A Phone Call

This embarrassing feeling that overwhelmed me because of my suppressed elicit thoughts was a struggle to fight. It's as if Sofia is trying her best to provoke me at every given moment. It must be because she likes me, but this isn't how I had hoped it’d go. To some, this is a teenage boy’s fantasy to experience, but I’d like to believe I’m refined enough to not fall for such types of seduction.

My phone vibrates, and it startles me. I don’t usually receive phone calls, especially on the weekend. It could be someone from work or my parents. I check the number, it’s unknown, which could mean two things; It’s someone from work or a scam call. whichever it may be, I hope they can cloud these perverted thoughts.

I tap the answer button and bring the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

“Carmine?” The quiet voice of a woman comes through.

I tense up just from her saying my name. This is a voice I haven't heard in a long time. My hand trembles just as it would with any feeling of the past. Could it be her? A lot of people sound the same over the phone. It will be hard to ask because deep down, I didn't want it to be true.

After a long pause of consideration, I'm finally ready for the reveal. "Who is this?"

"It's Laychel."

Just that name brought back so many memories, like a door I kept locked was blown off its hinges in an instant. I thought I'd never hear from her again. All these memories made me feel dizzy for a brief moment, so I had to sit down.

With my other hand, I massaged my head to keep calm. "Laychel? What are you calling me for?"

"So it is you." Laychel's nervous breathing could be heard through the phone. "It's been a long time. How are you?"

She was having a hard time speaking, and I don't blame her. She's the one person in the world I owe all of my apologies to. The fact she even took the time out of her day to contact me after what I'd done just made this sorry feeling in my gut burn like acid.

"Yea. I'm ok. Just living life. You?"

"It's been going good. A lot of changes."

"Really?"

"Mhm, I've got a nice place and got my studies back together. Now I'm climbing the corporate ladder, great benefits by the way. Higher-ups were considering a company cruise vacation."

"Wow, that's wonderful!"

Truly I was happy for her, maybe even a little jealous. She was living her best life the way she deserved, and with how things turned out back then, that was how I hoped it would turn out.

"But listen, Carmine." Laychel's voice was hesitant but serious. "I've been thinking and-- Well... How is she?"

"Imani?"

"That was her name. How beautiful."

"You gave that to her. I thought it was too. She's doing great, made lots of friends, and everyone loves her."

I was going to continue spilling all sorts of stuff about Imani, having felt she should know all about how her daughter has been, but she was already prepared to spill more on me than I expected.

"Carmine, I was thinking. Do you want to maybe come visit me next weekend, and bring Imani? If not, I could even come to visit you."

It took a lot of courage for her to say that, and it took me by surprise. I was drawing blanks, unsure of how to answer. Imani could use a mother figure in her life, someone to care for her and guide her better than I could ever. This could be my chance to patch up our past and reconnect, giving Imani more than just a father for a loving family. Laychel is her biological mother, it only makes sense that she should be there for her. To me, it seems like that's the kind of chance she is giving me with this invitation. I felt a little happy that she was still thinking about us after all those years.

"Can you give me some time to consider?"

"It's fine, you have all week."

A choice like this, something that could lead to changing our lives, especially Imani's, is very important. Imani only has me at the moment, and if I don't take her down path the best for her, then I'd be just as much of a failure of a father as I've been a lover.

"Thanks. I'll call you back sometime this week when I know for sure."

We said our goodbyes and ended the call. 

The past two days have been very interesting, to say the least, but at the end of it all hearing back from Laychel, I've really become torn apart. The best I have to ease it all is a nice bathtub right in front of me. Something I'm not sure is a problem or a blessing, the tub is already filled. Reusing bathwater is maybe convenient, saving time and resources, but morally I'm again a roadblock. I wouldn't want to be the person who drains it all just to wait and use up more water, but I also wouldn't want to dunk myself in the same water Sofia used to clean herself. How unlucky am I to be thrown from one embarrassing and perverted scenario to another? The best I can do is shut off my brain and commit. I start to take off my clothes, but even in the privacy of a bathroom, I still feel uneasy. 

The bath is nice. Soaking in a big tub of hot water always helps relieve all the pressure, if it weren't for the scary-looking wrinkles I'll get and it being someone else's bathtub, I'd stay here all day.

Like a warming ambiance to my bath, Imani's laughter can be heard through the walls, she must be playing with Sofia or watching that anime stuff. Since things are starting to get exciting, that's my signal to get out. It wouldn't be right if I was invited to someone's home only to spend the entire time relaxing in their bath. Now dry and dressed in surprisingly comfortable anime clothing merchandise, I drain the tub and join them in the living room.

"Look who's back." Sofia pats the sofa cushion beside her, inviting me to take a seat. "Feel refreshed?"

“Very refreshed.” I accept the invitation. “Thanks for letting me use your bath.”

"No problem."

Now out of a towel, Sofía had on some actual clothes, and they suited her very well. An ocean blue midriff-baring camisole with a scandalous décolletage and black dolphin shorts, it's as if she chose that outfit with the sole purpose to make me feel like a degenerate whenever I look at her. For some reason the towel doesn't seem all that bad in comparison.

 Hey check it out.” Sofía whispered to me, bringing my attention toward Imani.

Imani likes cartoons, she can get completely lost in their little brightly colored worlds. There’s a lot of things she’s learned from cartoons, although some are exaggerated or even downright fake, but it’s always funny to hear the strange things she picks up. Luckily she knows better not to imitate any of the violent parts. In this instance, she’s dancing a long with the music and character choreography displayed on screen. I don’t understand it much, but they look like frogs, and have these weird hats. Or are they helmets? Whatever it is, Imani loves it, and so do I. I’m probably just as invested as she is, and it’s kind of embarrassing.

Sofia could tell by my face, as hard as I tried to hide it and seem mature, that I was really into it. If the show was something more mature, I wouldn’t have felt so shy about it, and the the grin she put on wouldn’t have filled me with such overflowing anxiety. 

“What do you think?” Sofía asked, even though her face told me she knew the answer. 

“It’s alright. I can see why kids would love this.” I tried to play it cool.

“Oh I see.” Sofía rubbed her shoulder with mine. “Too cool for Private Polliwog?”

She really knew how to push my buttons, and there wasn’t much I could do in retaliation. Most of what I could think of felt like they’d only fall back on me.

“My Papa is way cooler than Pry-wet Polliwock!” Imani joins in with the save.

“Oh really?” Sofía pats Imani. “What’s so cool about your Papa?”

“Papa can brush my hair really good, he make yummy food, he look both ways when he cross a road, and he is tall and strong.” Imani would take deep breaths mid sentence, as she would lose air trying to fit everything she wanted to say.

“Wow that is a lot of things. Your Papa must be really cool.”

"Mhm mhm!" Imani nodded her head, then looked back at the show when she heard one of the characters scream.

Whenever Imani isn't looking, it seems like Sofía takes those brief distractions to come closer to me. Am I being flirted with? In shows and books, you'd expect the man to be making moves like these, but right now I'm as stiff as a board, and she's coming at me with the confidence of a lion.

"Something wrong?" I look back at Sofía as she places her hand on my leg.

"Nothing, just thought these pants are really well made. If you want, I'll let you keep them for free." She started to gently rub up and down my leg as if appreciating the material.

She's so good it's scary. I have to push her back respectfully or else things might go too fast. So I move my leg and cross it over the other. With that kind of move, not only do I take a defensive but casual position, I also prevent my little friend from getting too adventurous.

"They are pretty comfortable, if you're just handing them out, I'll take them."

Sofía could tell I was being bashful, her ability to read me was second to none. Within a day of time she's already deciphered my mannerisms, and has successfully lured me into her trap. Was this why she invited me? To feed on me in her den like an animal. My daughter is here, we can't do such things! What am I even thinking? Keep yourself together Carmine.

"Of course. Take it. Hey, why don't we take a look in my room. I have a few more boxes you could dig through."

That's going way too far! Maybe she is just being nice and wants to give me some free clothes, but all signs point to me getting devastated. I need to make evasive maneuvers. There's no way I could live down doing such things with someone I met yesterday, especially on top of Laychel's call earlier, I'd feel like a monster.

"I'm fine with just this. I don't think I would want to be caught with more than one set of clothes like these, especially after seeing those other ones."

"Understandable." Sofía backed away, possibly disappointed things didn't go how she planned.

I could say I too was disappointed. The me from before the call would have accepted straight away. I’m still a human on the inside, and no human male would have been able to resist such an approach as hers. To help swallow the missed opportunity, I immersed myself in the childish world of Private Pollywog.

But Sofía wasn’t going to back down.

When things between us felt like they were beginning to settle, and Imani slowly drifted away in her mind at the show, Sofia pounced onto me like a wild cat, pressing me down into the sofa. As much as it frightened me, I didn’t resist. 

“Carmine…” She stroked down my face to my chest in a possessive way, making my body twitch. “Let’s be honest with each other a little.”