Santiago drinks in excess to numb himself, to forget the pain. Sometimes, while in a drunken stupor memories of his childhood abuse sober him up. He has long forgiven his mother, although the pain lingers. Disdain and lack of compassion were his reality. Santiago felt his mother hated him more than she could ever love him, and punishing him is how she felt alive. She was enamored with being the center of attention. She would conspire against family members and fabricate tales. As the family matriarch, she was revered. Her influence was such that everyone took her word as gospel. Any family member she could not control, she would influence others to turn against them and a witch hunt would ensue. Habitually, she manufactured faults within her daughters-in-law. Genova was in constant competition with wives, mistresses, and girlfriends. There was solely one mistress who she never dared utter a word. Raisa was a drug queen pin and everyone knew she was just as ruthless as she was cool. Raisa was the lover of Genova’s playboy son, Rafa. Rafa had a wife, four young sons, and a string of women, one prettier than the next. Raisa never bothered Rafa’s wife, she respected her, everyone else was fair game. Raisa would have Rafa followed, show up unannounced and find him in compromised situations. She would smack him and call him a come mielda. Rafa feared her, he was keenly aware Raisa carried a gun at all times.
WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT
Leonora looked like the stereotypical Latina. Waist-length curly hair, hourglass figure, inherited from the ancestors. Beautiful smile, all-around a looker. A very personable and sweet girl. A ton of fun to be around. Leonora recently completed her master’s in nursing, single, and living her very best life. Leonora was 27 and beginning to feel the pressures of not being engaged or married unlike many of her sorority sisters. Leonora had a lover, whom she worshipped and delighted in his nectar. She and her lover were involved well beyond the expiration date of the average affair. Her lover would call her late into the night when he was certain his wife was asleep and they would speak for hours. Leonora’s family was entirely against the relationship given Mateo was married although keeping appearances superseded how they felt about him. There was nothing Leonora’s family could do to sway her into ending things with her lover. The constant familial scrutiny only compelled her to keep the relationship a secret and pretend it was over. Leonora met Solano through her childhood friend. Solano had done exceptionally well for himself in investment banking and by all appearances had quite the future ahead of him and was ready for marriage. Upon meeting Leonora, Solano was immediately smitten, within six months they were engaged. Throughout the courtship, Leonora maintained allegiance to Solano. A wedding was planned while no attention to detail was spared. The wedding was scheduled at a cathedral with a year-long waitlist. The veil alone was 100 feet long. Two hundred and fifty guests confirmed. White Beach, Boracay Aklan, Philippines was confirmed as the honeymoon destination. The evening before the nuptials, Leonora was nowhere to be found. She had decided to spend the evening with her lover.
Labyrinth
Carolina worked as a bottle girl in an underground after-hours spot, with her allure, body, and personality, an average night yielded between $1,000 and $2,000 in tips. After numerous attempts at the 9 to 5 world, the numbers simply did not add up. Working forty hours per week at $15.00 per hour, after taxes the balance did not even cover room and board, in New York City. Besides, she truly felt alive and in her element after hours. Being popular with the customers garnered a great deal of jealousy amongst fellow bottle girls. Carolina had a knack for men with deep pockets, independent of their marital status. She bewitched the owner of the establishment where she worked, trusting abundance would flow. Quickly the lifestyle ensued. Jet-setting became her new norm, knee-deep in love, Carolina was that girl. The outpouring of love and affection (love bombing)was exceptional until Lorenzo alienated Carolina. He placed her in a high rise apartment, within a gated community, like a caged bird, while disappearing for weeks on end. Left without money or food, Carolina had to fend for herself, lacking in resources, she reached out to relatives for some sustenance. Carolina was undeterred by Lorenzo’s wife back in the states however clueless to his second wife and kids in Panama. Learning of his second wife left Carolina feeling lonely, desperate, and destitute. Patiently hoping for her lover’s return. As Mistress, holidays were reserved for wives, so Carolina was granted time before or strictly following the holiday, never during. The wives knew of Carolina, as she knew of the wives although no one dared to leave their covenant. Lorenzo excelled at grooming thirsty young girls who could easily be inspired/manipulated by the illusion of a lifestyle. Lorenzo frowned upon any sign of autonomy amongst his women. Needy co-dependent and grossly insecure were pre-requisites. Any sort of fraternizing without Lorenzo always required his consent. Approved outings were routinely subject to a last-minute cancellation by Lorenzo, just because he lived in perpetual fear of his women conspiring against him. Independent of having two wives and a mistress, Lorenzo routinely sought out additional women and never concealed anything. As a means to keep women away, Carolina often participated in dalliances with Lorenzo although nothing ever tamed him. After years of living in a labyrinth with Lorenzo, Carolina’s sole desire was a child which Lorenzo immediately denied ending everything for Carolina.
Poly Solo
I met Tabitha at a Labor Day party. She was very ingratiating. Tabitha immediately disclosed how she just purchased a sex toy, with a tongue attached to a suction device and how it is everything she requires in life. She goes on to share how she is Poly Solo. Poly Solo meaning many loves with emotional attachment although not having a primary partner. Tabitha equates having lovers too caring for plants, given each plant requires a different level of care. For example, some plants required very little water, while others require water three times per week. Some thrive in the sun, while others are best suited with indirect sunlight. She speaks of requiring substantial solitary time in order to show up in the world at her very best. Tabitha is keen on identifying precisely the needs of her lovers while ensuring her wants are met. She has a lover who requires nurturing once a month and happily, she obliges. She mentioned how she was involved with a married couple and enjoyed being intimate with the husband and how it was mutual. The husband asked if she was interested in a relationship independent of his wife, given they have an open marriage. The wife propositioned the exact scenario as the husband, although Tabitha found the wife extremely aggressive and opted not to engage exclusively with the wife. Overall, Tabitha said being the unicorn/third party in a marriage can be prickly. According to Tabitha, the downside of polyamory is falling in love with a partner and things suddenly ending and left with the task of picking up the pieces.
As a point of reference, Tabitha mentions a beloved girlfriend who is 87 and polyamorous. Her dear friend purchased a brownstone in the 1980s, moved in her besties into three apartments along with renting the additional units to single mothers along with families, and how it is a loving community, in which everyone looks out and cares for one another. The elders in the brownstone, occasionally provide childcare for the other tenants, while maintaining multiple lovers.
Tabitha likens being married to being taken for granted, overlooked, dismissed, and disregarded. She prefers to be desired and lusted over than be confined by societal norms.about:blank