Six Degrees Pt. 02

Aisha and Darnel had been married for seven years. They had two children, lived in a three-bedroom apartment, and were the perfect family to the outside world.

Although she had given birth to two children, naturally, Aisha still had a good figure. She exercised and tried to take care of herself. Taking care of a two-year-old, a four-year-old, and taking care of the apartment and her husband kept her busy.

Darnel was a stockily built man. He worked for the City, on the road crew. Filling potholes and doing physical work took up much of his day.

Darnel grew up with three brothers and two sisters. He wanted a big family, too.

Darnel and Aisha had sex two to three times a week, even after Aisha had the kids. But the frequency began to wane about four months after their second child was born. Eventually, sex became a once a week thing.

Darnel started coming home later and later. Aisha wasn't able to make him feel loved the way Darnel needed her to.

Darnel would usually come home late, play with the kids for a little while, and then he would watch TV before going to bed. The only variant was on Saturday nights. That's when Aisha allowed him to have sex with her.

Darnel loved Aisha, but when it came to sex, she was never willing to talk about it. Whenever Darnel asked Aisha for sex, other than on Saturday nights, Aisha always found some excuse. She was too tired, she had a headache, or she just wasn't in the mood.

Darnel wondered what had happened to make Aisha go from a sex kitten to a prude. Aisha and Darnel cohabitated well, and they parented well. Darnel was perplexed as to what the problem was. All he knew was that it had something to do with something he did or didn't do.

. . .

Rick and Kelly had been married for thirty-five years. They met in college, raised three kids, built a home together, and now had the entire house to themselves.

Kelly had experience being a wife, a mother, and a financial consultant. Rick spent most of the last thirty-five years being a husband, a dad, and a trial lawyer.

Rick and Kelly had both been successful in their careers and as parents. All three of their children were married, had good jobs, and their oldest had given them a granddaughter.

Rick and Kelly owned their home in the foothills just West of Denver. And they had a vacation home in Kissimmee, Florida.

Rick and Kelly had been to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. They'd spent time with friends in Southern California, New York, Ohio, Utah, and Nebraska. As far as they were concerned, Rick and Kelly had lived a pretty good life.

Although Rick and Kelly had an active sex life, Kelly one day told Rick that she felt that with age and children and life itself, sex had become routine and a little boring. Kelly told Rick that there is only so much you can do so many times. And then what do you do?

Rick agreed. He told Kelly that sex was still great for him, and he hoped she felt the same way.

Kelly said that she had no complaints when it came to the sex they had. She just admitted that it was most likely because they'd gotten older that sex didn't have the same excitement it once had.

. . .

Megan and Josh had been married for six months when Megan got accosted. Two men had forced her into an alley and fingered her. The two men didn't cause her any real physical harm, but the mental and emotional scars they left behind were worse than any beating they could have given her.

Although Megan loved and trusted Josh, she couldn't stand to have him touch her, sexually or otherwise. Megan went through bouts of depression, shame, and guilt. Those two men, and what they had done to her, changed her world and her life.

Megan loved Josh for being patient, caring, and understanding. He understood her limits, and he never pushed them.

Josh felt angry because he wasn't there for Megan when she got accosted. And he was disgruntled because there was nothing he could do about it after the fact. All he could do was love Megan and do his best to be the best husband he could be to and for her.

. . .

"I don't know, man," Darnel said to his friend and co-worker, Damon. "It just doesn't seem right. I work hard. I'm a good dad. And wanting a little ass sometimes shouldn't be a big deal, but it is."

"Man," Damon said, "Women be trippin sometimes."

"Sometimes, "Darnel responded, "You can't do anything right. You're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't."

Damon had been married and divorced twice. He told Darnel, "I ain't the one you should be talking to about women."

Darnel smiled, "But you're my best friend. And sometimes stuff you say makes sense."

Damon asked Darnel what Aisha said when he asked what the problem was. Darnel told Damon that she never said. She just made excuses not to have sex, except for begrudgingly on Saturday nights.

Damon then asked Darnel what happened around the time that things went weird between him and Aisha.

Darnel thought back, and there was nothing that he could remember happening that was out of the ordinary. Darnel told Damon that nothing happened. Aisha didn't seem to want sex as often as she had before. And there was no reason for the change.

Damon told Darnel he had to give it some time. Darnel informed Damon that this had been going on for close to a year.

. . .

Rick told Kelly that they weren't too old for sex, and there had to be something they could do to make sex more exciting. Kelly agreed. Kelly told Rick that they'd had a pretty awesome sex life, and if nothing changed, she would still be happy.

Rick asked Kelly if she had any fantasies that she would like to have fulfilled. Kelly told Rick that she had many, but that's what she wanted them to be, fantasies.

Kelly informed Rick that her fantasies often included other people. And she wasn't willing to involve other people in their sex life. Rick said that it's okay to think about and fantasize. And he agreed that he wasn't interested in bringing other people into their sex life, either.

Kelly told Rick, "You're the best lover I've ever had."

Rick chuckled, "I'm the only lover you've ever had, outside of your fantasies."

Kelly assured Rick, "Even in my fantasies, the other guys had your face. It was always you, except that sometimes you had a different body."

Rick asked Kelly which fantasy was her favorite.

Kelly blushed. Then she explained, "I'm tied up. I'm blindfolded. And there's a group of men. I can't move, and I'm helpless. One by one, the men take turns having their way with me. No matter how hard I fight them, they do what they want. All they care about is getting what they want from me."

Rick, dumbfounded, asked, "So, it's a rape fantasy?"

Kelly told Rick that it wasn't uncommon for women to have rape fantasies.

Rick said he could see how a fantasy like that could be erotic.

Kelly told Rick that it would be okay if he wanted to be more aggressive in bed.

Rick raised his eyebrows, "Mmmmmmmm."

Kelly told Rick, "We have to think about how you can be all those men."

Rick smiled, "I'm sure we'll figure something out."

. . .

Megan and Josh had a California King sized bed. They slept on opposite sides. Josh got proficient at sleeping at the edge of the bed. Josh was careful not to touch Megan when they slept.

Megan admitted to Josh that it was as hard for her not to be able to be touched as it was for Josh not to be able to touch her.

Megan assured Josh that she still loved and wanted him, even sexually, but she couldn't get past what had happened to her.

Josh assured Megan that he still loved her, too. And that they would get through it together.

Daily, Megan would ask Josh to put his hand on top of hers. And, each time, she felt anxious. But she wasn't about to give up.

Megan would also tell Josh that he wasn't to blame, and neither was she. Megan told Josh that if she could make it all go away, she'd do it.

Josh told Megan that he was there for the long haul. And he would always be there for her.

. . .

Aisha got a call from her best friend, Porshe. Porshe had two young children, as well, and had called about getting together so that the kids could have a play date.

Porshe asked Aisha if she ever told Darnel about the miscarriage.

Aisha shook her head and told Porshe that it wasn't the first time. And that she was afraid to tell Darnel.

Because Darnel had grown up in a big family, he wanted a big family of his own. Aisha gave him two children, but she was afraid if they had sex often that she would miscarry, again, and his ultimate dream of having a big family of his own would never come to fruition.

Porshe told Aisha that if they don't have sex, he's not going to have a big family of his own, either.

"So," Porshe said, "You're cutting off your nose to spite your face."

Aisha knew that not telling Darnel about her miscarriage was wrong and that denying him sex was wrong, as well. But she couldn't get past her fear of having another miscarriage.

Aisha asked Porshe if she ever miscarried.

Porshe told Aisha she miscarried not long after she and D'Andre got together. And it took a long time to get over it. She told Aisha that she and D'Andre both grieved. They'd lost a child. And she understood.

Aisha asked Porshe how someone gets over something like that. She told Porshe that she wasn't sure that she'd ever get over it.

Porshe told Aisha that you never forget your loss, but you move on.

Aisha told Porshe, "Darnel wants sex with me, and I know he wants more children. I'm so afraid that I'll miscarry again. I have sex with him, but it's painful, physically and emotionally."

Porshe told Aisha that if she and Darnel never talk about it, then they can never heal.

Aisha shook her head, "How do you tell your man that you are a failure, that he may never have what he truly wants?"

. . .

Damon looked at Darnel, "There had to be something strange that happened between you and Aisha."

Darnel thought back. Then he told Damon, "Things were good. Then, Aisha got all depressed or something. She started getting irritated more easily. She took things I said the wrong way. And she seemed to not only not want sex, but she seemed to want to be alone more, too."

Damon said, "Well, something happened. And you guys need to talk about it."

. . .

While making coffee, Rick began to wonder what he and Kelly could do to spice up their sex life. They'd had sex semi-publicly. They'd role-played. And sex, he had to admit, had become a bit predictable and boring. Rick noticed the bananas hanging on the hangar. Then he thought about the cucumbers that were in the refrigerator. Then he thought about the cobs of corn they had. And his mind went in several directions.

. . .

Josh believed in chakra healing and meditation. And Josh and Megan meditated often. Josh also felt that nothing happens for no reason.

Josh spoke with his mother about his and Megan's issue, and he asked for her help.

Melissa, Josh's mother, told him, "The mind, body, and the soul are connected. And we are connected to all that is around us. The flower cut to give as a gift is still a form of death. Yet, this type of death brings about feelings of joy. Melissa told Josh, "You need to find the joy that can come from such sadness."

Josh told his mother that he understood the connectedness of all that is, but, sometimes, finding the joy in sadness is sometimes very tough.

Melissa told Josh that life is rarely easy. And pain is a powerful force. Melissa told Josh, "Sometimes allowing joy to be is the toughest part."

Melissa asked Josh if he and Megan had thought of self-healing through touch. Josh shook his head.

Melissa explained that self-healing is the practice of healing yourself while learning to be comfortable with physical touching of any kind.

Melissa told Josh to have Megan lie down, naked, and touch herself from her toes to her forehead and everywhere in between. Melissa explained, "This will help Megan learn what feels what where. And, in time, you can touch her." Melissa admitted, "It's going to be a process, and it's one you have to be a part of."

. . .

Porshe told Aisha, "You know. When D'Andre and I went through our miscarriage, we had a tough time. But we had each other. And that was what helped the most." Porshe told Aisha, "You can't do this alone. You have to let Darnel be a part of the healing. If you don't, you'll never get past this."

Aisha sighed, "How do you heal a failure?"

Porshe hugged Aisha and told her that she wasn't a failure. She reminded Aisha that she had two beautiful children, a man that loved her, and friends that care.

Aisha struggled to smile, "You're a great friend, Porshe. I have to work at getting over hating myself right now."

Aisha knew that she needed to tell Darnel what happened and what was going on with her, but she had no idea how she would bring it up to him.

Aisha asked Porshe how she brought up her miscarriage to D'Andre.

Porshe told Aisha that as soon as it happened, she explained to D'Andre what happened. Porshe explained to Aisha that it was a shared experience. Both she and D'Andre experienced the loss at the same time."

"And what was his response?" Aisha asked Porshe.

Porshe smiled and said, "He was so caring. He asked me what I was feeling. He held my hands in his, and he told me that he loved me. I didn't know what to do, either, but he said that we'd get through it together. And we did." Porshe said that grieving is something we all go through in life, but it's better if you don't have to go through it alone.

. . .

Rick put a banana on the counter. Then he got a cucumber and a cob of corn out of the refrigerator. Rick sat them all next to each other. Rick felt the banana and rubbed it from tip to stem. Then he picked up and stroked the cucumber. Then Rick looked at the Cob of corn, "That's not too weird. Is it?"

. . .

Kelly decided to visit her daughter, Joleen, and her granddaughter, Joslynn. When Kelly pulled up in front of Joleen's house, Joleen and Joslynn were outside. Joleen was pushing Joslynn in her swing and was drinking a glass of tea.

Joslynn noticed Kim and smiled.

Joleen got Joslynn out of her swing and held her in her arms. She walked toward Kim, smiling, "It's so good to see you."

Kim told Joleen, "I had some spare time and thought I'd spend it with two of my favorite people."

Joleen was as happy to see her mother as Joslynn was to see her grandmother. Joleen told Kim, "It's always nice to have another adult around when Mark is gone."

Mark was a good husband and father. Because he was a truck driver, he was on the road for days at a time. What this meant was that Joleen and Joslynn were home alone more often than Joleen liked.

Kim took Joslynn from Joleen, "How's my little sweety?"

Joslynn giggled.

Kim asked Joleen, "So, how are things?"

Joleen told Kim, "I know he loves his work, and he makes good money, but I'd love for Mark to be home more often."

Kim reassured Joleen that she and Rick were always available if she needed them.

Joleen told Kim that Mark being gone as much as he was made things rough at times, but she found ways of dealing with it. Then Joleen asked Kim how things were with her and Rick.

Kim told Joleen, "We're dealing with the whole empty nest thing, but we, too, are dealing with it."

Joleen laughed, "You miss us, too, huh?"

Kim smiled, "Of course we do. But we're dealing with it."

Joleen said, "At least dad's home every night."

Kim told Joleen that was a plus. Then she asked Joleen if she could use her bathroom. Joleen nodded.

Kim handed Joslynn back to Joleen and went into the house to use the bathroom. When she walked into the bathroom, Kim pulled her pants down and sat on the toilet. Then she glanced over at the sink.

"Oh shit!" Joleen thought to herself. "My vibrator and dildo!"

Kim looked at the vibrator and dildo sitting in the sink. She thought to herself that if Rick had been gone a lot, that she might go that direction herself.

Joleen knocked on the bathroom door, "Mom?"

Kim answered, "Yes?"

Joleen nervously said, "I can explain."

Kim laughed, "I've gone to the bathroom by myself many times. I think I can handle it."

When Kim walked out of the bathroom, she asked Joleen if she had any more tea.

Joleen thought that maybe her mother didn't see her vibrator and dildo. And she wasn't going to bring them up, either.

Joleen poured Kim a glass of iced tea, and they sat at the dining room table. About ten minutes later, Kim asked Joleen if she'd like to go out to have lunch. Joleen gladly accepted and got the diaper bag ready.

. . .

Darnel asked Damon, "When Aisha is always pissed about something, and we don't even have a sex life to speak of, what the hell am I supposed to do, ask Aisha what her problem is?"

Damon laughed, "That's probably not the best way to bring things up to a woman."

Darnel said, "You know what I mean."

Damon responded to Darnel, "The best way to bring it up is to say something like, "Hey. What more can I do for you today? How can I make today better for you than yesterday?"

Darnel looked at Damon, "See? Sometimes you say shit that makes sense."

Damon laughed, "I've been through two marriages and found out where I went wrong. I don't want you and Aisha going the same direction I did. You two are good together. You need to talk, that's it. You need to work together and figure out what happened and what to do next."

. . .

Megan was rolling up her yoga mat when a classmate approached her and tapped her on the shoulder. Megan gasped and pulled away.

Erin half smiled, then told Megan, "A lot of us have been there."

Megan looked at Erin, confused, "Been where?"

Erin answered, "Where you are now, and where I was two years ago."

Erin opened up to Megan by telling her she'd been date-raped.

"We went to a party. I had a few drinks. We smoked a lot of pot. And, in the morning, I had bruises on my thighs, and my mouth and throat were sore. I knew what had happened, but I didn't know by whom. And my boyfriend was passed out when I woke up. So, I was all alone, and the only person I had to blame for it all was me." Erin told Megan, "I know what you're going through."

"Oh my God," Megan said, "My situation isn't that bad."

Erin asked, "Was there penetration? Did you consent to it?" Then, Erin said, "If there was penetration and you didn't consent, it's just as bad."

Tears began to roll down Megan's face. She told Erin, "It wasn't my fault. I didn't do anything to make it happen."

Erin wanted to hug Megan, but she resisted. She told Megan, "No, it wasn't your fault. And it wasn't my fault that it happened to me, either. It happens, and we can't blame ourselves. All we can do is try to move on."

Megan started to hyperventilate, and the tears increased. "I can't even let my boyfriend touch me without flinching. I trust him, but I can't let him touch me. That's what hurts the most."

Erin invited Megan to join her. She was going to Jamba Juice a few doors down. Erin told Megan that she was willing to listen if she wanted her to.

. . .

Rick looked in the refrigerator and found an eggplant. "Well, hello!"

. . .

Darnel decided that whatever happened, he and Aisha needed to address the matter. So, he called Porshe.

Porshe looked at her phone and told Aisha that Darnel was calling her. Porshe answered the phone, "Hey. Darnel."

Darnel asked Porshe if she would be willing to take the kids for the night so that he and Aisha could talk and work things out. Porshe looked at Aisha. Then she told Darnel that she needed to call D'Andre and make sure he didn't have anything planned.

Porshe put Darnel on hold. Then she told Aisha what Darnel had asked. Aisha told Porshe that we all have to face our demons sometimes. Porshe told Aisha that D'Andre would understand, and they'd be happy to have the kids over for the night. Aisha forced a smile.