Chapter 36: Siesta

When the military people were done it was siesta time, so we took a break. The heat wave had broken so the house was very comfortable. Marta went with the Chief, the Patron found Resha, and Cynthia went with her parents to their room where they would talk to Pammie.

I settled in Gracie’s bed where we talked and cuddled. Plus I admired her body.

Gracie showed a powerful need just to chatter about life in Detroit. Marta was so nice to her, far better than her own mother had been. Still, she wondered about being back in LA.

I could not be encouraging about her return date, I really had nothing to give her as news, only hopes and the promise that I had a lot of folks working on it.

Next she asked about my job, including the show wedding with Abril and the wife-exchange. I explained what Abril was getting out of it, how she loved her father and needed a specialist lawyer to get him out of jail, which put a different light on the situation. It was not just about me or lust. Our wedding night would be spent on a commercial red-eye to Lima, so I could help with the people who needed to answer questions.

Gracie knew there was something I was holding back, how I was going to rob the law firm. But she did not push it, which was pretty endearing by itself.

Gracie did know I had been with Marta earlier in the day, she thought that was pretty wonderful “for a son to love his mother that way.” As she said this she was rubbing her belly.

That got me thinking about my sons and my feelings about my mother. In the Tribe, Marta’s sleeping with me was not usual, since she was past childbearing it was not taboo but was considered “being a very good son.” That was not why I did it, I made love with Marta because I loved her and I was raised that way. But thinking of my male children with Cynthia or Gracie or others I wondered, what would I think of them being with their mothers?

That rabbit hole led me to consider the duty of the White Scarf once I became Patron. Could I give the White Scarf, with all it implied, to my own daughter? Or to the girl my son might marry? Or in general, if I was married to, say, Cynthia, could I give the White Scarf to any couple, knowing the groom would spend that night learning about sex using Cynthia’s body as the most delightful of classrooms? I could use retainers, but that was avoiding responsibilities.

I had already decided that Li and Gracie would not be with the Patron, while Resha had been happy to please him. I had basically given my okay for the Patron to have Cynthia during her 6-week visit when I was not here. Was I irrational? A hypocrite? Or just somebody with a complex parsing between lust and love?

It was an angle I had not considered, yet it was a decision Bente was expecting from me.

“Batman?” Gracie was trying to get my attention. I had not given her another name for me yet. Another task on my list.

“Yes dear?”

“Do you think we could sleep together tonight? I mean, alone together? Just us two? I like Cynthia and Resha and the others but...”

Suddenly my previous train of thought evaporated from my mind. At her request another idea popped into my head, something I had not done for quite a while. “Yes dear, I think I can take you out tonight.”

“Out? Like to dance or drink or something? I did not think you had those here.”

“Yes ... no ... you will see. We have our own charms. Surprises require some mystery.” She was both pleased and a little bit miffed, Gracie was not fond of my surprises until they happened.

As I returned to the meeting I stopped at the kitchen and requested some things.