by Hooper, Sara
“Ah, not really, Sir. No, I don’t,” Shane hesitantly admitted.
“That’s the problem with Western men,” Mr. Singh began. “They want to date our daughters and get all involved with these beautiful women, but they don’t want to take the time to learn about them, about their beliefs, their families, all those things that should matter. Always thinking you're superior, you Americans. And, in time, you treat our daughters as if you are supreme. I’ve seen too much. I don’t want my Gina to be a victim. I’m sure you can understand my position.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Singh,” Shane interrupted. “I’m sorry, but I, in absolutely no way, feel supreme or better than Gina. Let’s get that straight in the beginning. As for knowing something about Indian culture, I have just never been exposed to it. I’ve never had a reason to learn about it, but I do now. Still, that doesn’t mean I don’t respect it, and it certainly doesn’t mean I don’t respect Gina in every way possible. I love her, Sir; I love her deeply. Let’s start from that perspective, not from your assumption that I’m a typical Westerner, as you call us. Don’t assume that I would ever treat her less than my equal! I’m not that kind of person, and I’m certainly not that kind of man. I don’t know how you can judge me; you don’t even know me. In fact, you act as if you don’t want to know me.” He felt good about the firmness in his voice.
“How old are you?” the father suddenly asked.
“I’m thirty-five,” Shane answered. “And, I’m aware that Gina is much younger. But, she is also very mature and worldly. I don’t see our age difference as being a major point of discussion. It’s how we feel about each other that is important. I love her.” Shane let the silence hang between them before continuing, “I respect her as a person and as a woman. I care deeply for her and her well-being.”
The old man on the phone cleared his throat. “And, you’re rich,” he said sternly. “Gina isn’t. We aren’t.”
“That is neither here nor there, Mr. Singh. All relationships are not based on wealth and material things. I don’t care about money. I am a successful dentist, that is true. But, I assure you, money is of no consequence to me. I don’t flaunt it; I don’t live a luxurious lifestyle and I don’t disrespect women - no woman, ever! I volunteer, I give, and I care about people who have less. That is who I am, Mr. Singh. I hope you will accept me as that person. Gina has.”
“She isn’t accustomed to a high-society way of living.”
“That doesn’t matter to me or to Gina. What is your point, Mr. Singh, what exactly is your point?” Shane was slightly perturbed at how the conversation was turning.
“My point is that I don’t want to see Gina give up herself to the rich and famous that make up your society, Mr. Ryden. That is my point.” His voice was even more firm now. “She will lose her roots, with that kind of lifestyle.”
“No she won’t. That’s a weak excuse for not letting go of her, of giving up your control, of her seeing me, being involved with me. Our relationship isn’t based on who has more or who has less. It’s based on mutual attraction, what we see in each other and what our emotional needs and desires are. That is all, Mr. Singh. Our love isn’t based on or in spite of culture, race, wealth or any other superficial thing. It’s based on us, period.”
“In India, it can be much different,” the father offered.
“That may be true in India, Sir, and in the U.S. as well, but it isn’t true with Gina and me. It doesn’t apply to us. It’s not part of our attraction and it’s never going to be a part of our life. Is that your major complaint about me seeing her? The age, the wealth, the society in which I live? Is that it?”
“It’s a concern, yes.”
“Then you should put that concern aside now, this moment. Look, Sir, I am in love with your daughter. Not her family, not her possessions, nothing but her. I hope you can understand and accept that. I am asking you to.” Shane hoped he would give them his approval, that he would just say it.
“Gina is of age in this country. She was born here. Legally, I cannot control her now. I just want the best for my daughter. I don’t want to see her hurt or in a marriage that ends in divorce after two years.”
“Mr. Singh, we haven’t even discussed marriage. We are not going to rush into that. I respect marriage, I have been married. I know what goes along with it and I honor it.”
“Your wife died, Gina told me. I’m sorry to hear that. Surely you understand my concern with Gina being so young. Her whole life is before her. She has told me she loves you, too. I only want her to be happy.”
“I am glad to hear that, Sir. You can ask me anything, discuss any concerns you have about our relationship or talk about anything else you need to, but don’t assume that I am after anything from Gina, because I am not. It’s just that simple.”
“Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Ryden. Good day.” With that, the conversation ended. Shane held the phone in front of him for a minute, staring at the instrument as if it could explain the purpose of the call. Guess I answered his question before he asked it, Shane said to himself. I wonder if she was listening. At least now he knew that Gina had made her decision and her move toward asking for her father’s approval. Otherwise, she would not have shared his number, and her father would not have called. Shane was relieved, but anxious.
Two hours later, his phone rang again; the same “Unknown Number” displayed on the screen. Shane ignored it at first, but changed his mind. “Hello,” he said into the receiver, not wanting to take a second chance at it being her father.
“Still speaking to me?” Gina’s voice was full of concern, but he could hear her slight smile with those beautiful lips curling slightly up.
“Of course! Why wouldn’t I speak to you? How did it go on your end?”
“When he came out of his study, I asked if the conversation went well. He just said, ‘We’ll see.’”
“Well, at least that doesn’t sound hopeless. Were you worried?”
“With him, I never know what to expect. I thought he might have raked you over the coals. He usually does. I’ve grown to expect it.”
“Did you ask him to call me?” Shane wanted to know her involvement.
“No, not at all. I was in the kitchen helping my mother. He walked in and asked for your phone number. I asked him why, and he said it was time the two of you discussed some things. That was it. I hadn’t even discussed you with him. In fact, I only nodded at him when I came in the house. We actually hadn’t spoken until he asked for the number.”
“Honey,” Shane said tenderly. “We are bigger than anything he or anyone else can throw at us. If he wants to attack me, I can handle myself and my intentions as far as you are concerned. I was firm, but respectful with him. Actually, I feel better. I think he sees that I won’t let him run all over me or us. I will defend us against him and his attitude. I promise you that. I love you, Gina. I love you for you, not your family, nothing else but you. Understand?”
“I love you, too. I’ll call you tomorrow when I get home. Okay?” It was a new day; he could tell it in her voice.
“Sure, get some rest. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Kisses.”
“Kisses back,” she said. He could hear the little smile she offered through her voice.
Gina didn’t call the next day. She didn’t have to. Shane was waiting in her driveway when she arrived home from San Francisco. They hugged as soon as she got out of the car. Hand-in-hand, they climbed the rickety steps to her apartment in silence. As they stood in the bedroom undressing each other, the color difference of their skin no longer seemed as stark; they had made a commitment to each other and their worlds had merged. Her father had sealed that pact whether he realized it or not. They would face whatever the future brought to them.
***
A week later, on an easy Saturday morning as they lay in each other’s arms quietly enjoying the peacefulness between them, Gina’s cell phone rang from the bedside table. She reached over, pushed the button and turned to Shane smiling a
s she said, “Hello.” Instantly, her facial expression changed from a smile to shock. “When? Oh, no! Yes, I’ll come. I’m on my way in an hour. No, I don’t mind. I want to come, Mama. I’ll be there quickly!” Turning to Shane as she threw the cover off her naked body, she said, “It’s my father. He’s had a massive heart attack! My mother is in a mess. I have to go there.” Shane jumped out of bed as she headed to the shower.
“I’m going with you,” he said matter-of-factly. “I’ll book a flight while you get ready, then you can pack a few things while I shower. We can be there within three hours if we hurry.”
“You don’t have to go,” she offered. “I don’t know what might happen. It might be better if you didn’t come.”
“I’m going, Gina. Don’t say anything more. I belong with you.”
Within three hours, they were landing in San Fran; Gina a total bundle of nerves. They took a cab straight to the hospital and found her mother sitting on a bench outside the ICU. “How is he?” Gina immediately asked.
“He’s touch and go,” her mother answered. “The doctor said it will be this way for the next several hours. They are trying to keep him calm, but he is agitated. They have just given him a sedative. Do you want to see him before he goes to sleep?”
Gina hesitated a moment, terrified to see him like this, afraid that if she didn’t, regret would consume her. Looking up at Shane, she asked, “Will you go in with me?”
“Sure,” he replied. “Of course, I’ll go with you. May I?” he asked her mother.
“Of course you may,” she replied quickly. “He should see you with Gina. He needs to face that.”
As they stepped into the hospital room, Gina gasped at the sight of her father hooked up to so many machines, the heart monitor ticking erratically by his bed, a respirator down his throat. Shane held her elbow as she ventured closer to the father that had disowned her a month ago, and questioned the love of her life only two days before. Her emotions were laying on the edge of her skin; her eyes brimmed with tears. He knew her as soon as she came into his vision. She loved him, but she loved the man with her, too. The old man’s eyes flitted between her and Shane almost in panic. “What is it?” she asked her father.
He could only grunt, but it was clear he was trying to tell her something. Shane came alongside the bed within her father’s vision. “Are you okay?” he asked, more as a doctor than an adversary.
The old man answered with a nod, but his eyes continued to alternate between the couple. Just as a guess, Shane moved his finger between himself and Gina and raised his eyebrows, trying to ask the father if he approved of them. The tired, sick eyes glistened suddenly, warmly acknowledging the connection Shane had made. It was his own way of giving permission. Shane put his arm around Gina and pulled her close, kissing her on the forehead.
The old man smiled slightly. “He approves of us,” Shane said to Gina. “He’s saying we are okay.” Her father nodded again, closed his eyes, and squeezed Gina’s hand. They stood by the bed for a few more minutes, listening to the beeping and clicking of the machinery. Shane pulled her close and led her quietly out of the room.
They were sitting with her mother in the ICU waiting room when the doctor called them into the hallway and led them to a smaller office a few feet away. “Your husband has just passed away,” the doctor softly said. “Another cardiac arrest. He didn’t suffer; he just went quietly and calmly. I’m sorry.” The room was full of silence at first, and then heavy sobs wracked her mother’s body. Although her own shock was obvious, Gina quickly knelt by her mother, offering unselfish support as her own heart was breaking. In the blink of an eye, she remembered someone saying to her long before now, your life can change. Her father had just proven this. He had blinked his eyes in approval of her new life, then gave up on his.
Shane stepped into the hallway and closed the door to the little room, leaving his Gina and her mother to collect themselves. He took care of everything at the hospital for them. No funeral arrangements or burial had been planned in advance, but Ms. Singh felt it best to send him back to India for burial. “He belongs there,” she had said. “He left India years ago, but his heart didn’t come with him. I want to send him home.”
Shane took care of all the expenses, even at Gina’s refusal to accept it. He knew this modest family didn’t have the financial means to do it, but Shane did, ironically and selflessly providing with the money the old man had seen as a detriment. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps Gina’s father knew this day might come, thus he brought up the subject of Shane’s wealth. It didn’t matter, though; he loved the old man’s daughter, and had come to respect the father’s concerns.
For several weeks following the departure of her father’s body, Gina seemed usually distant, not in a mean way, but in a reflective way. She clung to Shane, often driving down to his house in Manhattan Beach after working all day, just to sit on the sofa beside him or lay with him in his bed. She didn’t ask for anything, she didn’t cry; she just clung to him. Shane gave her the space she needed, but he was troubled by her continued grief.
Eventually, she called into the Center and asked for a couple of weeks off, which were readily granted. Shane drove her to the beach and sat in the sand as she walked and walked. There were things she had to sort out, and he wanted her to be certain of any decisions she was trying to make, regardless of where he might end up with those decisions.
During her second week at his house, she came into his study one evening and hugged him from behind, resting her chin on the top of his head. It was the first show of affection she had offered since her father’s death. Shane brought her crossed hands to his lips and kissed them gently, thankful that she was offering him the chance. He swiveled around to face her. The sight of her peach negligee against her beautiful olive skin almost took his breath as his body responded to the sight of her. She straddled his legs and kissed him passionately as his hands traveled up her thighs underneath the gown and rested on her waist. “It’s time for us,” she sensually said into his ear as her tongue tickled it. “I want my Shane.”
He rose from the chair and led her to the overstuffed couch. As he removed his shorts, she pulled the gown over her head, revealing her body to him; the nipples on her ample breasts were hard in anticipation of their mating. Without any words, they came together, each wanting to fulfill the unspoken desire that had hung between them, a desire that time would wait to bring to maturity. Gina lay on the sofa as his lips traveled the length of her body and his fingers worked their magic between her legs. She rose to meet his plunges; he pushed his love into her.
When he finally brought his erection between her legs, the evening shadows of the fading day drifted from the windows and through the room, but they were unaware of anything but the heat of the moment and the satisfying release of their fluid love. As Shane moved his cock in and out of her, Gina rose to meet his movements, her hands digging into his back; her pent up emotions riding along with them. Her cum came quickly as she lost herself in the moment of total surrender to the man she loved, the man she wanted against all odds, the man she would have. His breathing quickened along with his thrusts into his woman. The sounds and smells of their joining filled the small study, but they were both oblivious to the world around them; they were alone. At the pinnacle of their climax, Gina’s voice softly whispered, “I love you. He responded in kind; it was a promise for their future.
Two months later, they were married in a small ceremony on the beach attended by Gina’s mother, sister and a few close friends. There was no need for pomp and circumstance.
***
Within a month of their marriage, Shane finally convinced Mrs. Singh to move to Manhattan Beach so she could be near them. With her father’s insurance money, Gina bought her mother a small cottage located within walking distance of their house. Although she often joined them for dinner, Mrs. Singh had a life of her own. She, like Gina, had found her independence, quickly twisting the culture she had been bound t
o follow by her husband to suit her personal wishes. She learned to play bingo at the senior’s club; she joined a garden club and even took up playing bridge with some ladies on her street. She had never been allowed to socialize with these sorts of people, so Mrs. Singh was making the most of it. Gina and Shane suspicioned that she had taken up drinking some wine on occasion, but that was okay with them. She deserved to live, too.
A year after they married, Shane and Gina welcomed their son, Amlan Ryden, into the world. It was the happiest day of their lives. Not only did he complete their family, but Gina honored her father by making the little boy his namesake. Time had healed her wound. Amlan became the new center of their universe.
***
Shane leaned against the kitchen counter, staring at the project unfolding beside the pool. It was the day the goldfish got their permanent home in a special water fountain structure Gina and Amlan had built over the course of two weeks. Mrs. Singh sat in a chair close by, her legs covered in a blanket to ward off the morning chill, while Amlan’s puppy curiously watched the little boy. Shane had just returned from the last volleyball game of the season, an outing that continued to be a part of his and Gina’s life. The game that had brought them together.
Hard to believe six years has passed already, he thought to himself as he watched his son gingerly transfer the goldfish from the plastic transport container to their new home. The little boy had his father’s handsome looks; his blue eyes a stark contrast to his mother’s olive Indian skin and facial features. He was beautiful, just like Gina.
Tomorrow would be his fifth birthday, a celebration of the five happiest years of Shane’s life. The sun rose and set in the child, at least to the three adults that shared his life and the joy of raising him. Gina had finished her Master’s Degree and was now the Executive Director of the Center. Shane and Gina had also founded a shelter for the homeless, aptly named “Amanda’s Place,” a name Gina wanted. It was her idea and her way of avoiding “being rich,” a term she laughingly used to describe their modest lifestyle. He admired her ability to neutralize their financial standing by ridiculing it.