Saira hesitated before answering. "I can't. Disclosing one's past to another or rushing the future could create havoc. What is to be would never happen. A future that was never meant to be would be, and all life would be forever changed. When the time's right, you and she will learn what you need to."
"I think you like to talk in riddles just to confuse people, but I know what you mean. I've avoided intervening in events for a long time. I think it was a mistake."
"Mari, I've followed millions of threads in my life. Things happen the way they do for a reason. Don't be so harsh on yourself. Had you done things differently, your beloved daughter wouldn't be the woman she is today, and I doubt if you'd want to change her in any way. She's special."
"Yes, but I think she'd be special under any circumstances."
"Maybe." Saira mused that maternal instinct so often included pride in one's offspring. "Now I must go. I feel a familiar tugging. Enjoy your stay in the mortal world."
Before Mari could thank her, Saira was gone, leaving behind a very tired Earth Mother.
"If I keep feeling this tired, I won't be able to take much more of this mortal stuff," Mari grumbled before falling into a deep slumber.
T
HE NEXT DAY, Maopa and Mari spent their time touring parts of Baltimore and watching two more XXX movies. Noticing that most people used credit cards to purchase items at the neighborhood stores, they quickly realized that plastic was the best way to pay for everything. Even the theaters were willing to accept them. Only Willie, the local street vendor, had refused their cards, but he was more than willing to give the two women all the hotdogs they could eat, free of charge.
On the third day of their adventures, Sonny called at a particularly rough time for Mari. Feeling bloated from her menstruation and experiencing a bad bout of cramps, she was in a foul mood. Maopa decided it was better to let her stay in bed and let nature take its course.
"How yah feelin, sugah?" Maopa carried a bowl of warm soup into the bedroom and set it on the table.
"Like shit," Mari growled.
"Well, yah shore have learnt to speak like most humans."
"If I have to put up with this, I'm entitled."
"Yep. The curse shore can do yah in."
"That's putting it mildly. If I ever volunteer to babysit a body again, I'm going to make sure I don't have to go through this. All I do is stuff pills down one end and those tube things up the other, and that damn pad is so bulky I'm totally uncomfortable when I walk. How dignified is that for someone like me?"
Maopa laughed. "I wouldn't know, but as the Earth Mother, I thinks yah has a point thar. Bein' human shore don't get yah no special priv'ledges, do it?"
Mari sighed and wondered how much longer she was going to endure this torture. She took the soup and sipped it gratefully, trying to avoid thinking about what the next few weeks was going to bring. Fortunately for her, Yemaya's menstruation cycle ended that evening. Mari was so relieved at her newfound freedom, she let out a loud "whoop," picked Maopa up and swung her around in circles, and collapsed on the bed, out of breath and exhausted.
"You're heavy," she gasped.
"Now that ain't no way to talk to a gal if'n yer plannin' on frolickin' later. Yah just be out of shape, that's all."
"Of course. What was I thinking?" Mari said and laughed at Maopa's indignant expression. "Let's take a shower and then see what mischief we can get into." Wiggling both eyebrows, she gave Maopa a rakish grin.
"Mischief be mah middle name, sugah."
"So," Mari said, "are you going to show me what's so special about girl-on-girl sex?"
"Mah pleasure." She grabbed the bottom of Mari's tee shirt and pulled it up and over the taller woman's head. After tossing it away, she put her arms around Mari and pulled her close.
Mari felt her body grow warm as Maopa's hands wandered up and down her back.
"What do I do?" she whispered, her voice husky from the sensations coursing through her body.
"Yah just lets me do mah thang, sweetie."
Maopa ran her fingers around the elastic waistband of Mari's underwear, slowly pulled them down, and then motioned for Mari to step out of them. These, too, she tossed onto the floor.
Kneeling, she stroked the long muscular thighs with her fingertips and then leaned in to kiss the dark mound in front of her. Inhaling deeply, she nuzzled it gently with her lips and then proceeded to draw her tongue up the stomach and along the ribs until finally capturing a breast gently between her teeth.
Mari gasped at the unfamiliar tingling originating in her groin and moving upward. When Maopa finally stood up, she made eye contact with the fiery blue eyes of her lover. Passion flared, and instinctively both spirits leaned forward, their lips touching tentatively for the first time.
Long arms wrapped hungrily around the shorter woman, who unconsciously returned the passionate embrace. They fell onto the bed and began to enjoy their first moments of physical love. Then came a reality check for both of them.
* * *
As much as Mari was enjoying Maopa's attention, she wasn't sure about some of her own bodily reactions. The building up of tension, the spasms in her stomach, and the incredible tingling between her legs as her lover continually stroked her with her tongue was driving her wild... well, almost. The warm liquid running down her pubic area and thighs felt a little creepy. All she could think of, between the spasms of pleasure and a sudden urge to pee, was how messy human sex was, and she wondered if something was wrong. Finally, deciding she had reached her limit, she thumped Maopa's blonde head with the fingertips of her right hand.
"I'm sure this gets better with practice."
At least I hope so,
she thought, glad for once that Maopa couldn't read her thoughts. "But do you think there are any more clean sheets around?"
"Dang, woman," Maopa said, her head popping up. Clear juices ran down her chin, and Mari jerked back slightly.
"Do all humans do this?" she asked, slightly appalled at the wild-looking woman glaring up at her. Hair sticking up at weird angles didn't help the situation.
"Only thems that don't have no spirits inside of them," Maopa muttered, shaking her head and wiping her chin with her right hand. "Here I be lovin' on yah and all you can thank of is clean beddin'. I knowed it be a long time since I done this, but didya hafta go and ruin the mood by thumpin' on mah head like that?"
"Sorry, sweetie," Mari said, sheepishly. "You were really good. Really. It's just that all I can think of is how cold those wet sheets were when that damn sanitary napkin fell out of my underwear, and... well... you know the mess. You'd think I would have awakened instead of hemorrhaging all over the place."
"That weren't no himragin. Just normal woman stuff. Why d'yah think we calls it the curse?"
"I know. I know. Well, now I've gone and... and...
Damn, I don't even know what I've done, but the sheets are soaking wet again and it just doesn't seem natural."
"Like ya'd know what were natural. Of course it be natural. Them there juices is what lubreecates yah. Shows yah be enjoyin' yerself."
"Oh. Umm... I mean. I know I was enjoying myself... kind of. At least I think I was." Mari wasn't quite sure now. "Maybe I just need a little more practice."
"Not if'n this be how it's gonna be."
"Come on, sweetie. This was my first time."
Remembering her first experience and how horrified she'd been, Maopa relented. She gave Mari a quick kiss, hopped off the bed, and headed for the bathroom, hoping a quick shower would help her mood some.
"Don'tcha worry 'bout it. First times ain't never the best, yah know. We jest needs tah go a little more slow is all."
Sighing with relief, Mari followed closely behind. "That's probably a good idea."
Maopa grunted, but didn't say anything else.
Mari's thoughts went back to the wet sheets. "Ummm... about the sheets."
Maopa stopped and turned to face Mari. "Yah shore do have a bug up your —"
"I'm not sleeping on these sheets now," Mari said quickly, determined to get her way on this. "And tomorrow we're buying a new mattress. I can't believe how much body fluid humans lose. It's a wonder they made it this far in the evolutionary scale."
Maopa finally laughed, her irrepressible humor reappearing. She really didn't blame her partner for being disappointed and maybe somewhat disgusted. Sex was something you developed a taste for. The thought made her snicker quietly.
"I thank yah might be overreactin a bit, darlin', but dontcha thank we oughta wait till we leaves? Yemaya has plenty of money ta spend, but buyin' new stuff every time we dirty it could get mighty costly."
Pushing the shower curtain aside, she adjusted the temperature to warm, trying her best not to laugh. To learn that the Earth Mother could be quite human amused her.
"Okay. Then we'll just turn it over again, but I'm not sleeping on it if it's still wet."
Maopa straightened up and bumped into Mari who had been standing directly behind her. Losing her balance, Maopa started to fall forward when she felt two powerful hands grab her by the shoulders and pull her backward.
"Dadburnit, woman. What in tarnation's wrong with yah?"
"Sorry, Maopa. I'm not adjusting very well to this physical stuff. Pretending to be Yemaya was so much easier than babysitting her body."
Maopa snorted. "Next time, maybe yah'll thank before yah jumps in and volunteers us fer somethin."
"Point taken." Mari released Maopa and returned to the bedroom. Staring at the bed, she felt as though the rumpled sheets were mocking her. She yanked them off and headed to the linen hamper. Several more sheets were stuffed inside, and another pile lay on the floor next to it.
Then she felt the moisture sliding slowly down her legs. After tossing the newest used set of sheets onto the floor, she stomped back into the bathroom, her legs slightly apart in an attempt to keep her thighs from rubbing together. Without saying a word, she pulled the shower curtain aside and climbed in next to a very surprised Maopa.
"Whoever makes those XXX movies should be shot," she said. "I'm beginning to think the X's mean exaggerated."
Maopa snorted and then finished rinsing off, muttering under her breath.
Mari suspected her lover wasn't very happy at the moment.
This is one time I'm glad I don't know her thoughts.
Twenty minutes later, the two emerged from their shower feeling a lot better. Not having to wear a pad or poke a tampon inside of her was a huge relief for Mari. Remembering her first experience with a tampon, she shivered.
It had been both awkward and painful. Even Maopa wasn't much help, although she tried to read the instruction page while Mari made an attempt to follow her directions. Trying to accurately align the small bullet-shaped object with the slightly swollen and tender opening of her vulva proved more difficult than she imagined. The first tampon went in crooked. Immediately, Mari knew something was wrong and fished around with her fingers before finally finding the string and pulling it out. Holding up the offending object, she shook it vigorously.
"You'd think you'd at least know what you're doing," she said accusingly and flung it in the trash. She grabbed a second one, ripped off the plastic wrap, and took special care to gently push it in. Feeling victorious, she grinned at Maopa, who was still squinting at the fine print on the instruction sheet.
"My grandchil' needs ta get some bifocles. She don't see worth a toot. This here print gets littler and littler," Maopa said, unaware of Mari's success.
"We'll remind her." The Earth Mother already felt a lot better. She grabbed the paper and tossed it in the trashcan. "Now let's go do something fun." And they did.
They decided to check out the Baltimore National Aquarium and flagged down a cab. Afterward, they hired a cab to take them to another small theater in a sleazy part of the city.