"Are you traveling with any luggage, Mr. Sampson?" She asked politely, calling me by name having gone through my identifications.
There was another short queue at the security post; I waited my turn behind the line and when it got to me, I brought out my boarding pass, the small piece of paper that had been given to me and my passport, handing it over to the man dressed in airport security uniform.
"Please take off any metallic object you may have on you sir," the man asked politely.
"Belt, phones, keys," I added as I started to take off my belt and empty my pockets.
I deposited all the items inside a plastic tray and went through a metal detector glass, receiving my items on the other side.
It took a while for me to get my belt back on, after which I identified my gate through the light signs that hung above differentiating gates and went to take my seat. At exactly ten minutes before nine o’clock, I got to my feet as I heard my gate number being announced, stretching my body before moving. Just as I made myself comfortable on the plane seat, there was a woman who came searching for her seat number.
"I am sorry; is this seat 114W?" She inquired with a small smile on her face.
"Sure; this would be it," I responded politely.
"Phooey!" She exclaimed as a soft smile started to grow on her face. "Thanks," she added.
"You are welcome," I said as I got up to allow her in, helping her with her bag.
"Thanks. My name is Marilyn," she introduced herself as she fell into her seat, extending her hand for a handshake.
"I am Jiraiya," I responded. "Nice meeting you" I added.
The flight attendant announced for us to fasten our seat belts as the pilots prepared to fly. I and Marilyn both adjusted our seat belts. Why am I adjusting my seat belt? It’s not like I have many years left. I joked to myself. I had already started to miss home and feel bad about leaving my family and Karine behind. I was a coward.
"I’m kind of nervous but excited at the same time," Marilyn uttered excitedly.
I forced a smile as I gave her a quick glance.
"Is this your first time in the air?" I asked
"Yes," she replied with a perky tone.
"You shouldn’t be scared. Flying is a piece of cake."
"I will have to take your word for it," she responded uncertainly. And then she turned to peer out the window.
Oh my God, she was so much like Karine. I knew right then and there that she was going to remind me of home all through the flight. I knew that already as I gave Marilyn another quick glance. There was a long silence on the plane after some further announcements; series of turbulent sounds followed thereafter. All the while, Marilyn had the same excited smile on her face. The same voice came on again after a while.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned off the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign, and announced that we were free to move about the cabin. It was less than one hour into our journey. Soft music played in the dim ambience of the airplane space. Everyone went about their business; some napping, some engaged with their gadgets. A lady's voice could be heard underneath the soft music; she was trying to put her baby to sleep amidst soft baby cries.
Marilyn stared out of the window, fascinated by the view. She tried taking in everything her eyes could, with an excited look on her face, a note pad on her laps and a pen in between her fingers.
I had adjusted my seat backwards to catch a quick nap, but it wasn’t happening; so I lay back and watched as Marilyn busied herself scribbling things into her pad.
"You know, I never knew I would be this excited flying for the first time, but it doesn’t compare to the excitement I felt when I got married. I am going to meet my husband in Canada" she volunteered without my asking.
I immediately felt like I was going to throw up. Here was a young lady who was happy because of love. Even if she had nothing to live for, she had love. That was enough for her. It was what made her the happiest person in the world. I couldn’t hold it anymore. I just had to speak to Karine. I had to let her know what I had done. I had to let her know that I was a coward and that I was running away.
"Excuse me," I said as I slowly got up from my seat. "I need to use the rest room; I will be right back" I added.
I rose from my seat, and that familiar dizziness washed over me. I knew, even without putting my hands to my nose, that it would have blood dripping from it. The last thing I remember was Marilyn’s scream. And then it went dark.
Chapter 16
Jiraiya
Some Months Later...
We arrived at the hospital and were immediately received by the doctor. The doctor decided to run some tests on me to see why my health was deteriorating more quickly than expected and why the chemotherapy did not seem to be helping me improve. I smiled at Karine and rubbed my hands over her tummy, happy for the child that would soon be given to us.
That was the reason for my renewed hope. I prayed in my mind that everything would be alright; if not for me then for the child yet to be born. I held tightly to the hands of the love of my life and we prayed and hoped together as we awaited the test results’ arrival. After some few hours, we had some food and the doctor asked to see us.
We both moved to his office and he had a smile on his face. That had to be a good sign, right? He began to speak, and I listened attentively.
“What drugs have you been taking, Jiraiya?” the doctor asked me.
“What are you talking about? I have been taking the drugs that have been prescribed,” I answered, looking at the doctor sternly.
“You know what I mean, Jiraiya. I have run a comprehensive test on you and I found evidence of other things.”
Just then, Karine cut in and began to speak. “Pay no mind to him, Doctor. He has actually been taking morphine; he has been taking it for the pains. Is that what you are referring to?” she asked, looking at me with a glint of disappointment in her eyes.
“Of course, that is what I am referring to. You see, I did not prescribe morphine or similar pain relievers to you simply because of the possible side effects. The morphine made us believe that you were not improving when, in fact, you are getting better,” he informed me.
My eyes widened. “What do you mean, Doctor?” I asked eager to hear what he had to say now.
“The morphine has dealt a serious blow to your system, but I strongly believe that if you stop using it right now, you will recover in a matter of weeks,” he said.
“Are you serious? So, my pain reliever has actually been the cause of my pain?” I asked.
“Yes. Your bones are getting stronger and the cancer cells are dying. I cannot say that you will be a hundred percent again. But you can expect a long life if you stop taking morphine. And continue the scheduled chemotherapy. Your body has fought a good fight and you are getting better. You have to endure the pain that you are feeling right now and let your body heal itself.
On hearing that, Karine jumped on me and let her hug linger on as I sat there with a smile on my face. She seemed even happier than I was. I knew that my prayers had been answered.
*****
Karine
It had been four weeks since we had gone to see the doctor and Jiraiya was already doing very much better. He had been receiving chemotherapy since the last week and, given his new level of fitness, he even flirted with me on phone. He told me all the things that he would do to my body once he got home. I could not wait for him to return.
I didn’t have to wait long. I got his call and immediately went to our apartment. I had been staying with Nadia for the past week. I called out for Jiraiya...no reply. I moved through the apartment and straight to the bedroom. I waited for a moment; I could already perceive the sweet smell of fresh roses coming from inside the room.
I had my first glimpse of him as the door opened: A smile crossed his face and his hair was damp... indicating he just had a shower. He wore a yellow Polo shirt, and green shorts. He looked very young, handsome and renewed. You would hardly bel
ieve this was a man who, just a few weeks ago, thought he was going to die. I just could not help but return his smile... albeit more provocatively. Then I saw it in his eyes, he stared down at my cleavage and I knew he wanted me. I walked in and closed the door behind me.
"Do you know why I called you?" He asked, in a voice that I knew just had to be sarcastic.
"No" I said, playing along.
"I think you do," he said as his hand moved loose strands of hair behind my ear. He lowered his lips and kissed my forehead.
Immediately, I looked up at him. I stared at him with all the fire in my eyes; I was scared that I might burn him but the fire in his eyes was just enough to match mine. I stretched and placed my lips on his. He received me with joy and took my mouth in his. His lips tasted like vanilla. I felt his tongue parting my lips in search of my tongue and when they finally met, the energy was explosive.
His hand parted my hair and drew me closer to him. I let my hands run wild and they suddenly developed a mind of their own; moving to the hem of his shirt, slowly lifting it up, exposing his fine flesh.
He broke the kiss, softly, to allow me to take the shirt off his body. Oh my, he smelled so nice. How I have longed to be at this close proximity to the fabric of his skin once again. I ran my hands up and down his chest slowly, grazing him sensually. He heaved in anticipation of what I would do next and it didn’t take long for him to find out—I lowered my lips to his chest and allowed my tongue to do its wonders.
He groaned in a response of pleasure and put his hand on my back. Slowly and together, we got up and made our way to the neatly made bed. I pushed him on the bed and he allowed me to take charge. It did feel good...being in charge of my boss... for once.
I lowered my hands to take off his shorts and he was left with just his underwear, which clearly outlined the form of the source of my lust. Oh God, he looked really good for someone who thought he was going to die.
Suddenly, he swung me on my back, landing me on the bed while he was on top of me. I chuckled at his manly strength, but he shut me up with a kiss. Off came my dress; I was not wearing anything underneath My nipples grew rigid awaiting his soft and caring tongue to caress them. And just like he could hear the words of my body, he lowered himself and took my womanly molds into his mouth. His hand found its way to the other breast and gently squeezed it, which caused me to tremble. I moaned silently and put my hands through his short hair which had started to grow back.
He gazed up at me and smiled before returning to his former position. But this time he goes lower and lower, inching down to the peak of my excitement. I moaned, in anticipation, even before he arrived at his destination. From the smile on his face, I could tell that he liked what he saw. A shiver ran through my legs and he gripped my flesh to hold me still to his manipulations.
My lips curved immediately as pleasure sizzled through my being. His tongue threw me out of balance and I threw my head back and lifted my lower body to meet his face. I wanted to drown him in my feminine flood. I wanted to wash his beautiful face with my nectar till it stayed on him like a perfume for everyone to know that he was mine.... all... mine.
The once neatly made bed was now a shadow of itself as my hands dragged on the sheets. And just when I thought that it couldn't get any better, he did something that sent my head into the skies. The flurry was so intense and profound that I almost shut down from the tumult.
And just then I moaned loudly and felt my woman juices begin to flow vehemently. I couldn't see his face because my eyes were closed. I blushed as I opened my eyes and saw the man responsible for all this staring right at me.
He let me recover before he kissed me once again. I could feel a little strength beginning to return. His hand went down to his underwear and he slid it down.
He held my face in the palms of his hands and stared into my eyes. I felt a shudder run through me as his head descended. He looked at me in a way that made me feel special; our lips meshed and he kissed me deeply. I returned his kiss with mine and allow him to explore every inch of my mouth. I felt like he was a part of me now and all that remained was for his manly personality to find a permanent residence in my wet core.
He pushed me back toward the bed. All I could think about was the Adonis that was pleasuring me and delivering unfathomable joy to me.
He stared me straight in the eye and I had an idea of what was coming next. I moaned immediately I was made aware.
"Be calm," he said.
But how could I be calm? I could not, and he knew it. I shuddered as I felt him move slowly into me. All I could do was to hold him as we stayed in that missionary position. He lowered himself onto me and planted yet another kiss on my open lips, licking every flavor and sucking all the goodness that my mouth had to offer. I freed my legs and allowed them to fly effortlessly in the air as my toes pointed to the ceiling. He started with random movements and then settled into a slow, steady and coordinated rhythm. I heaved with each stroke as my inner core tried to establish enough room for him to dwell comfortably.
Then he started to quicken the pace. He was killing me already without even knowing it...or maybe he did. All I could concentrate on was the beleaguering effect his strokes were giving me. He whispered sweet nothings into my ears, heightening the sensations even more. I felt my second orgasm building up inside of me and we had yet to begin.
"Oh my God... oh my God... oh my God," I moaned as I felt the stream of my juices getting ready to pour again.
"Hmmm" he groaned as he felt my feminine fluids splashed all over his pulsing shaft.
I was shaking uncontrollably as we climaxed together.
*****
I woke up with a start, my head reeling as I jolted from the bed. I glanced to my left, finding Jiraiya asleep beside me. A rush of relief went through my body before I flopped down on the mattress again. I waited for my heart to mellow down before I snuggled back into his arms. Jiraiya hadn’t moved at all, his breathing was still the same, stable and normal.
I reached up to touch his cheek and felt his five o’ clock shadow beneath my fingers. I smiled to myself, glad that I had the chance to meet this incredible man. It had only been a few months since I had met him but, so far, every sign was pointing toward him being the right one for me. But if things really did go deeper and they ended up in a life I was hoping for, then there was the matter of making things work.
These thoughts were giving me a migraine, so I decided to keep them tucked away to examine some other time. Right now, I did not have to worry about tomorrow and how it would work itself out.
*****
I woke up for the second time, only to find Jiraiya gone from my side. I propped myself up, pushing my locks away from my eyes. The birds were chirping gaily as I tried to shake off the grogginess. There was no reason for me to panic since I knew Jiraiya would come back, although the apartment was so quiet it didn’t exactly give me the best feeling.
Swinging my legs off the bed, I walked to the bathroom, but he wasn’t there. I went to the living room but he wasn’t there, either. I flopped down on the couch and grabbed my phone from the coffee table where I had left it last night. I checked it for missed calls and messages. Nadia had bombarded me with texts and calls. Looking at the time, I couldn’t believe my eyes. One o’clock.
“Shit!” I yelped, getting up to go back to the bedroom.
I grabbed my clothes, getting quickly out of Jiraiya’s tee-shirt and changing into my own clothes. Nadia had rung my phone ten times and texted twice as many times, asking where I was. My best friend had waited for me outside my home and my mom was probably already worried sick. I already knew this wouldn’t sit well with Nadia or my mother. I bit my bottom lip, wondering whether to stay and wait for Jiraiya. I didn’t know where he had gone. There wasn’t much time for me to think before my phone started ringing again.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Karine? Thank goodness, you’ve finally answered! I’ve been trying to call you for hours now. I th
ought Jiraiya had chopped you into little pieces or something.”
“I am fine. I am still whole, not a body part is missing, and the baby is fine too. Where are you? I am so sorry for not picking up earlier. I woke up late. I grabbed my stuff and rushed to the door, forgetting to leave a note. I locked the door behind me and muttering a quick apology to people I bumped into along the way.
I let out a relieved sigh. “Hey, sorry, Nadia. I couldn’t hear you inside. What did you say?”
I said how come you're just now waking up?” Nadia demanded.
“We slept late, and it didn’t help that I woke up in the middle of the night. You know how that always goes for me. Are you outside already because I am almost there?”
“I’ve been waiting for hours now. So, you better have a good explanation as to why you’re late.” My best friend and I had planned a makeover for me.
“What kind of a good explanation? My only excuse is that I woke up late which is true. No lies.”
“I can see you now. I am parked beside a red car,” Nadia instructed before continuing our conversation.
I walked toward the car, looking straight at my best friend. I wondered why she was in such a hurry. At least, she had seen me. I got into the car and began telling my best friend all that had happened. She was surprisingly silent. I also noticed so many rose flowers and petals scattered all over the car and it smelled of pure bliss.
It was so romantic that I started to think Nadia was acting a tad bit strange and I wondered what was going on. Just then… I heard an all too familiar voice from the back seat. It was Jiraiya and he had something in his hand. My heart skipped at the sight of it, it was a small ring box.
“Will you marry me?” he asked.
I gasped.
“Yes, yes, I will,” I said as tears started to run down my cheeks. Today was full of promise, tomorrow was full of hope. Jiraiya, our baby and me was all I needed to relish in the joy of our love. Forever.
The End
Goodbye To Tomorrow Page 15
