by J. Naomi Ay
"You'll still end up as a maid." Aunt Klair grumbled during Luci's fourth and final year in school. "All this expensive education and you haven't a single marketable skill with which to find a job."
"I can be a translator," Luci insisted.
"Translating what?" The old woman scoffed. "How many Rozarians do you see walking around here? You had better get yourself a wealthy husband who can take care of you unlike that drunk your mother married."
In her heart, Luci agreed with the old woman that she was woefully unprepared to support herself. Had she studied accounting like her old friend Leesa from the Academy, or taken up something in the medical profession, she might have had a chance to acquire one of the few jobs that remained. Luci graduated with honors, an achievement the old woman scoffed at as she sat in the audience while Luci commenced.
"Any idiot can get good grades in language," Klair cackled as Luci drove her home in their ancient speeder. "Now go out and find some employment. You need an income of your own. I won't be supporting you forever."
As it turned out, it was forever for Aunt Klair as only a few weeks later when Luci returned home from yet another unsuccessful job search, she discovered Klair dead in her favorite chair. A stack of peanuts and a cup of beer lay half consumed upon the table at her side. The vid was on, displaying the usual afternoon fare of talk shows. Klair sat frozen in place, her eyes staring blankly at the screen, whereupon someone was complaining about their husband's multiple infidelities with his siblings. Luci stood watching her late aunt for a moment as if waiting for the old woman to come back to life. When she didn't budge, even after one of the on screen women jumped from her chair to pummel the adulterous and incestuous man, Luci calmly summoned the medics. While making the arrangements to see her Great Aunt interred, sparing no expense when it came to the final resting place, Luci considered how she felt. Aunt Klair had been kind to her, certainly kinder than anyone else of memory, yet Luci didn't feel particularly at a loss. A few days later, Luci was informed by the executor of her Great Aunt's estate that she was now the proud owner of the flat in which she resided. Unfortunately, however, the endowment had terminated and with it, Luci's only source of income and means to pay the taxes and utility bills.
****
Aunt Klair had left a few gold coins and an antique diamond ring in the small safe under her bed. Luci wondered who the ring had come from since Aunt Klair had been a lifelong bachelorette. In all the years they had lived together, she had never once mentioned any man. Luci converted the coins to currency in order to survive, but she kept the ring in the safe, periodically taking it out to test upon her finger. Several months later, still without employment and dreading the empty cold apartment and package of dried Ramen noodles which she returned to every night, Luci resolved to take in a roommate or two for company, as well as income.
Two days after posting an advert on the wall of the only remaining coffee shop in the area, Luci received a call from a young man asking if the room was still available to let. While she had never considered taking in a roommate of the opposite sex, she had in her possession the last gold coin of Aunt Klair's and a large property tax bill that needed paying.
"Alright," she agreed, noting in the man's voice the soft tones of a Korelesk accent. She made an appointment to meet him at the flat late the following afternoon in hopes that in the interim a more suitable, female candidate might approach.
The next morning, Luci interviewed two women who seemed inordinately attached to each other. Despite Luci's objections, they insisted that her own former tiny bedroom and one double bed would be large enough for both. Following them, an elderly woman who had been living on the streets offered to pay half of what Luci had posted. In exchange for the balance, she would clean the house and prepare the meals. Luci considered that as her heart truly broke on the woman's behalf, yet the odor, which emanated off the homeless woman's body, was simply too much for Luci to bear. In addition, when queried what meals might be included in the repertoire, the woman described various configurations of meat that came pressed in a can. The last potential female lessee appeared to be half of Luci's age. She shook out a pocket of gold coins prepared to pay rent for months in advance. When asked how she came by what was now a small fortune, the girl explained the circumstances of her employment and the necessity of finding a room with a bed.
By the time the man from Korelesk knocked on her front door, Luci was prepared to offer him the room sight unseen. As long as he didn’t smell, bring in another roommate, or traffic his business through her flat, Luci would overlook the unseemliness of sharing with a male flatmate. She opened her door to a tall, slim gentleman about her own age with dark curly hair. His face was peppered with pockmarks, remnants of terrible acne suffered in his youth. He wore large horn rimmed glasses, and a shabby but clean houndstooth coat over a buttoned shirt and equally worn but clean dress trousers.
"Excuse me," he stuttered, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he made an effort to speak slowly and contain the impediments to his speech. "I'm here about the room."
"Vinz?" Luci gasped, her heart racing with both excitement and horror.
"Luci?" Vinz cried, his scarred face immediately turning a bright pink hue. He dropped his small bag and reached out with his arms. Luci did so, as well, but stopped in midair, uncertain if she was quite ready for a hug. For a moment, they stood there on the porch, each with arms awkwardly raised and grasping nothing, Luci's hands fluttering as if she were a canary who suddenly discovered that her wings had been clipped.
"Yes, Vinz," Luci said, dropping her arms and clearing her throat.
"Uhem," Vinz agreed, lowering his own.
"You're here about the room, are you?" Luci stood back and allowed him to enter. "You probably won't like it. It's small, tiny really, and it's way, way in the back where it's very, very dark." Vinz looked at her carefully, studying her face with his deep brown eyes. Luci had always liked Vinz's eyes. She had considered them his best feature. Then again, he didn't actually have any other good features, so there wasn't much competition in that regard. He wasn't bad looking now, not nearly as ugly as he had been as a child. In fact, he was rather good looking if one ignored all those pockmarked scars. His body had matured well as his shoulders were quite broad while his waist was nicely slim. Luci found her eyes locked on the rear of him as Vinz wandered about the flat.
"It's a nice room, Luci." Vinz returned to the front room, carrying his coat. The heat was on and blasting although the day was warm. On the coldest days, the radiator emitted barely a whimper, such that Luci believed the building management lived only to make the tenants miserable. Luci felt sweat bead at her temples. A tiny droplet slithered down the side of her face. "You look nice too, Luci." Vinz continued, noting her distress and smiling a little. "You've grown up into a beautiful woman. I'm so glad we've had this chance to reacquaint."
"'Indeed. Tea, Vinz?" Luci coughed and then ran to the pantry to fetch a tea towel to wipe her brow. She hastily prepared two cups using the bag she had started yesterday morning. Tea, as everything, was expensive now, and a bag could be used for at least three days. Aunt Klair often said that one grew accustomed to weak tea the more often one drank it. By the end of the third day, they were drinking plain water and liking it. Luci found a few cookies to offer from a box of Aunt Klair's favorites, which Luci had never particularly liked. They were dry as dust and had no adornments such as frosting or sprinkles. Some had a large piece of nut artistically placed on top. Stale or fresh, they tasted exactly the same.
Vinz was settled on the sofa when Luci returned with the refreshments. Aunt Klair's favorite talk show was playing on the vid. For a moment, Luci paused at the warm and welcome familiarity of the scene. Though Vinz was not Aunt Klair, he was a surprisingly comfortable presence. He enjoyed the cookies and the tea. In fact, he finished several portions of both. It was clear, he had been eating sparingly to save all he could of his meager salary which he earned as a graduate student in biome
dical engineering.
Vinz stayed for dinner, impressing Luci with the breadth of his culinary creativity. He expertly diced and added a few sad vegetables and an egg to Luci's Ramen noodles creating an almost nutritious and almost satisfying meal. Afterward, they shared the last of an open bottle of wine whose corked had originally been removed during the preceding decade. Luci found herself getting quite giggly. Everything Vinz said became amazingly funny and his pockmarked scars seemed to fade into a rosy glow. Though she was reluctant to part company, the dawn hours were rapidly approaching. Luci bid him goodnight and went to her bed.
Several hours later, Luci emerged from Aunt Klair's room, which she had appropriated for herself upon the old woman's demise. Vinz was snoring on the sofa, his large feet hanging over the side. She stood at the door gazing at him for a few moments, fondness growing like a seedling in her heart and spreading across her entire being. By the time Vinz snorted and coughed himself awake, apologizing profusely for having taken the liberty of staying upon her couch, Luci was convinced she was forever in love.
The next day, Vinz moved his two bags of belongings into Luci's former bedroom. One contained his meager faded wardrobe, the other his school tablet and microscope. He paid Luci the sum she required although she demurred and insisted it wasn't necessary.
"I don't want to take advantage of our friendship, Luci." Vinz pressed the coins into her hand. Luci decided to treat Vinz to dinner. Half of one gold coin she could spare on the extravagance. While he unpacked and proceeded to study, Luci scoured the neighborhood market for something fresh and tasty to prepare. Unfortunately, even with her tiny bit of new found wealth, most grocery stalls contained only a few paltry offerings. She ended up bringing home a pizza, two bottles of beer and some melon for dessert. It wasn't quite the gourmet cuisine she had hoped for, but Vinz was delighted and pulled himself away from his books to join her at the kitchen table.
"How is your sister Baby?" He asked, shoving a large portion of pizza into his mouth. Luci swallowed her beer and the tiny piece of pizza while updating Vinz on Baby's status.
"So, Mum hasn't seen or heard from her in nearly a year," Luci explained poking her fork at the melon. She grabbed one small slice and pushed the rest in front of Vinz. "After she turned fifteen, she ran off to Saint knows where. I just hope she's alright, not living in the streets on in the gutters." Having being raised by exactly this sort of woman, Vinz shrugged and he finished the rest of the food. Then, he leaned back in his chair and gazed at Luci with a curious twinkling in his dark eyes. Luci felt her face flush and her skin grow warm. Her hands began to shake as she quickly jumped up to clear the table.
"Stop," Vinz commanded, placing his hand over Luci's. One of Aunt Klair's best dishes clattered back down to the tablecloth. Vinz held Luci's hand tightly as he rose to his feet. Before she knew what was happening, he had pulled her against him, and his warm wet mouth was locked upon hers. Even though, Luci was well into her mid-twenties, this was all a new experience. Up until now, it seemed that no one was ever interested in such a big girl. "I've always loved you, Luci," Vinz declared, his wet tongue searching about her mouth. Luci wasn't certain why he was doing this. In fact, everything was a little too wet and clammy for her taste. Never the less, she enjoyed the feeling of his arms around her and the hardness of his slim body as he pressed her against the table. Her heart began to race, and her breath came short as Vinz's roving hands now slipped under her shirt. "Shall we head to the bedroom?" Vinz suggested, his mouth moving down her jawline to her neck. She assumed the point was to have it meet up with his hands, which had just discovered and were celebrating her tremendous bust. Luci nodded, she thought, although she wasn't certain, as between the beer and everything else, her head was positively swimming. Her breasts still locked in Vinz's palms, they together stepped away from the table. Unfortunately, in the commotion, the tablecloth must have gotten tucked somehow in Luci's pants. All of Aunt Klair's good dishes, the pizza box, and the remainder of the melon ended up in a mess upon the floor. Luci bolted away from Vinz who immediately knelt down to begin cleaning up. The two dishes were shattered beyond repair, as was the mood for the remainder of the evening.
Luci avoided Vinz for the next few days. Taking the hint, Vinz avoided her, as well. He stayed late at the University and when home, they ate at separate times. Luci hid in her room until she was certain he had gone to sleep. One day, however, she heard him speaking as he came through the door. His voice was answered by that of another man. Luci opened her own door a tiny crack to listen to their conversation, which had something to do with their school work and lack of employment. Luci liked the sound of the other man's voice. His accent was particularly refined as if he had attended the best schools in New Mishnah. She dared to emerge from her room to see who it was.
"Oh Luci," Vinz cried, running to her side and grasping her hand. "Come here. I'd like to introduce my friend Berkan." Luci studied the young man who was as pale as Vinz was dark. He had white blonde hair and skin nearly as fair as a Lightie. He was a big fellow, not heavy but built large. He looked familiar although she couldn't think of how she might have known him. He smiled broadly at her, kissed her hand when she offered it to shake, and then, bowed in courtly way while Vinz laughed. The three of them went out after that. They walked half way across the city to find an open bar. By the time, they returned home, it was nearly dawn, and Luci was very drunk. "Berk, you can sleep in my bed," Vinz offered. "I'll sleep on the couch."
"Oh no," Luci cried sloppily. In her inebriated state, her inhibitions were gone. "Vinz, you can share with me. After all, the bed is a double." Then, she giggled uncontrollably until she nearly fell down. Berkan raised his eyebrows and nudged his friend, who couldn't believe the good fortune he had just been granted. Vinz followed Luci to her room where she collapsed on the bed and immediately fell asleep. For a moment, Vinz wasn't sure how to proceed. He couldn't go back to the living room where inevitably, Berkan would taunt him. Instead, he crawled in next to Luci and snuggled up to her tremendous bust, burying his nose in the cleavage he had admired since they were twelve years old.
Twice now, Vinz had missed out on his chance. By the time they both awoke, it was nearly noon, and Vinz had classes to attend. He bolted from the room, leaving Luci confused and flustered, as well as significantly hung over. She stumbled to the kitchen for coffee in only Aunt Klair's old dressing robe which was several sizes too small, especially where it counted. After retching into the sink and swallowing multiple aspirin, Luci set the coffee pot on to percolate as she sat down at the table to cradle her pulsing head.
"Have you got enough for two?" A man's voice asked.
"What are you doing here?" Luci shrieked, having forgotten about Vinz's friend. She leapt out of her chair, knocking it over in the process and catching the tail of her skimpy robe on the arm. A moment later, Luci was splayed upon the floor, and Berkan was getting an eyeful which delighted him to no end. "Go away!" Luci refused his proffered hand as she scrambled to right herself, as well as her clothing. She dashed back to her bedroom, her head pounding, her heart racing, resolving never again to drink or share company with that man.
****
The following week, Luci acquired a temporary job through a job service. While Vinz's rent had momentarily eased the strain on her budget, a steady diet of Ramen noodles had grown very dull. In addition, the winter was cold, harsher than most, and the heating bill was nearly as much as the taxes. Luci worked in a dental office checking in patients, scheduling their appointments, and ringing to remind them of such. It was brainless work, not something intended for a girl with an advanced degree in languages, but beggars could not be choosers, and Luci was nearly a beggar. She enjoyed the daily interaction with people, and was always sympathetic to those who entered or departed holding their jaw. When she returned home at night, she was full of stories about her day and anxious to share them with Vinz when he arrived from the University.
Luci was feeling quite domestic,
as of late. On her way to work, should she pass a baby in a pram, her heart began to melt as the alarm on her biological clock began to chime. She sat around the dining table every night and imagined one or two smaller faces peering back at her. As a husband was required to fulfill this familial fantasy, Luci swallowed her hesitation and decided to aggressively woo poor Vinz. They were good friends, had been so for quite some time, and she enjoyed their moments together although that bed thing still worried her. Never the less, he was the best candidate for the position that was required, in part due to lack of anyone else.
"Vinz," Luci prompted one evening, her voice low and as seductive as she could make it. She was dressed in Aunt Klair's skimpy bathrobe with nothing else but her birthday suit underneath. "I've been thinking about you, about us, about everything. Have you been thinking about me, Vinz, at all?" Vinz was seated at the dining table surrounded by volumes of research papers and books. A thin veil of sweat masked his brow and trickled down his nose, occasionally dripping on the keyboard of the netbook in front of him. "Vinz?" Luci persisted when she didn't get a response although his fingers were busily typing away. He paused for a half a second to wipe at the sweat, and when doing so, looked up at Luci. Vinz's eyes widened in surprise, even joy, Luci thought, although he quickly turned back to his thesis paper. It had to do with molecular engineering at the cellular level as applied in regenerative medicine. This draft was due in three days, four hours, ten minutes and twenty-five seconds. Every spare breath and every single thought would be devoted to it from now until then.