SM P2.1 12-12-23 Gwen (15,219)
SM C10.4 12-12-23 (1890) NYC Mike calls Ed about Gwen ICU D2 7a – Mike
I pulled my phone out of my back pocket. “Contacts. Dawes… Dawes… Ed Dawes. Gotcha.”
This moment, this very moment, was pivotal. I wanted to connect to a higher power that could help me find the right words to communicate with my friend. I thought of a song I learned in Sunday school, and I bore my soul to God.
“Lord, I find myself in trouble. Lord, I come to you. I listen to your words of wisdom, Lord how I need you!”
It was comforting but now I need the right words. The song was a good start. More importantly, I need divine intervention, something for me and my daughter to make it through devastating circumstances. I was dealing with a lack of sleep and my heart was broken. I couldn’t help but also think that Gwen was in God’s hands and that I should have some fun and distract my mind. Then guilt hit me! Or maybe it was just thinking that other people would think I am a terrible father.
“OK, God! This is the time for you to step up to the plate.”
I laid my phone down and took a sip of coffee. I stared at the phone, but I was reluctant to take the next step and call.
“God is my provision and my portion.”
Why did I say that? What the hell does that even mean? Probably something I learned in Sunday school. I’m not even sure if God takes care of me. Is God everything I need? I needed someone in charge who could take care of things so that everything was back to normal. Like nothing happened. I thought that my life could not get worse. I was wrong. I had no idea how strange the next few days would be.
I looked out the window to check the weather outside. As I bent a Venetian blind, I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the light or it could have been my crying. It was a typical summer morning. Well, it was almost Fall. It would warm up soon. I really love New York. Gwen loves New York. Soon the leaves will be changing colors. Gwen loves the change in seasons. Should I say love? or loved?
“God, please take care of my girl.”
I have a great home here in Jamaica, NYC. It doubles as my business office. I have a condo in Maryland. I spend most of my time at the condo with my girlfriend, Cresha. I needed to get out of the house and clear my head. I did not sleep last night and when that happens, I can’t shut my head off. I walked to the closet and pulled my light jacket off the hanger. I decided to call outside.
I grabbed my brand-new sunglasses off the table.
Cresha would be waiting for me at the hospital, the same hospital where she worked it seems a lifetime ago and where our daughter was born. Cresh and I received a call last night. Our daughter, Gwen, was admitted to the hospital in Jamaica, Queens, New York. We drove for six hours last night. I am walking to the hospital and will meet Cresha in about an hour. I need to get some air. I called out to her to let her know I was leaving, but she was probably in the shower. I put my jacket on and turned off the lights.
It is a short 45-minute walk to the hospital. I was starting at 134th Street which runs in front of our home. I checked my phone to start my walk and to check the time. As I shut the door behind me and checked that it was locked, I put my sunglasses on. I remembered that Ed gave me these glasses. The bright morning light was now managed. The day was a bit chilly but the sun gave a gentle warmth. I zipped up my sweat jacket and flipped up my hoodie as I prepared to call Ed about Gwen.
I pressed the call button for Ed.
I often refer to Gwen as my little girl, but she is a very independent adult woman. Ed is Gwen’s godfather and they have been close for as long as I can remember.
No answer yet. Cresh tried calling him last night without success.
My mind was elsewhere and everywhere. I wish yesterday never happened. I am not tired, just sad. I can’t cry like Cresh. I cry privately. It is embarrassing for me; crying is feminine. I’m not a pussy. If I must cry, no one will see. I treat my tears as something to be kept secret. I tried to focus on the call by counting the ringtones. What the hell is Ed doing? I imagined Ed walking in a park; I could hear two dogs barking. Ed loves to take early morning walks. I have not seen the son-of-a-bitch for years; he is out walking. We speak at least several times every week, but I did not want to speak to him now.
Still ringing.
We both had busy photography businesses. I imagined Ed with a potbelly, greying hair, and maybe glasses. Of course, Ed was jacked with perfect eyesight; no one would believe Ed would ever get a potbelly like me. But for this moment, in my mind, I made him overweight with glasses. I was trying to keep my mind off Gwen and slow down my mind. No such luck. Ed once told me he was content with his life. He had helped my little girl work through depression and sexual addiction. I loved and appreciated Ed for being there for me and my family.
Still no answer.
I saw a nice couple kissing goodbye across the street. My mind drifted off again. This time, I imagined Ed in the park. I gave him back his six-pack abs. Maybe, nearby, a young couple was walking together along a path. More dogs were barking, perhaps explaining why Ed was not hearing the phone ring.
Ed and I had served in the military together. We both served in West Berlin, West Germany in the 80s. Ed liked to recall when we became friends on the military train called the Berlin Express; that train was hardly an express. It slowly traveled to and from Berlin and Frankfurt. We were both stationed with the U.S. Army, Berlin Brigade. We were in separate units and had taken leave to enjoy the nightlife. The train took the entire night to travel a very short distance, just 110 miles through East Berlin. Ed told this ridiculous story we ended up falling asleep in each other’s arms. It still makes me laugh. It was such a weird thing to say but it is a story that I have retold countless times. That was the start of our friendship.
Still no answer. I will keep letting it ring.
My mind was off to the races again. I remember when we arrived in Frankfurt the next morning, we got off the train to go our own way but Ed caught up to me and we agreed to meet for drinks that night. That evening, Ed brought some girls he knew who lived in Rodenberg. That evening, we drank much too much; I have no idea what we did with the girls. The girls were gone the next day with a cryptic note left for me by a girl named Monika. Evidently, she had a great time. She left her number, but I never called. I still have the note in my desk drawer. When we took the Express back to Berlin, we were too tired to eat or anything and we didn’t even talk for months. Ed and I ran into each other during Oktoberfest. After that, we would meet at a local bar and play darts with some of the Brit soldiers getting fucked up on Jagermeister, Pils, and Sternberg. Not a great combination and a good reason I barfed so much.
The ringing stopped. Ed answered.
I could hear my friend talking but my mind drifted again. I imagined Ed walking two dogs. Dogs? Why was I thinking about dogs? “No man knows till he has suffered from the night how sweet and dear to his heart and eye the morning can be.” Whoa, quoting Dracula! I am impressed! This morning, I just wish I could turn back time.
“Mike, are you there?” My friend’s voice firmly registered in my brain. I looked up and saw a portly barefoot man behind me with his hairy chest and manboobs exposed. This guy was without a shirt walking two poodles that were up on their hind legs barking crazily at me. The man smiled and waved.
I spoke into the phone, “Give me a minute, Ed.” I half-heartedly returned the wave and started walking fast so I could get out of earshot.
“Oh, Hi Ed. I’m glad I finally got you.”
Ed laughed. “Hi! I’m glad you got me! What’s up?”
“Ed, bad news… “I have heard that it is better to tell bad news just straight and to the point. “Gwen is in the Queen’s ICU in Jamaica. She’s in a coma. Don’t worry, the docs are optimistic… There’s more to tell you but Cresh and I will be at the hospital all day…” I couldn’t hear Ed on the phone.
“Are you there?” I waited for a response. “Ed … Gwen is in the Queen’s ICU.”
“Yes, I’m here. Gwen is here in New York? She‘s in a coma?” Ed’s voice was breaking.
“Don’t worry Ed, the docs are optimistic…. There’s more to tell you. Cresh and I will be here in the ICU when you get here. I will text you the address.”
I was expecting sobbing to follow; Ed is sensitive. However, a short sob was followed by an explosion of, “Oh God! It’s my fault! I-I’ll be there soon.”
“Oh, God! It’s my fault! It’s my fault!!!” There was a long pause. “I’ll be there soon.”
“What are you talking about, Ed?” Ed was losing his mind. “This has nothing to do with you. Let’s talk when you get here. Talk to you soon.” I lingered on the phone before dropping the call.
Gwen was Ed Dawes’ great love. I was not completely aware of the depth of that love. All I knew was that Ed adored my little girl and Gwen adored Ed. They spoke on the phone a lot. Gwen was always telling me, “Ed this” and “Ed that”. I love my daughter, but she would sometimes talk and talk and talk. I often tuned her out. But I would do anything to hear her voice right now.
It was 9 am when Ed entered the hospital room. The room was quiet except for the sounds of apparatus beeping and humming. As odd as it seems, I was at peace. The quietness and whiteness of the dimly lit room were pronounced even amongst the colorful flowers and cards, trapped dark corners with drawn curtains, captured noises, and the muffled sounds from the TV. Within the white room lay my little girl under a white sheet. Lights of green and red brought beauty and serenity transporting this antiseptic room into a chapel for dignitaries. The patient was lying in state, awaiting release from their home or their maker. On my way to New York, I begged God to heal my daughter. I felt the presence of angels and an answer to my prayers. Gwen will be restored.
SM C11.4 12-12-23 (1658) The Angel Investigator D2 8a – Ikart
“I am Ikart reporting for a Special Edition of the Earth Times. Again, the spirit realm appears to be in turmoil, according to a reliable source in the High Court. The leadership council has been working to discover the facts surrounding the disappearance of two angels in the Earth region. The spokesperson for the High Court has worked closely with community leaders and the Earth Federation of Angels to lower fears and increase confidence in the security of Earth. Back to you, Raka.”
“Did you get that?” I could feel my editor’s spirit and he was anxious about something. Angels are not supposed to get anxious or worried but that is human imagination, but it is normal for many spirits to get nervous. Humans make shit up when they don’t know. There are a few humans who do know about spirits, but they usually are very low-key or become controllers. But anxious angels do happen… like this wing-ette, Kisit. I took out a pack of American Spirits and was looking for a lighter to light up a cigarette. Kisit was a relatively new angel and looked at me disapprovingly.
“Yes. We are done. But I just need to ask you a favor… please!”
“Can we do this later, Kisit? I need to go to another stakeout.”
“Wait. I just want some more background information for Salina in the AmerAsia Local 400. She is keeping the angels informed of how the families are doing there and trying to get volunteers to assist there during their off time. I told her I’d ask you. She’s giving me a recommendation to get into the security academy.” I sensed something more. And regardless of Ikart’s motivations, I needed to keep some things close to the vest.
“So, this has nothing to do with your liking Salina? Maybe a previous life or something like that? And you know, she might be flirting with you just to find out what I am doing and tell the bad guys. Have you thought about that?”
“I am going to ignore your distrusting words. Angels are not supposed to have relationships. I just want to get my GA wings. Remember, Kelel says that Guardians are precious in His sight.”
“Oh, that stings! Do you think my role is minor? Journalists are never approved of by the masses until they need the information we dig up. We all deserve to know the truth. And Kelel needs me now to do this right.” I know that wasn’t what Kisit meant. He just didn’t like me prying into his business. “Do you have a light?”
“I don’t know how Kelel works with you.”
“No problem, Kisit. You are always here for me.” I said jokingly. I blew a flame and started up my cigarette. Humans don’t think spirits have a sense of humor. They are so wrong! “Kisit, in the spirit of helpfulness, I will read my notes to you.” I was breaking myself up. I am so funny!
“That won’t help…” Kisit shook his head and spoke with his eyes bulging. I didn’t care. I wasn’t listening.
“According to Ziccona, her GA, Maria left the house at 6 a.m. wearing a light overcoat over a gold button-down blouse, black slacks, and a nice comfortable pair of black walking shoes. It was a beautiful day, but Maria felt like there was something not right. I made a note that she had some fear. But she just stuck to her daily routine: she left her home in Jackson Heights, meditated, grabbed a coffee and lunch for later, and caught the E Train to the Van Wyck Station in Jamaica New York City. Jamaica is a well-to-do neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens.” I paused reading for a moment and took a puff.
Kisit was looking down shaking his head.
“Don’t mention these exact locations… I should not have read those out loud. I don’t want this information to get to the community leaders there. It might start a panic and Kelel will be mightily upset with me… but mostly you!” I looked up at Kisit with a sly look. “He might even suspend you. But I know he approves of me sharing the information.”
“Ikart, I won’t mention exact locations, but Salina knows the area where you are reporting. This is not what she is looking for anyway.”
“These are my notes… important stuff. Let’s continue. Her mother, Cristina Withers, Maria’s mother, watched and waved to Maria from the kitchen window. Cristina is a recent widower. I do not have the most important fact here. This is a job that Hiwen completely botched. He is the one who left Aaron unprotected!”
“Yes. But Hiwen left them unprotected because something happened to him. The Angel Council suspects Lucifer.” Kisit was acting naively; he didn’t care about this investigation, he just wanted something to take back to Salina. Angels know that Lucifer is credited for a lot of things that he never did. Hiwen was probably eliminated because he knew something or was in the wrong place. And I was pretty sure it wasn’t Lucifer because the person doing this had to be a master controller. Lucifer is a rogue controller and can only control weaker minds. It was still a possibility to keep in mind. But whatever it was, I was going to find out. I was investigating this, and I was not about to tip my hand. I liked Ikart but I did not trust Salina to keep the information confidential. Loose lips sink ships. I looked at Kisit; he was not listening carefully. “What are your thoughts, Kisit?”
“I don’t know. That is why I am asking you. You are an investigative reporter, and you are telling me garbage. Salina says that she has it on good authority that Lucifer wants to show Jehovah that he can get to anyone he wants.”
“Whoa Kisit! This is just another conspiracy theory to throw people off. It seems these angels were nothing special and their clients were ordinary humans, too. On the other hand, Gabriel wants more training for GAs; he may be creating a problem to solve.” Salina was probably just regurgitating what was said at one of her council meetings. I wondered, ‘Why would they offer up a theory that is not remotely true? There were no facts suggesting Lucifer. Perhaps the person responsible was happy to have a fall guy. Could that person be the all-powerful Jehovah? He had a large dominion. Jehovah would never approve of the elimination of his angels, but he must know what is going on in his backyard. Or his boy is keeping the sinner hidden, being his usual forgiving self.
“Earth to Ikart, earth to Ikarth… are you with me?”
I can’t read this. I wrote something important here. My writing is hard to read sometimes.” I was setting up another provocation.” Can you read this?
Kisit floated over to me and looked at my notepad. “No… it is complete chicken scratches.”
“I think it says, ‘Cristina has a slender frame and is quite elegant even in a bathrobe.’ “
“Ikart, you will never get an assignment if you continue to act like a human. You are an angel and cannot behave this way.”
“I am quite content with my assignment, thank you.” Kisit acted very proper, and it was nice to tease him. “One of the Dalai Lamas said a simple life leads to contentment. And Philip said he has learned to be content in all circumstances. You need to chill my brother.” It was Paul in his letter to the Philippians, but I loved poking Kisit.
“Just keep going, Ikart. I will figure things out by weeding out the garbage from your notes.” Now Kisit was trying to push my buttons.
“Hmm. Garbage, eh? Cristina’s code name is Nana during the day. And she spent the day taking care of granddaughter, Lakita.”
“This is common knowledge. Please, try to be a bit more direct and to the point. Is Cristina fearful? Is she praying?”
“Ikart, direct and to the point are the same thing. You are redundant. Also, many people pray. I was at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center at 7:30 am to check on Ziccona and Nurse Maria Withers. Ziccona told me that Maria had just prayed for protection for her family and friends, and the further spiritual development of a team she wants to assemble, especially Lakita. And FYI. Ziccona still has her halo up her …. well, you know where. Ziccona also said Maria was feeling a bit better once she started her routine today. So to answer your question, her fear has gone after meditation. I wrote some other notes here if I can read them. I was being more serious here.”
“Good.”
“Emortis is the GA assigned to Maria’s mother, Cristina. According to Emortis in her last prayer, Cristina is thankful for having two special people in her life most especially her granddaughter, Lakita. Cristina is often lonely after becoming a widow. The Spirit Guide Laka is assigned to be the GA for Lakita. Telel has assigned Emortis to keep an eye on Laka while performing his regular duties. Emortis told me that every morning, Cristina waits for Lakita to wake up so she can fix her breakfast, discuss homework, and go for daily walks if the weather permits. That’s it.”
“I’m going to see Selina.” Kisit turned to walk away.
“Did I hear a thank you? We are always supposed to be thankful. We are angels! Remember?”
“Thank you.” Kisit sang out and continued to walk away while shaking his head. His characteristic up-and-down walk with a bobbing head looked hilarious as he muttered about what to tell Selina. Finally, he opened his wings and disappeared.
I laughed as I threw my cigarette butt. I checked for my pack of smokes. I felt them; I could not believe I lost my lighter. I tested my wings and headed for my stakeout.
SM C12.3 12-12-23 (657) JHMC RM 326 D2 8:30a – Maria
When Maria arrived, Maria put her scrubs on and went to see Sharon Thomas, the nurse she was relieving. Two of Maria’s patients had been discharged. Ms. Gwen Garcia was assigned to Room 326.
Sharon and I went to answer any questions with the patient’s father and mother. As we entered, the father was with the patient and the mother had her head down, perhaps praying. The father looked up at us and turned to face us. We walked past the mother.
“Hello, Mr. Garcia?”
“No, nurse. My name is Mike Spiro. Gwen is my daughter. Cresha, here, is Gwen’s mother,” he said, pursing his lips and directing his head and lips to point towards Cresha.
Cresha picked her head up for a moment. “Hello Nurse.” she put her head back down.
“My name is Nurse Maria. There are two Marias on staff. My full name is Maria Withers. You may call me Maria or Nurse. I am relieving Nurse Sharon. If you have a question, I can try and answer it. But I will be back in an hour or so if you want to think about it and ask me then.”
“Maria, my friend Ed Dawes is very close with Gwen. He will be here soon. May he visit also?”
Sharon spoke up. “The visiting policy is two visitors who are immediate family members.”
I interrupted. I looked at Sharon and said, “Mike, we don’t have many visitors now in the ICU. It will be ok for now, but this may change, ok?”
Sharon nodded. Mike replied, “Thank you, Nurse. Do you know my daughter’s status?” Cresha, who seemed to be resting, picked up her head and looked directly at me. But Sharon answered.
“The notes indicate that Gwen does not seem to have much trauma, but fractures were possible, so a full-body CT was performed, and we did a full blood workup. There is no evidence of any fractures, but we did find that the patient is pregnant. It’s not unusual to see patients that have no evidence of injury in the CT. These things take time to develop, and you have a team of doctors watching over your daughter. The primary doctor called neurosurgery. There have been several orders for several follow-up CTs, and she is on an MRI schedule. The patient has had a complete neuro check every hour. Now, we are continuing to monitor. But the bottom line is that the doctors don’t know why she is still unconscious. The doctors did not report a neurological response, but breathing is ok. The patient was assigned to the ICU and Dr. Swaggart decided to intubate. It is too early to discuss this, but you may bring it up with the doctors when they come by on their rounds.”
“Thank you, Sharon,” I then asked if there were any requests or questions. Only Mike responded with a shake of his head. The mother’s head went back down.
Mike looked at me then at Sharon. “Nurse Sharon. You are telling us that my daughter has no problem.”
I replied, “Your daughter is under observation. Commonly, an injury does not become apparent until later.”
Cresha looked up. “But it has been over 24 hours and you have seen nothing?”
Sharon replied. “Nothing to this point and she is doing well.”
Mike pretentiously wiped his forehead and was a tad bit sarcastic. “That relieves me.”
I replied, “Your daughter is in the ICU for a reason. It can be very serious. We have her under observation. I suggest you talk to the doctors when they come around on rounds.”
Mike stared out for a second. “Thank you for explaining everything to us.” Sharon was stunned and she turned and walked out of the room.
“Mike… Cresha, I will be back later. It was very nice to meet you.” I turned and walked back to the nurse’s desk.
SM C13.3 12-12-23 (839) Mike with Cresha in the JHMC ICU D2 9a – Maria
I was getting a cup of coffee from a machine down the hall with my partner Cresha, Gwen’s mother. I had no idea when Ed had last seen or spoken with Gwen. Gwen and I spoke all the time and I spoke to Ed a lot except for the last few weeks. After I talked to Cresh about Ed’s response to hearing about Gwen, she told me Ed and Gwen had been dating for a couple of months. How could she forget to fill me in on something like my best friend is dating my daughter? I knew that Ed loved Gwen, but I didn’t know it was like that, dating. Even if Cresh or Ed never told me, I thought Gwen would tell me. Recently, we have been getting closer. Maybe that is what Ed was telling me in his crazy outburst. A confession of sorts. Regardless, this accident was not his fault. But the pregnancy was making a bit more sense now.
Reconciling the friendship, mentorship, and boyfriend status with Gwen was not sitting easily in my head. Ed would spend a lot of time with Gwen when she was a kid. He loved to tell stories to Gwen when she was a little girl. And Gwen loved Ed’s stories. Occasionally, when Ed and I got together, he would reminisce, talking about Gwen. Ed thought his time with Gwen was magical. In the military, as a civilian, with men, women, and children… Ed Dawes was well known for his stories and storytelling. On Wednesday afternoons, Ed would go to the local library and share a story by memory or read a book. Often, it was standing room only. We secretly admired him and loved his stories. I love his stories.
It was difficult for Ed to watch Gwen grow up. It was hell for me and Cresh, and for much of her life, I watched from afar. Ed witnessed and participated in Gwen becoming a woman. Ed started getting involved when Gwen entered a secret love relationship with Arthur, her stepfather. Soon after, she became a sex toy for ex-pats and sex tourists. Everyone used Gwen but she didn’t seem to care. At the time, Gwen was rather heavy and did not have good self-esteem. But Ed gently and patiently worked with Gwen. Gwen adored Ed and she knew that Ed cared about her, so she listened to his advice. Gwen believed him when he told her that she could do better. Ed was more than partially responsible for helping Gwen to think differently.
Ed has many sides to him, and this confuses me. For example, Ed is extremely religious, always talking about faith. I’m not religious. He would tell Gwen about how much our creator loved us. To me, it is weird stuff. But I don’t care about Ed’s religiosity. Ed and I are more than friends. Sometimes, like now, I start to think a bit differently. This accident is changing my thinking. Before, Ed and I just drank, talked shit, and did normal guy stuff. We have our relationship with Cresh too. Maybe we can talk about this religious stuff soon. But, for now, I don’t think I’m ready.
And there is another side to Ed. Ed has a belief in committed relationships and a faith that love always triumphs. That’s why we created a Club. We call it a club, but this is not universal. We have membership criteria and a code of conduct, so we call it a club. We don’t swap random women, but that’s what other people say about us. We have rules. We have a very tight circle of lovers, and everyone knows everyone. We depend on each other and have committed relationships. We are honest with how we feel and what we do with our feelings… and especially, what we do with our bodies.
It’s funny. Our Club arrangement does not conflict with Ed’s religious views. Ed has faith in God and the angels that look over him and help him. When Gwen was acting confused as a teenager, he explained our way of life. Ed explained to Gwen about our way of thinking that allowed people to be in a committed relationship with all the people that they loved if there was commitment and honesty. That is the main rule. Some of us maintain an open relationship and have sex with others, but there are rules. You must have full disclosure before any activity, not just if a commitment is involved. You must let other partners know immediately if there is a sense of seriousness and partners have the right to meet prospective partners and discuss the Club. Partners may add their own stipulations. The rules come down to honesty and commitment and it has worked for us, … well, except for that asshole Arthur. But Gwen understands, last I heard, but now Gwen lay fighting for her life; Ed’s faith will be tested.
SM C14.2 01-01-23 (1176) Ed Arrives JHMC D2 10a – Ed
I went directly to the nurse’s desk to see Gwen and I was directed to Room 326. Gwen was the only patient in the room. When I walked in, I saw Gwen. She looked so beautiful and at peace laying there. Mike was at the side of the bed and Cresha was by the door with her head down.
Cresha looked up at me and Mike turned around and quickly walked over.
“Hey, buddy!” Mike gave me a big bear hug.
“Hi, Mike. I got here as quickly as I could. How’s Gwen?”
I walked over to Cresha to kiss her. She stood up and we embraced. She smelled good. It reminded me of Gwen.
“I am so sorry, Cresha.” Suddenly, my knees began to buckle. I was trying not to break down. I could only think about the last time I saw Gwen after our argument.
Cresha kissed me. Then we all looked at each other as I wiped my face and said absolutely nothing. After a long awkward pause, “You both said you had more to tell me.”
Cresha and Mike looked at each other and Mike said, “Let’s step out into the hallway.”
“Can we first pray for Gwen?”
Mike looked a little stunned. “Really?”
“Cresha said that you were serious about God… we have talked about it many times.”
“OK. fine. But you pray, please.”
“Ok, no problem.” We walked over to the bed, and we held hands. I put my hand on Gwen’s legs but on top of the blanket she had, and Cresha held Gwen’s hand.
“God, we thank you for bringing us together here. Gwen, we miss you and we pray for your healing. We ask you God to surround Gwen with your angels to comfort her. We ask that her Guardian Angel protect and heal her. We are grateful that you grant us days to enjoy the earth and all that comes from it. Bless us and grant us peace.”
Cresha stroked her hair and started playing with her ear as she teared up. I am not sure why I looked at Mike, but Mike started to visibly shake. He was looking at Gwen and mumbling to himself.
“Mike, are you ok? I waited about 10 seconds and Mike did not respond. “Hey buddy, this is the second time your mind just went whacko; the first was on the phone this morning. I know this is a difficult time …”
“No, Ed. I’m fine” Mike’s demeanor went back to normal. Mike and Cresha walked out into the hallway.
I kissed Gwen and followed my family out into the hallway.
Mike looked devastated. “Ed, Gwen had a serious accident. A car hit her; we think. It was a hit-and-run if it was. Gwen was heading to our place in Queens to cool off and talk to Cresh on the phone… about you.”
I started feeling emotional. I turned away and tried to wipe my eyes so the others did not see.
Mike continued. “The good news is that the doctors cannot find anything wrong with Gwen and that she should be fine. We are all just waiting. Also, I need you to not blame yourself. We know that the two of you were having issues. Gwen told Cresh that she had a bad argument with you but listen. Just before the accident, Gwen told Cresh that she trusted you; she just felt frustrated. Ok?
Ed nodded.
“Ed, I need to ask you an important question. Are you ready?”
“Of course, Mike. What is it?”
“The doctors say that Gwen is pregnant. Do you think you are the father?”
“I imagine I am the father, Mike. I don’t think Gwen was seeing anyone else but me.”
“Gwen told me she was only with you,” interjected Cresha. “She is serious about a partner marriage with you.”
“Did you tell her about us?” I am not sure why Mike does this with us. He tried to do this “look straight into my eyes” thing like he has a truth detection system.”
“Of course, Mike. But she already knew. And I think you already know that. She wants to meet Mary.”
Mary Johnson is my second partner in a polyamory open triad. My first partner was Cresha’s sister, Nikki but we separated because I moved back to the United States to open my photography business office in NYC. When I left, Nikki found Arthur. Nikki did not follow the rules; none of us were ever on board with this creep. Arthur was a real shit and was fucking everything that moved after Nikki became sick. He disappeared real quick when I learned that he had been intimate with Gwen too. Gwen and I were very close before Nikki’s death, and we grew closer after I dealt with Arthur.
“I’ll tell you more about what happened another time, but I didn’t even know it was Gwen when we first hooked up. She had a disguise.”
Mike and Cresha looked at each other quizzically.
I continued. “Gwen called herself Sara. I did not recognize her until she told me who she was. I told Sara, … I mean Gwen, about my wife before anything happened. I followed the rules. Mike, I followed the rules! I felt so connected with Sara that I asked her to meet Mary.”
I paused. Mike looked like he had seen a ghost.
“Disguise?” Mike was mumbling after that.
“Sara, …. I mean Gwen, was so excited and happy and agreed to meet her, but she confessed her identity. At first, I was pissed! I did not appreciate her dishonesty. But I could not be mad for long with Gwen. Of course, Mary knew about my love for Gwen. She knew I loved her since she was a kid. Mary asked me to give it 6 months and if we still were serious, then they would meet.”
Mike’s brow furrowed like a Bullmastiff. “Cresh, did you know all this?”
“No, babe.” Cresha hesitated. “Well, I knew something was going on with Gwen. I didn’t know she was pretending to be someone else.”
I wanted to set everything right. “Mike, we were so in love that after two months, Gwen was begging me to talk to Mary to change her mind. I told her that we needed to follow what Mary requested from us. And Gwen flipped out! I think I should have listened to her. This is why I said Gwen’s accident is my fault!”
Mike came over to me and hugged me. “No, my friend. This was an accident that has nothing to do with you.”
Mike let go after a short while and smiled at me. “Ed, Cresh, and I are going to take a short walk and get some coffee in the break room they have down the hall. We will leave you with Gwen. Let’s talk later.” I nodded. Mike and Cresha got up and walked out. And I went over to Gwen’s side.
SM C15.2 12-12-23 (267) Rounds Gwen’s Room 326 D2 4:15 pm – Mike
Ed and I were laughing, and Cresha was talking with Gwen when the doc was about to walk in. Maria got up and nodded to the doctor. They spoke for a moment in whispers.
Several men and women came into the room wearing lab coats. They were all talking and discussing Gwen, but I could not make out what they were saying. An older guy said some things and then turned to us.
“Hello, I am Dr. Swaggart. I came by very early this morning with some residents. I was supposed to come by again, but I had surgery. I am sure the nurse told you about what is going on. We have run several batteries of tests, and we need to run some more. Honestly, I can’t explain why the patient, Ms. Garcia, is in a coma. I have a few guesses. I have sent the information to another specialist to get their opinion. Meanwhile, we will continue to monitor the patient and the baby and let you know what is happening when we know something.”
Ed eagerly spoke back. “Dr. Swaggart, do you know if the child is safe?”
Dr. Swaggart seemed happy. “The baby is fine. Just very early in the pregnancy. In a few days, I will be able to say more. Unless you want to ask anything else, I must continue my rounds.”
A few of the residents stayed behind and checked Gwen and the equipment. And a few minutes later they were all walking down the corridor to another room.
SM C16.6 12-12-23 (1274) Card Night for the Boyz, D2 10:30p – Mike
“Hey Tommy, grab me a beer?” I was eating some spicy olives and I wanted to wash them down with something. Ed was having his semi-weekly poker game at his office. Sometimes, we have an after-party with 2 or 3 of our photoshoot girls, get fucked up, and play around. Tonight, Gwen was on my mind, and I needed a distraction.
Today, our models are out of town. Mary, Ed’s partner, was working at Lucky’s Spa. So I suggested that our poker night friends stay longer to keep me occupied. I did not think it would work out as well as it did. We had a good time talking, drinking, and playing Indian poker but it still fell apart too early.
Tommy was walking out of the kitchen into the hallway and turned back. “Willy, grab a beer for Mike and Ed.”
Willy shook his head in his strange bobble-head move. “Sure, but it’s 10:30 I gotta leave soon.”
Tommy walked into the bathroom, turned on the light, and pulled the bathroom door shut. Tommy had gone into the kitchen to talk with his girlfriend on the phone but ended up in the bathroom. He is a car salesman and one of Ed’s models, so he was often on his phone. Inevitably, Tommy would take long trips to the toilet on poker night because of his nasty choice of greasy food. Tommy had been eating some hot wings with a strange set of dips: blueberry syrup and blue cheese.
Willy walked back to the kitchen to get the drinks. Willy is 23 and much younger than the rest of us. He lives with his mother in Jackson Heights who does some hand and nude modeling for me from time to time. His mom, Molly Henderson, is incredibly sexy and she has a cute smile with a slight gap in her two front teeth. Molly is a distraction and then some. Willy was supposed to get home by midnight because his mom was supposedly out with friends and his 19-year-old sister, Evelyn, did not want to be alone. Eve was a younger, hotter version of her mother. Another distraction.
About 10 minutes passed and I did not have a beer.
I was about to get up and go to the kitchen. For some reason, I just blurted out my thoughts. “Tommy, what are you doing?” I am not sure why I asked. I knew exactly what he was doing. I wasn’t annoyed. Maybe I was a bit lazy just watching videos on my phone to have investigated earlier. I wasn’t interacting with the guys too much tonight. But my radar was on and as far as Tommy goes, I didn’t have to ask what he was doing. He was screwing someone in the bathroom. I got up from my comfortable chair and waited by the bathroom door. I couldn’t hear anything. What made me more curious was that there were no females at our party. I didn’t care, just curious. But he was with someone.
“Be right out.” There was a flushing sound.
Robert was in another room texting on his phone. Robert, an amateur MAA fighter, martial arts instructor, and bouncer at a strip joint, was being called into work. So, our evening ended much earlier than normal.
Ed yelled, “Tommy, you are going to shit your brains out!”
“Nope, just number one… Guys, I need a few minutes.” The bathroom door opened. A petite red and blue-haired middle-aged woman appeared and slithered out shutting the door stealthfully and quickly behind her.
“Hi, Molly.”
“Hi, Mike!” Molly had a sheepish grin on her face and ran and jumped into my arms.
“Me too. Where …” I was dumbfounded trying to figure out how she got in.
“The window.” Molly winked. Molly kissed me on the mouth and hurried to the kitchen.
A minute later, Tommy appeared with a big grin.
Ed was shuffling the deck. “Tommy, one more game. I want a chance to win my money back.” Ed was laughing because he was winning, as usual.
“You’re funny Ed. You cleaned me out again. Maybe next time. But for reals, I need to be at work by 12.”
Willy returned carrying three beers. He handed one to Ed and another to me.
“What took you so long.” Willy ignored me. I looked up at the beer Willy was holding. “We only have this shitty stuff left?” I preferred Taj Mahal, but Ed took the last one. We only had Elephant beer, which is technically malt liquor, but he brought me a Corona.
“Yup. I like this shitty stuff.” Willy gave me his stupid look and attempted to hand me a bottle opener. I just twisted the cap as his phone rang.
“Tommy, aren’t you having anything to drink?”
“Naw. I am going to give Willy a ride home. His mother called and I think he is going over there to see Molly and Eve.” Tommy smirked. “I am taking him when he gets off the phone.”
“Molly is right here.” I was shaking my head. Tommy fake laughed.
“Hi, babe!” Molly was holding a beer in one hand and her vape in the other.
“You were supposed to go back!” Tommy was upset. “Sorry guys!”
Molly shrugged her shoulders, “Mike saw me coming out!”
Robert walked in holding his coat. “Tommy, can you drop me at the club?”
“Me too!” Molly rotated her shoulders and looked over at Robert. “I was waiting for you, Bobby.”
Tommy sighed and nodded to Robert. “Sure Molly, … Bobby. I need to become an Uber driver.” Tommy checked the time on his phone. “Let’s just wait a few minutes for Willy.”
Robert sat down and Molly walked over and sat on his lap. There was an awkward silence as Molly and Robert started making out.
Willy walked into the room. “Tommy, are you ready?”
Tommy nodded.
“Guys, I am leaving. Let’s do this again.” Willy was walking towards the door with Tommy and Molly following directly behind.
As the door shut, Ed opened a Taj Mahal.
“Hey, where did you get that?”
Ed laughed. “This is my apartment and I have places to hide my beer… So what do we do now? It is early.”
“Ed, get me another Taj Mahal. What do you think? Ed looked over at me with a shit-eating grin. Maybe Lucky’s? We are thinking the same thing, right? I heard about a new girl.”
Ed’s winked at me. “Give me a second.” Ed was back in a few minutes with a beer for me. Ed extended his hand with the beer and a card to me.
“Molly gave this card to me and said that she has a friend at Lucky’s perfect for you. ‘Right off the boat’.” Ed was getting into his happy place. “Her name is Sunny!”
“Ed! What the hell does ‘off the boat’ mean anyway? Is she a beaner or illegal? I don’t care if she is wanted by the police or ICE. Anyway, Sunny is the same girl Robert told me about. ”
Ed’s face changed. “Mike, you know I don’t like to hear anyone talk about another human that way. No one is illegal. This is just the way some people come to our country. And it is not wrong if we are helping someone.”
I was not sure who we were helping, her or us. “OK, sorry. This girl is not documented, and she is requesting financial and personal assistance. Saying it like that sounds so much better.” I rolled my eyes. “I will send the money and let’s wait for a message.”
SM20 Lucky Spa (2009) 12-12-23 Sat D3 Midnight – Mike
I scheduled an appointment at Lucky’s. I don’t recall which one of us had the idea. We have gone countless times and always have a great time. But honestly, it can be quite difficult to navigate all the clandestine moves one has to make to get in. But Lucky’s Spa is worth it. Because of who goes there and what goes on there, it is purposely discrete, contorted, and obtuse.
Lucky’s is very exclusive. You must be asked to join. Lucky’s is owned by Giovanni Lombardo, known for fine restaurants, fund-raising events, vacation resorts, and high-level hospitality and chauffeur training. Lucky’s is different from Gio’s other operations as it provides worldwide training programs for members who want to learn and practice erotic massage. Lucky’s has the best instructors on the globe for their Massage Training program with spectacular 5-star accommodations. It is all very secret and a complaint from any of the girls or drivers can mean expulsion or worse. Members are always on their best behavior. Lucky’s is a big deal for me and Ed. I am going to explain a bit more, so you appreciate how rewarding an experience this is for us.
When I want a training session, I text my ID number to the Lucky Spa Training Request with the zip code of where I am. An autoresponder provides an address and code to enter the front door at the warehouse and another code to open a locker. Once you go through the door, you are in the dressing lounge. After a participant or group enters the Dressing Lounge, the warehouse front door is locked until they exit to the pickup lounge. While inside the dressing area, the participant changes into White satin pajamas and a red velour robe with gold trim. Everything is nicely wrapped inside the locker along with some slippers, a phone, and a wallet. Participants may carry cash only to tip drivers and escorts in this special wallet; each person’s credit card is in Lucky’s system.
I hope you appreciate why this is an important ritual for me and Ed. Anyway, I placed the reservation for both Ed and me at Lucky’s after midnight. An Uber took us to this warehouse in an industrial park. We placed our belongings into a locker and waited for a car to pull up. We arrived at our destination a bit after midnight. We entered a showroom/garage with some beautiful classic sports cars: Alfa Romer, Astin Martin, and Ferrari. We had no idea where we were; the windows were blacked out.
Two lovely women named Claire and Amber met us and escorted us to a small empty bar and kept us company. These women were young and very athletic Asian girls. Pinay, I think. When they approached us, they handed us their contact card and gave us a long, deep, delicious kiss. Claire’s full lips tasted of vanilla and coconuts. Both girls wore tight compressed black shorts and a white diaphanous blouse, no bra. Their breasts were erect and perfect as God makes a young woman. After the girls greeted us, they did not talk with us for a few minutes as they feverishly texted making arrangements for another car to pick us up after the selection process.
And then Claire started touching me. It is always a nice experience for a man when their date’s hands get a bit naughty. I couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement as Claire’s delicate hands roamed over my body, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. My dick was certainly responding. All I can say is that her touch was electric, sending shivers down my spine… and other parts of my body.
Claire sat me down. Once I was seated, Claire slid her hands up my pants leg and undid the fly of my zipper. A cool breeze met my cock as it was freed from its prison; a few seconds later it wrapped around the shaft and testicles as if caressing them in a tight hug.
While Claire was doing her magic unbuckling my pants, I couldn’t help but see a woman in a dark corner of the bar. It was apparent that the mysterious woman wasn’t alone. She had a guest under the table. I couldn’t make out her face, but I know a woman with passion. After several gasps, if you call those sounds gasps, she appeared to be having an intimate conversation with whoever was under the table. She looked familiar. As I looked over, Claire put my eyes and focus back on her by turning my head away from the woman to her eyes as she kissed me, or my happy appendage. It was surreal but I stupidly looked back to the corner. I immediately felt a burning stare as I detected that she was more than slightly annoyed with me. My penis became a shy turtle but then I heard Ed laugh a naughty laugh.
Ed and I exchanged glances, and everything changed in an instant. We then nodded in male tribal acquiescence and Ed showed off his million-dollar smile. I will always remember Ed’s face when he was approached by Amber that night and the moment, he looked over at me. He has had this look many times in the years that I have known him. Ed had a huge teethy smile on his face. I grabbed Claire and eagerly pulled her head back down to me. She had such a cute little smile and she giggled.
Ten minutes later, we took a break, and the girls went to the comfort room. When the girls returned, I asked for a gin gimlet and Ed got a beer. While we waited, we sipped our drinks. There was a small buffet with some tempting hors d’oeuvres. As I got up to go to the small buffet, we were offered massages; I declined because I knew that I would have a massage again later. I grabbed a crab cake, but Ed disappeared with Amber for a short time. I knew it was not for a massage.
At 1:30 a.m., the woman from the corner appeared. She was an older Asian woman, Ms. Huang. She came in an evening dress and bowed to all of us. As she held her arms out, I could see she had a little tummy, small enough to be sexy and remind you that she was hot in her prime. Ms. Huang winked at me but she was all business; she came for our wallets. Ed and I handed them to her and she bowed to us. The cash tip for the driver and our escort was expected to be in our wallet. I am not sure what happens if the tip is not there or not sufficient but I, sure as hell, never want to find out.
Regardless, Ms. Huang did not check, and no words were exchanged. Before she left the room, the girls bowed. Then a young, very tall muscular African male (whose name is Mobo but went by Mo) and a group of assassins stepped forward. I am not sure if they are assassins, but they looked the part. Anyway, the tall Afrikaan, you may have guessed that he was the guy under the table. The girls removed all their clothes and gave them to Mo.
Mo eyeballed them for a second before using a wand to check for hidden weapons. I have no idea where these girls could have kept a weapon, but my imagination started running wild. After waving his wand over them, Mo presented the girls with two black robes with pink trim. Then, the two girls took our hands, gently guiding us through a winding hallway and into La Managerie Foyer.
La Managerie Foyer is an interesting name for several reasons. First, it is misspelled, managerie and it is usually spelled ménagère. Secondly, Lucky’s La Managerie has an Asian theme, not French. And finally, a foyer is supposed to be in the front, not in the back. Anyway, the lights were low with soft traditional Chinese music in the background. There was a beautiful Chinese flower painting on one wall and a large highly erotic 2-meter-high painting of a nude Chinese woman holding a thin veil. In the background, soft traditional Chinese music played which I find quite hypnotic, if not intoxicating. But to tell the truth, I would probably never listen to this music otherwise. But I would not want it to be replaced by anything else.
Tonight, everything was lush and abundant. Attendants walked by with platters of champagne, oysters, lobster rolls, and Dim Sum. We sat at a sunken semi-circular table with plush velvet seats and high backs making a cute island in the middle of marble floors. We had a clear view of a large screen along with a dozen or so other tables. Our escorts motioned for us to prepare for the show. Ed felt himself sink into the cushions as he looked around like a puppy dog, tongue hanging out. We were only a couple of meters apart, separated by our companions who unintentionally blocked our view. We could also see other members being seated. There were quite a few women, mainly middle-aged I would say.
As I looked around, Claire came to me, took my clothes off, and put them into a marked bag. Then she thoroughly scanned me for electronic devices and dressed us in another spectacular outfit. It changes every time we go to these events and tonight, the pajamas were gold, and the robe was Black velour. Of course, Ed was visibly excited. He is perpetually aroused. Claire asked me the type of girl I was interested in for my training session: height, weight, age, gender, and anything else. After I finished answering all the questions, Ed moved to a place closer to me. While we waited, the girls talked to us, massaged our backs, and offered us Viagra and tea. Mike and I wanted Saki.
About 10 girls who were our trainers were presented on a big screen at our table one at a time. The girls were visible only by a camera; they all came to the camera wearing an evening dress. When they walked in, I could talk to any of them. They could ask me questions and tell me about themselves. Claire whispered to Ed and me about some of the trainers. Amber did not really talk except giggle and nod her head. We quickly had the names of those we wanted. I wanted Sunny, #42, and Ed had scheduled for Mary. Ed almost always goes with Mary, his partner. Ed and or Mary sometimes join me, later. I requested that we receive the same room for both of us.
When all the arrangements were complete about 10 minutes later, our guides led us to our Bently Grand Limo which whisked us away to where we would meet our trainer and spend the rest of the night. When we arrived, Claire led me by hand to the showers. Well, Claire was leading me by my cock. Ed and I were separated at this point, but Amber and Mary would be taking care of Ed. Soon, Sunny would meet me in my room.
Claire put on mitts and scrubbed my body gently. Afterward, I was patted dry and led to my room. I got another head and foot massage. I was feeling pretty good anticipating when the new girl would arrive. I was relaxed and looking forward to meeting Sunny. It was a bit after 3 a.m. when this beauty came into my room. I was visibly ready. Sunny made quite an entrance… So it was before the massage that made her so memorable.
Claire greeted Sunny with a sexy kiss. I just watched like a puppy, tongue out. Claire took her time getting Sunny out of her clothing, kissing her the entire time. I saw Claire looking over at me as her tongue was down Sunny’s throat. I was completely mesmerized by the beauty of these girls. I just stared at them, unable to move. Claire kissed Sunny for a long time before bringing me over to start licking around Sunny’s clit. Very soon, both the girls were playing with me too.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mike, Mary, and Amber in the corner. And then it was only Amber. The girls started to move around me and caressed me with their hands. I had never dreamed of a foursome. These women were gentle and affectionate, and the experience was erotic and sublime. As their touches grew more intimate, I felt a warmth radiating through our bodies. I felt Claire quiver, and I knew that she could feel the intensity of our desire rising with every touch.
After Claire, I still had the energy to make love to Sunny. It was like a dream. I remember being on top of Sunny and I saw a little tattoo behind her ear. Then the room started spinning.
*****
“Mike, can you hear me?”
“I was a bit dizzy. “Yes, Ed. Why are you here?”
“Your girl, Claire, came into our room and said you had passed out.”
“What time is it?”
“It is 3:30 in the morning. She said you finished your business and passed out inside Sunny… She was very graphic.”
All I could say was, “Hmm.”
“We will just wait here, and they are bringing your clothes.”
“I can’t remember anything. Well, except for the tattoo behind her ear. She had Condor that was so small… and detailed.”
“The only way you could have seen that is from behind.” Ed gave me a funny look and I smiled back.
