When one leaves the comfort zone, sometimes the lines between the norm and the surreal blur.
It started on my trip back to Lima from the high sierras. I took an all night bus, sometimes it edging a formidable precipice. At one point this ride felt like during time of airplane turbulence. The bus hugged at full speed a steep, curving uphill, while turning dizzily like a revolving door. This lasted several minutes. It was nerves of steel and machine against gravity force.
But that is not the strange part. Imagine we are resting our weary bodies on a hard mattress. With the innocence of children, succumbing to a deep slumber.
I suddenly awoke to the sound of moaning. This followed by low whispers. These followed by the unmistakable rhythm of the rocking of two bodies on a plastic covered mattress.
At exact intervals the same monotonous female moaning:
-“Oh”
-“Oh”
-“Oh”
-“Oh”
Suddenly the rhythm hastens. The male grunts with the agony of an injured beast.
Then, it slows and changes form. By this time, I stop breathing and pose my ear to acutely hear. I mean, I think I might be a closet voyeur. This is the first time I´ve come this close to basically hearing everything through the thin wall. Every ardent whisper, sigh, spank, caress, kiss, bite, grunt, moan, and squashy noise due to rapid thrusts.
You might wonder how was I privy to such intimacy? It happens the room I was in, originally was one large dorm. It was divided in two by a thin wall, one-fourth short. The upper gap is covered with florid cloth.
As I was saying, they changed rythm and form. Now I could not hear the woman´s monotonous moaning. Instead, I heard a suction sound, as if on a latex covered platform. The male´s supplicant grunting edging her on.
After a while, they revert to the former, yet their thryst is interrupted by my involuntary sneeze, three times in a row. They renew efforts, as they near the point of no return. Now I hear the woman´s monotonous moaning, say for a six or seven times more.
I dislike to be redundant, but it´s true they reverted to the latter. Suctioning sound on latex, with animal grunts echoing off the walls.
What can I say? Repeat performance, and curtain call it would seem. The woman performs her monotonous chant once more.This time, the rhythm is fierce, escalating in fury and intensity. The man is injured I fear, repeating over and over anguished primal war cries. Like those of primates when using solely corporal language.
I´m not kidding when I say the male started snoring a minute afterwards. The sound reververated in his chest and dorm.
I wondered what the woman would do next. Would she perhaps play with herself? About ten minutes passed, with only the chorus of the snoring to make out. After those ten minutes, I hear again a suctioning sound. Instead its tone differs as it lacks the latex, yet my ear is not fooled. I know what I hear and what that sneaky woman is doing, while the man snores.
After a few minutes of deep slumber, again the whispering ensues. I can´t make out the words quite. I imagine it´s related to startled awakening, much like mine was. Well, I did not wake to that…I digress.
So it was the above all over again. Why be redundant. Afterwards, I hear the guy ( he is about thirty), ask the woman (she is about fifty)..
-“Nothing happens with the mouth right?”
To which she replies in a deep sultry voice: “No, don´t worry. Thank you for an amazing time.”
Not a minute later, I hear banging on their door with the manager of this reputable business telling them their time is up. It was about an hour ago, that I realized which type of establisment this was.
I hear them get dressed and kiss. They leave. I´ve just gotten a glimpse of a working girl´s trick.
I can´t in all honesty say, that I was not affected in some way. I vacillated as if to seek remedy, when a virtual parade ensued in the adjacent room. I hear someone come into the room to change the bed covering, and tidy up. Who the heck cleans in the middle of the night? I cannot sleep, yet, it is still dark outside.
After a few minutes, as I was about to unbutton my jeans, to my amazement - and I am relatively shock proof, I hear the melodious voice of a young woman enter that same room. That son of a bitch. The manager is doing it on purpose, as all the other rooms are empty. I can attest to this, since all the doors are flung open.
Her sparkling laughter fills the room, and I strain to hear some kind of ruffling. She halts the proceedings to get to the point.
-“You haven´t given me my tip grandfather. I charge one-thousand soles.” She said jokingly.
-“Here take this.” The older man says, while I imagine there is a currency exchange.
It starts off the bat with the similar suction sound of velvety tongue on latex. This lasts for about five minutes. Then the form changes.
-“Why you want to go so fast?” The young girl asks.
I cannot make what is going on. It is a bit confusing. After a while he says: “No pasa nada, no pasa nada, I left the condom inside.” (nothing happens…nothing happens).
-“You went too fast. Are you going out on your route again?” She asks.
-“No, I´m done for the night. You know, you should wear tights. It´s too cold outside. I´m leaving now. I hope to see you another time.” He said as he softly closed the door after him.
I don´t hear much, nor care to. I get up and pack to brave the early dawn for some coffee and breakfast. I leave and know the girl is still enjoying the warmth of the covers on her cold legs, before her hour is up.
I am not shocked, as I said earlier.. When one leaves the comfort zone, sometimes the lines between the norm and the surreal blur.
