Condoms are for protection
1501 Words
The next morning I woke up to Gill kissing my head.
“I have to head for work now, will you be okay until I get back?”
“Yes I will, I’ll go to Miss Gina and help arrange Lisa’s funeral.”
“Okay if you need anything let me know, I’ll see you later.”
Then she was gone, I tidied up the tent taking my bag with my personal things and my envelope’s and made my way over to Miss Gina.
At her place I could wash up and do my morning routine like Lisa and I have been doing for as long as I can remember.
“Good morning child, how was your night?”
Miss Gina asked as soon as I entered her worn out apartment
“Hard, but Gill spent the night with me. At least I wasn’t alone”
“That’s good to hear, I have informed the school about Lisa and they have given you off for the week.”
“Thank you. So what do I do?”
“Regarding?”
“Funeral arrangements”
I said
“Leave that to me dear, Lisa had everything sorted out in case this happened.”
“Do you think she knew?”
“That she would leave sooner rather than later?”
“Yeah.”
“Dear child, Lisa had been sick for a while.”
“The doctor told me what she died from, he also explained how she got Aids. But what he didn’t say is why she didn’t get better.”
“There is no cure for that disease my child. Yes you can live with it for a long time if you take your meds but it’s only a matter of time before you succumb to that disease, especially with the kind of work she did.”
“So if I were to have s*x I’d get that too?”
“Well that depends.”
She looked rather uncomfortable with this topic.
“On what?”
“Who you doing it with… I hope… you’re safe right?”
“I sure hope I am, why? Don’t you think I’m safe?”
I asked confused why would she think I was safe.
“What do you mean you sure hope you are? Please tell me you’re using condoms.”
She whisper yelled, eyes bulging from their sockets, now I wasn’t a complete know it all but was she saying what I thought she was? Condoms are used for s*x why would they be able to keep me safe?
Not that I have seen one but Lisa made me swear that if ever I started to get sexually active I’ll use a condom or not have s*x at all.
After my birds and the bees talk about the ins and outs of s*x I swore to her that I would use the unknown thing.
“Answer me child.”
Miss Gina said more sternly
“Uhm… how could a condom keep me safe?”
I asked puzzled
I’m 12 for crying out loud…
“It protects you from diseases much like the one Lisa died from!”
She whisper yelled again looking extremely pissed off at me.
When I didn’t answer her she grabbed hold of my hand and pulled me towards the door, she must think my lack of an answer was because she thinks I’m having s*x without a condom.
“Wait a condom is used to protect you from getting sick?”
I asked still puzzled
“Yes now let’s go, Lisa should have had this talk with you”
She said pulling on my hand once more. I followed her out to the car.
“She did. Where are we going?”
I asked her once we got into her rust bucket
She tried to start it but the thing sounded as though it has ashma, it wheezed each time she turned the key.
I’m sure that if a car could cough then this is how it would sound. Finally after a few more tried it screamed it’s protest at being forced alive.
Wheezing out black smoke from its ass… dammed old thing…
“Where are we headed too?”
I asked once she backed out of the driveway
“To the clinic to get you tested”
“Tested for what? Do you think I’m sick?”
“I hope not, but if you’re having s*x without condoms who knows.”
“You think I’m having s*x? I’m 12!”
I yelled a bit to loud
“Do not yell at me young lady. Kids today starts having s*x far younger then 12.”
“But I’m not having sex.”
“You’re not?”
She asked looking me straight in the eyes, probably checking if I was telling her a lie. She had that special powers where one look at you and she would know whether you are lying or telling the truth.
She even had the ability to know when someone intended to do harm or if that person was a bad influence or not.
When she found that I had been telling her the truth she still waited for me to answer her.
“No, I’m not. And yes Lisa explained some things to me about the birds and the bees.”
“Thank god, you had me worried out of my wrinkly skin.”
She turned her rust bucket around and headed back to her apartment. When we got inside her run down apartment she proceeded to explain to me why condoms are used.
“Condoms are for protection, against s****l diseases and early pregnancy. Although it can break during sex.”
“Is that what happened with Lisa? And how is it for protection if it can break?”
“No, Lisa’s job sometimes required her to have s*x without condoms… which in my opinion is absurd but it apparently brought her more money that way and well I don’t have all the answers child.”
“Lisa mentioned something about birth control”
“yes that’s to insure that you do not fall pregnant before marriage or if your not ready to be a mother yet.”
“Does s*x hurt?”
I asked her
“You’re such an old soul.”
I felt offended at her comment for some reason and I’m sure she could she it on my face. I was never one to hide just how I feel by the look on my face.
“ I don’t mean that in a rude way child, pull your face right. What meant is that you’re way to clever for a 12 year old. You’re so advanced. I have always liked that about you, your mother was much the same.”
“Really?”
“Yes she was, brightest young woman I have ever met. And to answer your question. Yes s*x hurts for the first time, especially if your partner isn’t gentle”
“Lisa told me so much about her, but can you tell me something?”
“Your mother was a beautiful soul, cared for more then she was supposed to. Always offering her help to any and everyone. You have seen her pictures but they didn’t do her justice, she was so much more beautiful. You took after her. I have never met your father but I’m sure you got your green eyes and freckles from him. She was just such a joy to be around”
“Did my mother do the same work Lisa did?”
I asked,
I have been dying to know but I could never bring myself to ask Lisa that question.
“Yes she did. They came here from Kansas city for a job as nannies but it turns out that it was a faulty ad online. It was actually a s*x traffic thing. They got away somehow with the help of John only to be in the same situation but when your mom met your dad she stopped. He didn’t want her to work anymore so he worked for her that is until he got sent to prison.”
“So you knew he was alive and never bothered to tell me?”
I asked
I was a little hurt that she had also known but kept that bit of information away from me maybe if someone had told me I could have reached out to him. The question was did I want to know my father?
“Yes I knew but it was not my job to tell you, you must understand from what Lisa told me your dad wanted it to be your decision whether or not you wanted to contact him.”
“Do you know what happened? Why he got sent to jail, I mean Gill read his letter to me I know what he was sent away for but what I want to know is do you know why he did what he did?”
- Writer
