WALLACE

“Right now my plan is to spank you like a father would spank a daughter but you are not my daughter so I cannot do that,” replied a smiling Wallace. He embraced her. “But if you wish, I will? After all, I am fifty eight and you are, incidentally, what are you anyway, twenty seven or thirty seven, some seven from heaven?” The ruse prompted a mild brush on the shoulder with her palm as Estella blurted smiling, “You know what I am. I told you when you were here and when we made that deal regarding the General. Besides, we had everyone talking that time we shared a bed as well as they are talking about us being together now, in bed.” Estella blushed and continued, “Let them talk. It diverts their attention and gives us an edge, right? Mendoza tells me everyone is talking everywhere all the time as it is,” answered Estella, obviously flustered slightly and in need of a resolution to whatever was causing her discomfort. What had begun as a rather flirtatious description of a platonic social concern was suddenly spiraling into a passionate eruption of volcanic proportions. Neither Wallace nor Estella grasped the chemistry of the dynamic, their love. Wrapping their affections in academic exercises only exacerbated their confusion, if in fact it was confusion and not a foreplay flirtation. Wallace wished to appear precise, pointed and poignantly in control, when in reality he harbored more questions than did the extended family. His questions were rooted in ignorance, quilt, unworthiness and shame such as, was he a surrogate father replacement for Estella, an elderly brother or a lover? The conversation remained suspended and unresolved. It was evening and both were ready to retire although it was infrequent that Wallace used his separate assigned room. The two lovers shared pillows and the heat of their discussions prompted Estella to grasp Wallace’s hand as she confirmed the obvious, “Stay tonight.” Silence ruled as they lay quietly commiserating over their previous choice of words. Although neither wished to initiate additional problems for the other, Wallace who spoke in the quiet calm of silence, “I love you.” His words followed tears as he placed both hands over his eyes and wept. Estella rolled closer and embraced him lovingly, “And I love you.”