Short Stories

Sex Part 5

"Like I said, you can believe whatever you want, Sex."

"What do you want Maria. Do you need money?"

"No, I don't want or need anything from you. I'm just here to deliver your son to you. He's the one that needs you and you need him. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

I went ballistic. "Why are you messing with me, Maria? This is really cruel."

I paced back and forth in a daze for a few moments and then, out of exasperation, exclaimed, "You know what, I'm outta here. You and Septem have a nice life."

Maria yelled out after me, "Sex! Septem sucks his thumb and sleeps curled up under his bed when he's restless just like you did when you were his age."

How in the world did she know that? Even though she and I worked together for about three years, I had never had any in-depth conversations with her. She had met Josephine and the girls a couple of times at company functions. Maybe Josephine had shared with her the little tidbit of information she was now using to get into my head.

I slowed my roll, turned around and yelled back, "Did Josephine tell you that?"

Maria methodically marched towards me while carefully keeping her eye on the boy. When she arrived before me, she reached out again to grab my hand, but I recoiled.

"Don't be angry, Sex. Come," said Maria as she held out her hand inviting me back inside her vise. The look in her eyes began to slowly extinguish my flames of fury. Before I knew it, she was pulling me towards a large rock near the swing set. She sat down and tugged on my hand, inviting me to join her. I acquiesced.

"He also has a special rocking chair that he uses when he listens to his music. His favorite album is Stevie Wonder's Song in the Key of Life. He knows every word to almost every song." Still holding my hand, she smiled at me and continued "Sound familiar?"

I pulled my hand away, stood up and paced back and forth racking my brain for answers. Coming up short, I turned to her in desperation and said, "How do you know all of this? I'm serious, Maria, what the hell is going on?"

She reached out and grabbed my hand again and pulled me towards her and said, "That's not important. The only thing that matters is your son. I've come a long way to bring him to you."

My resistance wasn't strong enough for me to escape her gravitational pull. After landing back next to her on the rock, I pleaded for clarity, "What are you talking about? What is going on here?"

She began to gently stroke the palm of my hand with her index finger. "Look at him. I mean really look at him. You have to admit that he looks just like you. Sex, come on, deep down inside you know he's your son."

I didn't really remember what he looked like from our brief close-up encounter a few minutes ago. I looked over towards the swings to see him again for the first time. He was having the time of his life, swinging as high as he could go, laughing all the way.

I was conflicted. Part of me was hoping that there was absolutely no resemblance or connection at all and that I could eventually escape this nightmare and retire to my meeting with Jacobs and forget all about this.

Another part of me was desperately hoping that I would see my diminutive doppelgänger and that I could somehow come out of this with a son without the invariable and accompanying consequences.

"Septum, come here," yelled Maria.

He came running our way. I was floored. It was like watching an old Super 8 tape that my Dad made of me when I was four.

He ran up to me and jumped in my lap. My emotions began to separate and settle like oil and vinegar.

"So you're my dad? I bet you like peanut butter and banana sandwiches just like me?"

I glanced a few feet away and saw a couple of pigeons pecking away at what was left of my chunky peanut butter and banana on potato bread sandwich at the foot of the garbage can.

It was too much for me to process. I couldn't contain my emotions, the levy broke. I began to sob uncontrollably. I grabbed my son and held on to him for dear life. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me as hard as he could.

I felt another buzz on my wrist. It was an incoming phone call.

It was Josephine.