A Treacherous Earthquake

A little less depressed Gerardo went to his mother's house. He wanted to see Mireya's face to see if she had anything to say in her defense, or if she had already accepted, with her silence, the reality of her shame. When he arrived, his mother told him, in a low voice, that Mireya had not left her room since he left and that she had not wanted to eat. A little anxious, Gerardo crept into her room. Mireya was seen lying diagonally across her bed face down. A strong smell of liquor wafted through the room and a half-bottle of brandy, and a plastic cup were protruding over the bureau. Carefully, Gerardo checked her breathing and her whole body for any injuries, especially the amputated leg. Luckily, everything looked fine. Mireya had obviously been completely intoxicated. Probably the first binge of her life. It was very seldom that she drank any beer or any liquor with soda. He placed her carefully on the bed and left, taking the bottle of brandy with him.

"Do you have any idea where she got this? He asked his mother.

"Jorge kept that bottle in the cupboard for a long time. I don't think she went out to buy it. I didn't realize when she took it away."

Gerardo checked the cupboard verifying that, indeed, there was no longer any bottle.

Annoyed, Gerardo's mom asked.

"Now, you are going to explain me what is happening here."

"Let's go to your room mom, I'll explain there."

Gerardo explained in detail what he had found and his confrontation with Mireya. Gerardo's mom was not surprised by what she had just heard. A mixture of mixed feelings left her silent for a few moments. At last, she asked.

"What are you going to do?"

"I will wait for her to recover completely and then I'll see what to do. Most likely, we'll get divorced later."

At night, Mireya having recovered from the drunkenness, Gerardo approached her:

"Did you celebrate something last night, or did you confuse brandy with tamarind juice?" Gerardo asked mockingly.

Mireya remained silent.

"Alcohol is not going to help you much in recovery. And specially if you are taking medication."

"If it had been cyanide, I would have taken it with pleasure."

Gerardo became serious and said.

"I have no desire to fight with you. What I want is for you to make a full recovery and for that I need your cooperation. We'll see what course we take later."

Heartbroken, Mireya replied.

"It is not necessary to continue with this nightmare, I have already thought it through, and I need you to do me one last favor. Get me a ticket to Veracruz to go live with my mother. I will not bother you again and you will never hear from me again. I hope that someday you will forgive me and not hold a grudge. I recognize that I committed a serious fault, and I will never regret it enough. You don't have to keep looking out for my recovery, you have done enough, and I thank you for it."

As soon as she finished, Mireya burst into tears, covering her face. There was nothing more to say, she had to run away from there anyway. If she had her full legs she would have run like in her best days.

Gerardo felt an enormous pity to see her in that state. His throat felt dry, and he couldn't find anything to say. He pulled himself together and said.

"You're not going anywhere. You're still my wife and I'm not running you off. I'm not heartless. Let's try to keep the party peaceful while you recover. Besides, in Veracruz you won't be able to continue with therapy and I don't think your mother will be able to help you. I have already started working in my brother's business and the first thing I am going to do is buy you clothes and anything else you need. So, make a list of what you want me to buy you. And please, don't include cyanide."

Mireya understood that she had no other option than the one Gerardo had indicated. She also understood that the best way not to complicate things was to keep her mouth shut as long as possible and let time run its course. Time could be her best ally.

Three weeks passed in a somewhat tense, but somehow routine environment. Routine usually brings calm. Mireya continued with therapy activities at home and was able to dispense with all medication, except for sporadic moments when the missing leg caused her pain, a very common syndrome in amputees. She had become accustomed to the crutches and went for a 25-minute walk every day. Refugio's feelings shifted to compassion since Mireya's efforts and stoicism in the face of adversity were touching.

Working with his brother, Gerardo quickly learned all aspects of the business, including those outside its scope. The most important part of his job had to do with getting to know and dealing with customers and suppliers. He was not an expert in trading relations, but his friendliness and good manners made things easier for him.

Two months after the earthquake, the city was experiencing a painful calm. Everywhere there were machines picking up debris or demolishing irreparably damaged buildings. The lists of deaths injured and missing had stabilized, but they were far from reality. Four eyes kept scanning these lists for a certain name. Sometimes there were six, when the newspaper reached Mireya's hands, which was not often. But Jorge and Gerardo did not miss a detail in their search.

In the evenings, after dinner and watching the news on TV, Mireya and Gerardo would retire to their room where they would regularly read a book. The dialogues between them were sparse but friendly. They had always been good readers, as had Jorge, who had a modest library in his mother's house. After reading, Gerardo would go to bed at about 10 o'clock, since he had to get up early to go to Jorge's office. Mireya would read for another hour before going to bed. Normality, at least in appearance, was back.

Like any person who suffers physical trauma, Mireya had lost her menstruation and, above all, her libido. She couldn't be pregnant because she had been very careful about taking her pills. In any case, any possible pregnancy would have aborted due to the terrible physical trauma experienced. But as her health improves and regained emotional stability her ovulation returned. But this also brought back, to her misfortune, her old libido problem. Not with the old intensity, but it was a subject that required her attention.

One night, after sleeping for a couple of hours, Gerardo woke up because he needed to pass water. Before getting up, he heard faint moans coming from Mireya's bed. He restrained himself and looked back to her bed where he thought he saw a slight periodic movement of the sheet covering Mireya's body. He paid more attention to the moaning until he realized what was happening. He lay still for a while pretending to be asleep until the movement and moaning stopped completely. He was unable to sleep for the rest of the night until it was close to the time to get up. His arousal made him uncomfortable because it provoked contradictory feelings. Like Mireya, he needed to unburden his libido, but his offended dignity prevented him from doing so. The punishment he was inflicting on his wife was his own punishment. He had to put an end to it.

The next day, on his way back home, already locked in his room with Mireya, he told her.

"I understand that your sexual appetite has returned and surely you understand that I also have that problem. I want to make you a proposal."

Astounded, Mireya did not realize what he was getting at.

"I don't know what you mean, but you don't have to worry about my needs."

"You listen to what I am going to tell you and then you decide."

Gerardo paused and continued.

"I propose that we have sex, but in a different way than before."

Amazed, Mireya didn't understand what Gerardo was getting at.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"We're going to have sex, but without affectionate demonstrations. Pure sex, and only when I say so."

Without coming out of her astonishment, Mireya didn't know what to answer. She didn't even understand what he meant by "pure sex". She realized that the proposal was, to a certain extent, humiliating; but it was also true that Gerardo was still her husband and, what was worse, that she had seriously offended him with her infidelity. On the other hand, Mireya was aware that this was a window of opportunity that was opening that could eventually help her achieve a definitive reconciliation. After a couple of minutes Mireya replied.

"All right, I'll take whatever you want."

Gerardo then took a box of contraceptive pills out of his pant bag and placed them on the bureau.

"You take these, we can't risk it."

Three days later at nighttime, about 30 minutes after Mireya went to bed, Gerardo got up from his bed with a strong erection. He took off his trunks and applied some cream to his member. He walked over to Mireya's bed and pulled the bed sheet off her. Mireya, a little surprised, knew what it was about.

Gerardo knelt over her, lifted Mireya's right leg and put it on his shoulder. He took his member in his right hand and placed at the entrance of Mireya's pussy. A slight thrust indicated to him that the way was clear. One more thrust and his member disappeared into Mireya's honeypot, who let out a short moan while raising her left thigh in an attempt to hold Gerardo's hip. Three minutes after, he started moving in and out quickly. Mireya covered her mouth to stifle the scream that heralded her first orgasm. A little surprised, Gerardo slowed the frequency of his thrusts, giving Mireya time to recover. He continued like this for two more minutes, but it was clear that, after such a long time of abstinence, he would not be able to hold out any longer. He speeds up his pace and after a few seconds he exploded inside Mireya, depositing his long-accumulated load of cum. At the same time, Mireya was shaking with a second climax, more powerful than the first.

Gerardo sat up, brought a roll of paper to Mireya and wiped his member, still a little tense. Resentment left its place, for the moment, to the old feelings he had come to have for Mireya.

Sex, almost every day, were incorporated into a new normality between them. This also benefited the atmosphere in the house, going from a somewhat melancholic state to a more relaxed environment, and a little more dialogue between everyone. On the other hand, Mireya was making rapid progress in her rehabilitation. She had gotten used to the crutches very well, to the extent that she only needed to lean on one crutch, the one on her left side, her missing leg. Her mood was improving, but a little voice inside kept telling her that her tale was not over yet.

Every day Mireya went for a walk for at least 30 minutes. She came to a small sports park where the boys' games reminded her of the happy times of her sports life. She remembered Mario with a certain feeling of resentment. In her tangled imagination she came to think that he was to blame for her misfortune. She seemed to forget that, if it hadn't been for her affair with Mario, she would have been buried in the apartment in the Nuevo León building. Or, who knows; the possibility remained that for some reason she had thought to get out of it before 7:19 on that fateful day.

Several times on her tour she took the opportunity to speak to the ESEF from a public telephone asking about Mario. The answer was always the same: nothing was known about his whereabouts. And apparently, no one had bothered to report him as missing because he was still not on the official lists of the missing. Everything indicated that he had died without being able to be identified or, perhaps, his remains could not even be found.

Six months after the earthquakes, Gerardo was doing very well in his job. Sales were improving and his advice to Jorge had increased profits a little. One aspect of his job that occupied him the most was customer service. Jorge's warehouses supplied about 22 retail stores with fruits and vegetables. Although orders for merchandise were almost always placed over the phone, Gerardo made a habit of visiting them regularly. These visits served to strengthen the bond with the customer through advice and suggestions Gerardo would make to improve their sales; from product presentation to suggestions on how to paint the front of the store and how to design and place the respective signs.

One of these customers was a medium-sized business called 'Frutería Lety', run by a woman named Leticia, better known simply as Lety. She was a woman in her early 50's, outgoing and friendly. In her youth she must have been a very gorgeous woman. Her sensual lips and bulging breasts left no room for doubt. Widowed for seven years and with three sons, she had to take over the business that her husband had just started. She had one or two assistants in the greengrocer's shop, depending on the season. The assistants were usually teenagers who changed constantly. If for some reason she could not show up for work, the greengrocer would simply remain closed. Her presence was vital to the smooth operation of the business.

Gerardo had a very good relationship with Lety. He enjoyed her always cordial and lively conversation. Perhaps for this reason he was especially flexible when Lety fell behind in her payments and extended their deadlines. He knew that either way she always made good on her payments.

One day, when visiting the greengrocer, Gerardo found a young woman in Lety's place. She was about thirty years old, of average height and very pleasant looking. Modestly dressed, with large black eyes and a 4-centimeter scar crossing her left eyebrow. Her bulging breasts were unconcealable despite her closed blouse. What most caught her eye, was the resemblance she had with Lety. She was probably her daughter or niece.

"Good morning, is Mrs. Lety in?"

"Hello, good day. My mother couldn't come now, I'm replacing her. Can I help you with anything?

"I am your supplier, and I am here to see if you need anything."

"Ah, you must be Gerardo. My mother left me a list of what we're lacking. I have it here."

The girl bent down in search of the list, a move that allowed Gerardo to appreciate the top of her large, firm breasts.

"Here it is. The first three things are what we need most. The others can wait about five more days. My mother asked me to tell you that the payment for last week's merchandise will be made on your next visit, if you don't mind."

"No problem with the payment, we can wait. Is your mom sick?"

"No, she is not sick. I'm just learning how to handle this so she can get some rest. In fact, I'm going to replace her on Saturdays and Sundays, and during the week I'll come in some days to help her."

"What is your name?"

"Rebeca Grajales, at your service."

"Look Rebeca, I am going to leave you my card with my data for whatever you need. Anyway, I come about every two weeks. I will send you the complete list of merchandise tomorrow."

"We will be very grateful."

Gerardo would have gladly extended the conversation, but he found no suitable pretext. He opted to leave to avoid misinterpretation. Furthermore, he also had the sense that Rebeca was or had been married.

Since he had become engaged to Mireya, he had not been keen about any woman. It seemed that Rebeca might be the exception; although it was too early to believe that anyone could break through the wall of his feelings for Mireya. On the other hand, Rebeca was a real unknown. He knew absolutely nothing about her. Things had to be taken very quietly. The thought of another disappointment makes his stomach twist into a knot.

Gerardo's next visits to Lety's fruit store took place on Saturdays every two weeks. Occasionally he would intersperse his visits during the week in order to disguise his interest in Rebeca and to be able to say hello to Lety. After two months, he had no doubt that his enthusiasm for Rebeca was genuine, and he decided to take the next step. On one of his visits, he told her.

"Rebeca, I'd like to invite you for lunch or dinner one of these days."

Rebeca stared at him, assessing his intentions and answered.

"I would accept breakfast on weekdays. Afternoons and evenings are more difficult for me."

"It´s ok Rebeca. Do you know the Del Bosque restaurant in Coyoacán?

"Yes, I've seen it, but I've never been inside."

"It's a very nice restaurant. What do you say we meet there next Wednesday at 9 o'clock?"

"That's fine. Just give me some time to get there because I don't know the way."

"I could pick you up at your place if you want, but I'd have to make a long detour."

"It's neither necessary nor convenient. I'll see you there."

As Gerardo left, the expression 'nor convenient' kept flying in his head. She thought that she probably didn't want him to know her home.

On Wednesday, after getting the newspaper, Gerardo arrived early at the Del Bosque restaurant, which had very few people. He sat down at a table a little out of the way and told the waiter that he was waiting for someone else, to just serve him an orange juice. As he suspected that Rebeca would be late, he began to read the newspaper. To his surprise, 10 minutes later Rebeca appeared, almost unrecognizable. With a light make-up, a navy-blue blouse with a slight neckline that allowed her to show off her upper charms, a blue dress also barely below her knees, and sandals that allowed her to show off her shapely feet. This was what caught Gerardo's attention the most, her feet were beautiful, like Mireya's. They confirmed what he had always suspected, women's feet were a fetish to him.

"Hi Rebeca, how gorgeous you look!"

"Thanks. It looks like I wasn't too late, but I had to leave shortly after 8"

"Here is the menu, there is plenty of choice. Check it out and if you like we can ask the waiter."

Rebeca didn't know most of the dishes, so almost randomly selecta an option. After 10 minutes the waiter came back with their plates.

Gerardo had a hard time looking away from Rebecca's cleavage, which did not go unnoticed by her. At the end of breakfast, with only the coffee rates as witnesses on the table, Gerardo took the floor.

"Rebecca, I won't t beat around the bush, much less hide my intentions. In the little that I have been able to treat you, I have been captivated by your character and way of being. As if that were not enough, I like you a lot. I'm not going to ask you to be boyfriends, but I'm going to ask you to give me the opportunity to treat you closely and that we can see each other on a regular basis, at least once a week. Time will tell if we can get to more, but I think we can.

Rebecca stared at him for a few seconds. She took her cup of coffee parsimoniously and took a small sip.

"Let me guess. You are married." Rebecca said maliciously.

A little surprised, Gerardo repeated the same protocol of Rebecca's coffee and answered.

"Sure enough. I am married in a near ruined marriage, although I have no children. That's why I'm not asking you to be boyfriends. I just want with you a close friendship that allows us to know each other well while I resolve my marital conflict. I can't give you more details, but I assure you that I don't want to hurt anyone, not you, not my wife. In due course, I will take the appropriate decisions."

Rebecca was surprised by the frankness, unusual in a man, to express his sentimental situation. She always thought that having a wife and walking after other women required a lot of cynicism and few moral brakes.

"I appreciate and admire your honesty. I like you, and I have no problem maintaining a relationship like that."

Rebecca paused long as one who needs to take a breath and continued.

"I'm also going to be very frank, and I want you to know a dark story that is in my past. You may change your mind when I finish telling you."