contrasting attributes of Sally, it just makes her the counterpart of her, for she was rugged and hasty.

“Yes, I’ll watch over those. I’ll be right here.” she plainly remarked.

“Thanks, Leonore. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Sally rushed to the urinal inside the cabin they rented.

They were camping, together with Sally’s education sponsored children. All of them are sixth graders and mostly girls. 

Leonore sighed and stared at the mattresses rested on top of a huge log. Not too far from her area, the children were playing hide and seek. One girl in eyeglasses, which appears to Leonore as the ‘it’ of the game, was now furiously searching for the other players. She looked bewildered and Leonore felt uncomfortable by the sight that the girl was in a difficult situation.

“Hey, kid! A boy in a red hat is hiding just behind the bush!”

She shouted to somehow help the girl. Forthwith her bent stratagem, the boy in a red hat stood up behind the hairy bush and frowned at Leonore.

“You were never on my side, Leonore! How can you betray me? That was the perfect spot to hide! I expected that I’ll never be found. But you betrayed me!”

The boy hollered at her, his voice in a treble and quite quivering because of too much distress from being caught.

She was disconcerted. How did the boy know her name?

“I can see through you, Leonore. You’re thinking who I am.”

Leonore abruptly felt overall disturbed the moment the boy read through her thoughts.

“Hey kid stop fooling around!”

She yelled at the boy, appearing to be pissed off, but the truth is she is becoming apprehensive the whole time. Something is quite not right nor real as Leonore perceived it.

“I’m not fooling around you scumbag!” the kid blurted back.

“Why you little devil! You messed with the wrong person little guy. Wait till I come over there I’ll be sure to kick your ass, yeah?”

Leonore hurriedly stood up from her seat. But as soon as she stood up, she was petrified by the face that suddenly showed up in close contact with her. It was an old woman.

“Thank you for helping me find that boy in a red hat, Leonore.”

“Excuse me, do I know you?”

Leonore was becoming truly pissed.

“Yes, you know me very well. You just have to go back from your origin. By the way, thank you for helping me find that boy in a red hat, Leonore.”

Leonore couldn’t help but curl her face in a stirred perplex and troubled expression.

“Yeah yeah, you’re welcome. May I know you, ma’am? Because it seemed that I’m the only person here that is unaware of everyone’s identity.”

The old woman smiled.

“I was the girl ‘it’ in the hide and seek game, Leonore. Don’t you recognize me?”

Leonore could hear her heartbeat speeding up with an unnatural pace getting heavier and heavier as seconds tick.

‘No way that this old woman is that same girl. No… I might only be thinking twisted.’

Leonore ran these thoughts through her mind.

“I am that same girl, the one in eyeglasses. Why won’t you believe me?”

The old woman’s voice suddenly shifted to a young girl’s cry. It freaked the hell out of Leonore. But she maintained sensible and continue to reject absorbing the old woman’s discourse and focused on her run of thoughts only.

‘I am only imagining things. All of this isn’t real.’

“All of this is real, Leonore. You just have to admit that the only unreal entity here is, you.” said the old woman.

“Yes, all should be well, but you betrayed the rest of us, Leonore.” snooped the boy in the red hat.

“You all shut up! I don’t even have any idea who you guys are! Stop interfering with my life!”

“Leonore? Leonore? Are you there? Are you okay?”

Leonore opened her eyes and saw Sally waving her hand in front of her face. 

All of a sudden, she was indulged by all smothered fears she hardly contained earlier. She laid down to Sally who came just in time for her rescue.

“Hey, what happened?”

Her mouth involuntarily opened, like a witness who swore to stand in the court, to tell the whole truth of the entire incident. But the gap in between her lips spelled blankness and skepticisms. Leonore was apt to speak out the language of fear together with all the confusion she had felt, yet she was uncertain and unready to tell Sally that. There was more frightening than that disquieting incident, and that is the possibility that Sally would not believe her. Who would believe that kind of twisted narration? None. Sally might even think that there is something wrong with her psyche.

So instead of explaining the on-point details of the cause of her horror, Leonore chose to say a simple,

“Nothing, Sally.” and shook her head a little.

“Are you sure? You seem very disturbed and troubled dear. Is there any way I can help?”

“No, nothing Sal. I… I was just…”

Leonore clenched her jaw. She couldn’t complete the sentence.

“I don’t believe you, Leonore. You were profaning to me earlier. You even said leave me alone.”

Sally uttered with such stress in between syllables.  She sat beside Leonore, bridging the distance between them.

“Hey, I know you were not pointing it out to me. But dear, I’m here to listen. Whatever that might be, even it’s beyond my comprehension, I will understand you.”

Leonore stared at Sally. She sensed her emotions boiling up. Her eyes got misted by unintentional tears. 

Her gaze gradually became dizzy and dull, like so sudden she became drunk with the obscure tumult building up within her. Slowly, she drew her face to Sally, binding any more gap that separates them. Yes. this could be the moment of screwing the properly made plans. The moment of not thinking anymore of what other people have to say. The moment of a dauntless act of love. Yes.

“Sally, I’ve never been so certain in my life. But with you, I came to blur all uncertainties and doubts. My lenses are solely focused on you.”

Leonore said in between breaths. Their noses are now colliding. Sally closed her eyes and leaned her forehead onto Leonore.

“Oh, Leonore.”

Leonore closed her eyes as well, feeling ecstatic. She rubs her nose to Sally’s while her lips raise to a rapturous smile.

“You have no idea how you transformed my monochromatic life into a ray of vibrant hues, Leonore. I thought I’ll remain to fake my emotions just to pose a lively and happy facade in my marriage. But you came, with all your transcendence and nurtured me a growth of what it is to love…”

Leonore couldn’t help her tears from falling. The tears were new to her. It wasn’t those that need to be hidden or held back. These tears were welcoming, they were majestic.

With inebriated eyes, quite foggy and languid, yet inundating with zenith passion and desire, Leonore filled in the gap with a kiss. 

It felt foreign and repulsive for Sally and overly novel for Leonore. Yet, that kiss bore an excitement for both of them. It was pretty inviting.

There had to be an influence, way contagious, that channeled the hunger from one woman to another. From Leonore to Sally, that kiss fueled an impetuous act that is yet of a label for their fiery affection and devotion to each other. Because Leonore presumed already that their intensity for the want varied. She is certain, but Sally wasn’t.

She moved her lips, savoring the flesh apple tint of Sally’s and gradually gaining dominance. She tilted her head for more access, at the same time raised her hand and smoothly cupped Sally’s perfectly chiseled jaw. Leonore sharply gasped for breath and recapitulated hence her art of kissing. The intensity heightened and Leonore groped aggressively for parts that were destined uncovered, parts that she, herself had long since given up trying to hide, and parts she yearned to touch other than her own. Swiftly, she moved her hand onto Sally’s bosoms, and for the first time after the kiss, she couldn’t help but open her eyes in astonishment. She felt the softness and roundness of Sally’s mounds, doing a circular motion and gently pressing it, letting her hands drown by the foamy sensation. She raised her thumb, stiffened it, and then reached for the nipples.

“My, these are well erected, Sal.”

Leonore uttered in between the kiss. She lightly pressed the hardened nipples repetitively. Sally responded to this in shivers, and in between kiss, she let out a moan. That was a heavenly tune for Leonore, so she couldn’t help but raise a smile of content.

But it didn’t end there, for it was only a pitstop for the next part she did yearn for. From the top, her hand traveled downwards. It was easy, for Sally always wears skirts or dresses. So for Leonore, it was no-sweat access. Her pathway was Sally’s legs. Leonore grasped her sleek and flawless thighs, slowly making her way to the raw entrance in between. She made it down there, and there was nothing else but soaking dampness on her satin underwear.

“Did I caused all this wetness, love?”

Sally couldn’t answer for she was all ecstatic and unresponsive.

“Well, that expression answers it. Why you are so damn inviting.”

Leonore bit Sally’s lower lip while she thrusts in a finger even with the panties still on. Glutinous moisture hugged her finger. 

There was an exchange of sharp exhales. Sally was quivering, mainly caused by orgasmic tremors that thrilled her bland view of pleasure. This. This is how pleasure is spelled. Something she didn’t even felt with her husband, Jose Manuel. However, something snapped in her rational mind. It was of a small voice, quite a whisper, that tells her to stop and wake up her dream-like fantasy. Something like her conscience.

She opened her eyes wide and pushed Leonore immediately.

Leonore was wide-eyed as well, with evident irritation on her face.

“Sally, what the hell?”

“Leonore, let’s stop what we’re doing.”

“Why? I thought you were enjoying it, the same way that I did. You just… had this candid expression and I thought… oh, I’m sorry. Sally, I didn’t mean to be aggressive. I was so moved by the moment we shared. I’m sorry…”

Sally’s expression softened. She raised both her hands and cupped Leonore’s face

“Leonore, truth be told, I was transparently euphoric by what we did. I didn’t felt that towards my husband. It was you, who introduced me to that kind of apex excitement and thrill. Leonore, you are exceptional. But I am afraid that I can’t do this with you anymore.”

“Sally…  I admit I jerked off a while ago. Please let me make it up to you.”

“Leonore, that’s just not it. I am married, and I’m a woman. We are both women, Leonore. How do we prove that kind of love?”

Leonore was stunned by the latter question.

“So what are you proposing, then?”

Leonore uttered with jaws clenched in utmost disapproval.

“This will be our last meeting. I will cut all communications with you.”

“Sally you can’t do this to me. Sally, please…  I love you…”

It wasn’t her intention to kneel, but Leonore was all too helpless to remain being firm. Everything about her is wobbly and shivering. 

She bowed her head and let out a miserable cry. Her tears were flowing relentlessly. She chose to forbid these tears from Sally’s sight. For these tears are remorseful and guilty, and these tears signify that she had gone pathetic for Sally’s love.

“Leonore, stand up. You don’t have to do that. That wasn’t part of the scene.” Sally calmly said.

Leonore looked up, perplexed with the latter statement.

“What do you mean this wasn’t part of the scene?”

“Leonore we’ve gone overboard from the script. You, kneeling. That’s not supposed to happen.”

Leonore’s eyebrows narrowed.

“Sal, please don’t make a fool of me. I don’t understand any of what you are saying.”

“Love… Think. Think again. Cos you’re supposed to be conscious by now.”

Leonore simply opened her mouth, unable to utter a word, merely letting air freely pass-through. There was just a blankness in her speech. Everything else was bewilderment.

“Does this mean… I’m tucked in again in one of my memories?”

Sally apologetically nodded.

“All of these aren’t true. All of these are just memories, yeah?”

Sally nodded again.

“All of these aren’t true. All of these are just memories. So love, wake up now.”

“I don’t want to wake up. I’m fine here with you. Please Sally, let me stay.”

“I can’t do that, Leonore. I’m powerless. I am only a part of your memory, a fluid reflection of your solid actions.”

“Your words are getting more and more incomprehensible.” 

“That’s why you need to wake up now, Leonore. That’s the only way for us to exist. Wake up now before the boy in the red hat does.”

In that instance, Leonore can hear a woman talking.

It was Connie, blabbering again.

“So that was it, I still can’t believe that you’d recover so fast Alex.”

Leonore blandly looked at Connie, trying to grasp the actuality of the situation. It seemed to her that she had just missed a quarter of what is going on.

“Uh… do you mind if I ask how long have we been here?”

Connie suddenly looked puzzled.

“Oh, do you mean the time dear? Or the length of the conversation we had?”

“Both combined, please.”

Connie’s eyebrows narrowed and her forehead wrinkled into large folds, indicating that she is so puzzled with what Leonore is asking from her.

“I mean, what is going again? Why are we in a restaurant?”

“Oh dear… looks like you haven’t fully recovered yet. But don’t worry darling I’ll remain patient and understanding, okay? So, to begin with, we are in a restaurant because we are meeting Mr. Rodriguez.”

“Who’s Mr. Rodriguez?”

Just then, a tall man in a corporate suit snooped in the conversation.

“Alexandra… it’s good to see you again.”

Both women looked up at the sudden arrival of the man.

“Mr. Rodriguez! Oh, I’m delighted to see you. Alex, this is Mr. Dmitri Markus Rodriguez, our client.”

Connie cried cheerfully as she invited the man for a seat, and winked covertly at Alexandra.