Mrs. & Mrs. Manoban

prologue: six or five years?

"okay, let me start off," lisa says, shifting in the leather seat. "I'll just say that we really don't need to be here. see, we've been married for five years."

"six." jennie corrects from her leather seat next to her.

"five or six years," lisa nods. "and this is like a checkup for us, a chance to poke around the engine. maybe change the oil? replace a seat or two." she proposes.

"very well then. let's pop the hood" their counsellor said. "on a scale of one to ten how happy are you as a couple?"

"8." jennie answers confidently. without a drop of hesitancy.

"wait. 10 being totally happy, and 1 being completely miserable or....?" lisa inquires.

"just respond instinctively."

"okay," lisa clicks her tongue in understanding, sparing a glance at her wife.
"ready?"

"ready."

"8." they answer simultaneously.

they watch as he writes down a few things on his notepad before looking back up at them.

"how often do you have sex?"

"I don't understand the question." jennie says.

"yeah I'm lost, is this a 1 to 10 thing?" lisa asks.

"is 1 very little, or is it nothing? because technically speaking nothing would be 0" jennie says.

"and if we don't know what 1 is then what's 10?" lisa adds with a nervous laugh.

"yeah cause 10 is like...constant?"

"unrelenting?"

"not stopping for.."

"nine hours?" lisa raises a questioning brow.

"It's not a 1 to 10 scenario. It's a basic question. how often do you have sex?" the man asks impatiently.

the two stare at time in silence. unsure of how to go about the question. the man raises a brow in return.

"how about this week?"

"...including this weekend?" lisa responds.

"sure."

"15."

"times?"

lisa nods. meanwhile jennie avoids eye contact with the both of them, choosing to observe her nails instead.

"describe how you two first met."

"it was in columbia." jennie answers.

"bogotá. fiver years ago." lisa nods.

"six." jennie corrects again.

"right. five or size years ago."

        •BOGOTÁ, COLUMBIA•
   FIVE (OR SIX) YEARS AGO....

lisa sat at her hotel bar enjoying a Long Island iced tea as she read the local papers. the sounds of locals running around in the streets along with sirens didn't faze her one bit. 

just then a number of officers barged into the lobby carrying heavy arms much more than the standard pistol. they were shouting things in Spanish and interrogating anyone they made eye contact with. 

lisa adjusted the sunglasses on her face and motioned to the bartender. "hey. que pasa?" she asks in spanish. 

"someone shot the barracuda. police are looking for tourists travelling alone." the local informs her.