Chapter 7 – Arrival

Harold in Italy – Program Symphony for Viola and Orchestra – Berlioz

We arrived at the Caracas Airport alittle before 10:00 PM.  By thetime we had picked up our luggage gotten through customs it was closer to10:30.  The airport is located onthe coast right on the water of the Caribbean.  But we could really not see anything in the darkness.  When we had left New York it was cool,a typical late March day.  But oneof my most enduring memories of Caracas is stepping outside the airport thevery first time and being hit with the hot humidity of the Caribbeancoast.  Just the little effort ofwalking to the curb, a matter of only a couple step, left both Emmy and Isoaking wet in our sweat. 

We, of course, were not carryingour own luggage.  We were twoAmerican girls.  Latin men wereeverywhere, and were very anxious to lend a helping hand.  Emmy would have refused the help, but Ioverrode her and told her to let the guys help us.  As we arrived at the curb a truck and a car drove up to usand two men got out.  I recognizedthe one from the audition.  He hadbeen the young man at the desk. Apparently he had also been present at orchestra auditions too as Emmyrecognized him as well.  His namewas Carlos.  He was a nice youngman.  I found out later he was gayand died of AIDS a few years after I had returned to the states.  The other man was an older man namedPedro.  Pedro was driving the truckand he did not speak English.  Hetook our baggage and loaded it in the truck.  Carols invited Emmy and I to ride in the car – a littleFiat.  We climbed in and startedour journey to the city.

Carols explained that while he knewthat both of us had places arranged to live, at least temporarily, it was toolate to deliver us to those apartments. And that for tonight we would stay in one of the apartments that thecompany regularly rents downtown near the opera house to put up out of townprincipal artists.  The operacurrently in performance was Cosi fanTutte  that only required oneout of town singer – Fiordiligi. So they had a couple empty apartments.  We could choose to stay in separate places if we wanted, butwe both agreed that we preferred to stay together.  Carlos was very polite, deferential and kind.  Throughout everything I was toexperience in the next two and a half seasons he was always there with wisdomand kindness.  He was also one ofthe only men I met during this entire experience that never tried to get undermy skirt.

The trip to the city was a bit lessthan an hour.  It was an amazingtrip in several ways.  First, I hadnever seen such traffic.  It wasn’tthe number of cars on the road, it was the speed at which they weretraveling.  I do not think thatCarlos drove under 70mph the entire trip. I tried to look at the speedometer, but it was in kilometers and Icouldn’t figure it out.  All I knewfor sure was that we were traveling really fast and more than once did Emmy andI gasp in fear and hold each other’s hands.  And that was just the car traffic, the motorcycles were evenworse.  They were constantly zoomingpast us, weaving in and out of traffic. Hardly any of the men driving the motorcycles wore helmets either.  But not only that, some of them –perhaps one out of every three – had a passenger who was a young woman.  These women were dress in tight clothesand looked like they were holding on to the drivers for dear life.  They usually were not wearing helmetseither.

The city of Caracas is built in thevalley between two mountains.  Asthe highway begins to go into the mountains there are a series of tunnels thatcut through the mountains.  As wetraveled through what turned out to be the last of these tunnels we finallyemerged onto a stretch of highway that was surrounded by lights.  And the closer to Caracas we traveledthe more there were.  Little specsof light – thousands of them – covered the mountain side and miles untilfinally we drove into the city and the little lights were replaced with the florescentsigns of the downtown Caracas.  Theselittle lights intrigued Emmy and me. We asked Carlos what they were. “Barrios.”  He replied.  “What are barrios?” we asked.  And perhaps the only time I canremember that he actually did not answer a question he just chucked and said,“you’ll find out tomorrow.”

And we did.  The barrios are the slums.  There are thousands of little homesmade of brick and corrugated steel built up the sides of the mountains of thecity.  These barrios completelysurround the city.  Some arerougher than others, but they are places of poverty and disease.  We were later warned not to travel upinto the barrios.  To this day thepoverty of this place still overwhelms me.  Especially in contrast to the flaunted wealth among anothergroup of the city’s population.  Asan opera singer I would spend my time with the wealthy.  The wealthy who had more money thanthey knew what to do with.  Thosemembers of the industrial class or the political class who had benefited fromthe country’s oil wealth.  It wasthe wealthy who could afford opera and orchestras; it was these wealthy, as Iwould find out, who could afford expensive parties and decadent and perverse amusements.  And many of those of us who came tothis country to make their mark, found the temptation of the gold and powerhard to resist.  Some of us had noqualms about doing anything to please our wealthy masters and mistresses – andI mean anything.

The apartment was rightdowntown.  We discovered that wewould not need a ride to our afternoon meetings and rehearsals as the operahouse was only two blocks on the pedestrian mall.  This apartment was on the 3rd floor.  Carlos and Pedro brought us up and leftour luggage in the entryway.  Itwas a pretty small place.  I jokedthat this must be where they put up the compramarios.  I had to explain that to Emmy: singers who do supportingroles, not the leads.  She stilldidn’t get it.  I don’t think shehas much experience with opera.

There was a little living room, atiny kitchen, a small bathroom and one bedroom with a double bed.  Emmy stood at the bedroom door lookingat the bed.  “There is only onebed.”  She said at last.

“Ah, ok… well… I can sleep on thecouch.  I really don’t mind.” Ireplied.

“Well, it is a queen size bed.”

“If you are not comfortable with ussleeping together, it is not a problem for me Emmy.”

She walked over to the couch.  “This is horrid.  You can’t sleep on this.”

“I can sleep anywhere, really it isnot a problem.”

“Can we call and ask for a 2ndapartment?”

“Emmy, it is almost 11:00 atnight.  It is too late.  It is not a problem for me really.”

She turned to me, “I don’t want youto sleep on the couch.  I don’tmind sharing a bed with you.”

“Are you sure?  You seem uncomfortable.”

“No….. no… I’m fine.”  She turned away and walked into thebedroom.  “I’m going to take ashower.”

“OK.”   I sat on the bed. There was an awkward pause… “Do youwant me to leave?”

“No, no… sorry… we are both girls….No, sorry.  I am being weird.  I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry hon.”

With that she closed the door tothe bathroom and a few moments later I heard the toilet flush and the shower goon.  She took a long shower.  During it I sat on the bed thinkingabout her.  She was a curiouswoman.  One would think she wasuptight, but I had seen her trying to smell the blanket that I had wiped mygirl juice on.  I had seen hertaste it.  He reticence to shareher bed with me might have more to do with being afraid of losing herself toher desires.  And I was getting theimpression that she was desiring me. She had constantly been looking at me, especially after the littleincident with the dream and the blanket. She had been the one to grab my hands in fear in the car.  She had “accidently” touched me alittle more often than might be normal. “She is in there taking a cold shower, trying to wash away her lust,which is what she probably always does.” I thought. 

For my part, I found herattractive.  I liked her alot.  She was quirky.  She had a strange sense of humor, sheput on this external act of being the professional, in control, uptight woman,but she has some kind of simmering heat underneath.

As I waited I undressed and puton  a robe.  Emmy’s shower ended and I waited.  In a little while she opened the doorand emerged wearing cotton pajamas and a robe, her long hair a wet tangledmess.  She was drying and brushingher hair.  “Your turn” she chirped.

“Thanks.”  I took off my robe and walked naked into the bathroom andclosed the door.  I could feel hereyes.

The shower felt good.  My body was tired and I was hot andsweaty from the journey.  I turnedoff the shower and began to dry myself. There was a window in the bathroom and there on the ledge was thelargest bug I had ever seen.  Iscreamed and bounded from the bathroom. Emmy came running.  “There’sa bug.  Did you see it?”  I was holding the towel in terror.

Emmy investigated and thenlaughed.  “It is just acricket.  He won’t hurt you.”  She turned towards me.

I lowered the towel and stood therenaked.  We stood in silence for amoment.  “I…. I think it is ok foryou to be in the bathroom.”

“Thanks.”

I was standing in the entrance andshe didn’t know what to do for a moment then she walked towards me.

“Does this bother you?”

“Wh… what?  She asked.

“My standing here naked.  After all we’re both girls.”

She looked at me for a moment.  “Ah, no, not at all.”

“So you don’t want me to cover upand close the door?”

“I…. I don’t care…”  She was trembling…

“Can I tell you what I think?”

I saw a little fear cross her face.

I continued, “I think you likelooking at me like this.  You likelooking at my body.  Isn’t thatright Emmy?  You have been lookingat me all day and now you can’t take your eyes off me..”

She turned white and looked for amoment like she was going to cry. “I….. I’m sorry.  I didn’tmean….”

Gently I continued, “I don’tmind.  I am flattered.  I am happy that you want to look at meand you can look at me all you want. You don’t have to be embarrassed.

She hung her head, I walked to herand lifted her chin.  “Emmy, I sawwhat you did with the blanket today on the plane.  You knew what I was doing and you saw me wipe my hand on theblanket.  When I left the blanketbehind I saw you pick it up and find the damp spot smell and taste it.”

She started to cry, “I’m sorry.”

“Emmy, don’t be sorry.  I am sooo flattered.  It is nothing to be ashamed of.”  I lifted her chin again and, as she istaller than I, reached up with my mouth and gently kissed her on the lips.  She kissed me back.

The kiss ended.  She looked scared.  Her eyes were brimming with tears.  I reached out with my hand and gentlycaressed her arm.  “Look, if Ipushed something I shouldn’t have, I am sorry.  I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.  I don’t want to push you into somethingyou aren’t ready for.  I have beenlooking at you all day too.  I likeyou.  You are sweet andbeautiful.  If you want to sharethis we can, if not, I will put my robe on and sleep on the couch and never bringit up again.”

Silence.  She looked into my eyes, then she bent down slightly andkissed me again.  And again.  And again.  Passionate kisses. She tasted wonderful.  Thetouch of her lips was sweet and tender and moist.  She was a great kisser.  As we kissed I ran my hands over her body – around her backand then to her small breasts.

I slowly unbutton her top….. shedid not resist.  When I finished Islowly pulled her top open.  Sheblushed.  I gently caressed herbreasts.  They stood like littlehills on her chest, topped with very small nipples.  They were beautifully shaped.  I stopped kissing her for a moment and gazed at her breastsas I played with her nipples.

“They are really small.  I look like a boy.”  She said blushing.

“Nonsense, they are beautiful.”  I bent over to her and kissed hernipples and ran my tongue over them. First one then the other. She moaned, sweetly, so I did it again.  I kissed her again. “You can touch me.  Goahead.”

Hesitatingly she reached up andgently ran her hands over my breasts then down my stomach to my hairytriangle.  She looked like she wasin ecstasy touching me.

I took my hands away from herbreasts and moved both hands down her hips.  I got on my knees and slipped my fingers under the elasticof her bottoms and panties and slowly pulled them down over her hips.  She lifted her feet so I could slipthem off.  I took my right hand andran it gently up her leg, thigh to her beautiful hairy triangle.  She was covered with a lot of beautifullight brown hair.  I moved my handbetween her legs and rubbed her labia. They parted and I gently played with her clit.  She moaned.  Shewas very wet.  I covered my fingersin her wetness.  Then I slowlystood.  I kissed her and ran thewet finger over her lips.  She openedher mouth and tasted herself letting her tongue dart out.  I pushed my fingers into her mouth andlet her suck her own juice from my fingers.  “I know you love the taste of pussy, Emmy.”

She was in a trance.  “Yes….”

“You do this all the time don’tyou?  You are always masturbatingand licking your fingers.  You lovethe taste of your own pussy.”

“oooooo yes, I do….”

“Let me see.  Masturbate for me Emmy.”

She pushed her hands down betweenher legs and began to finger herself as I watched.  I was pinching her nipples and kissing her as she didit.  She was moaning and I began tothink she would not be able to continue to stand.  “Lay down” I whispered.  I led her to the bed. She lay back and spread her legs wide and then pushed her hand backbetween her legs.  She was lookingat me and I was gazing at her.  AsI watched he took her hand from her pussy and brought it to her mouth andlicked the juice again from her hand. Then back into her pussy. She moaned.

“Join me, please…..”

I lay besides her.  I opened my legs wide so that our legswere intertwined, but both of us were spread open.  I pushed my hand between my legs and pushing 3 fingers deepinside.  I moaned.  I turned my head and we kissed,passionately.  Together we fingeredand rubbed ourselves. 

Emmy started going faster and herbreathing got ragged.  I pulledmyself up and got between her legs, mesmerized by the sight of her practicedhand pleasuring herself.  I gentlyremoved her hand and dove in with my mouth.  I enveloped her clit with my mouth and began to lick hardand fast – pushing 2 fingers inside of her – deep.  She was moving around – pushing her pussy into my face.  I did not let up and continue to lickand suck her clit until she exploded. She screamed, and screamed and then started sobbing. 

Keeping my hand on her pussy gentlycaressing her I moved up and took her in my arms and held her.  She put her head in my shoulder andsobbed and sobbed.  I held hergently caressing her head and kissing her neck and forehead and ear.

After a while she settled down, andwas quiet.

“Are you ok.”

“Yes, sorry…”

“Emmy, stop apologizing.  You have nothing to be sorry for.”

She smiled.

“You have been with womenbefore.  I can tell.”

“Sort of.” She said.

“What do you mean?” I asked her.

“I have had a strange life.  My parents are conservative andstrict.  But I was precocious andso they sent me to boarding schools where I could study viola.  When I was in my teens I changedschools and ended up living in a small dorm.  I was a tall gangly and quiet and plain girl.  I never dated, or really had manyfriends.   There was a girl inthe dorm who was a jock.  Her namewas Beth.  She was into sports andwas very physical.  She was olderthan me and she was aggressive. She scared me.  And shepicked on me for the first few months I was there.  She would push me around and call me names.  I shrank from her.

But when we got back from Christmasbreak things changed.  I am notsure why?  Suddenly Beth was niceto me.  She was kind.  She would touch me gently and she stoodup for me.  It was strange, Icouldn’t figure it out.  But Iwasn’t going to complain.  It wasnice not to be picked on.

One night after lights out Bethcame into my dorm room.  She sat onthe edge of my bottom bunk bed and started having a conversation with myroommate, who was in the upper bunk. As she did that she slipped her hand under my covers.  I was sooo scared, but I dared notresist.  She motioned me to bequiet as she moved her hand all over my body – under my nightgown over my pussyand my chest,.  She lingered at mypussy and played with it.  Iinstinctively opened my legs and I think she took that as an invitation.

This then went on for a severalnights.  I felt guilty.  I was scared, but it felt soooooogood.  I would get into bed andtake off my nightgown and lay naked waiting for her.  Sometimes she would peel back the covers to look at me.  I was embarrassed, but it was exciting.  She would always finger me.  And she would always take her fingersand rub my juice over my lips and have me lick her fingers.

One night she whispered to me tocome follow her to the bathroom after waiting 15 minutes.  I slipped my nightgown back on andthough I was really scared I went to the bathroom.  She was waiting for me.  She locked the door and told me to take off mynightgown.  I did it.  She opened her top and I saw herbeautiful large breasts for the first time.  She told me to suck them.  I did.   They tasted salty.  She asked if I had every had anorgasm.  I had no idea what she wastalking about.  So she had me laydown and she licked me.  “Don’tmake a sound.” She ordered.  Ididn’t realize how hard that would be. Then we kissed and she told me she would let me lick her sometime, butshe wanted me to watch her masturbate. So I did.  Kissing her andtouching her as she did it.

After that we would oftenmasturbate together.  She taught mehow.  She liked to lick me, butwould hardly ever let me lick her back. That is why I don’t really know how to do that.

She was really intense about being caughttoo.  We were caught once and shemade up a story about my having problem with my period.  I gently touched her one time on schoolgrounds and she clobbered me.  Toldme never to do that again.  But yet– late at night – or on weekend days when we were alone in the dorm – we wouldmasturbate together.  She wouldtake off my clothes and feel me all over. She would feed me my wetness. I grew to love it.

But then she graduated.  She got married.  And that has been it.  Ever since I have not had anyone.  No dates – men or women.  Just my memories and my fingers.”  There was a pause.  All the time I had been stroking herhead gently.  “Until now.”  She looked at me and smiled.  She kissed me.

She nestled in close and it wasn’tlong before we both feel asleep in each other’s arms.