"Smile like your mama
Eyes like the sun
Beautiful child, oh, you're the one
Fly like your daddy
Make me so happy
Beautiful child, oh, you're the one
I'm in a place when I see your face
Must be nostalgia, ah
I'll never forget the day that we met
Beautiful child, oh, you're the one…"
Tank and the Bangas – "Black Folk"
In the quiet of the early morning, before the sun had shaken off the gauzy film of twilight dew and the birds had sung their first songs at dawn, Disa watched Erik sleep next to her.
They arrived right before four a.m. in D.C. and Shavonne ushered them quickly to a guest bedroom to rest from the long drive. Before Disa could put on the fancy new negligee that she bought for Erik to enjoy on her body, he was fast asleep in the bed. She made him shower first before she took a quick one herself. Fluffing her hair around her shoulders, she tugged on the thin strap of the red lingerie and sauntered out of the guest bathroom to find her fiancé curled on his side, facing her. Asleep, Erik looked so young and innocent and Disa climbed onto the bed and stroked his cheek. He slept, and she kissed his face. Lying back, she watched him slumber until sunlight spilled through the window.
The house stayed quiet.
Bakari and Shavonne planned to sleep in to rest up from such a long drive. It was just as well. Disa didn't want to leave Erik's side in bed. She snuggled close to him and cradled the back of his head. He woke up for a brief second, only to throw his arm around her hip and rest his face against her breasts. Her heartbeat lulled him back to sweet dreams and for five hours more, they cuddled like that. Around one in the afternoon, Bakari and Shavonne roused themselves from bed. They left the house to get take out for them all at a Chinese restaurant.
"Hey. You're back," she whispered to Erik.
His eyes opened, and he stretched his back before nuzzling against her neck and kissing her there softly.
"Still tired," he said.
"Bakari and Shavonne went out to get us food for later, but they texted me, and said to sleep in as long as we want."
"Good, cuz I don't feel like doing nothing. Just wanna be right here with you."
He glanced down at her bedroom-wear.
"How I miss this?" he said, touching the sleek material.
"I came out of the shower and you were gone."
"I'm sorry, baby. This is the first real sleep I've had in weeks. You look beautiful… as always."
"I'll go slip into some shorts, and we can save this outfit for Brazil—"
"Nah, you ain't gotta do that."
He threw back the covers and looked her over from head to toe.
"Sexy ass," he said.
He kissed her lips. His mouth still smelled minty, as if he'd just brushed his teeth. Threading his fingers with hers, he stared at her engagement ring.
"Wifey," he said.
She admired her ring and grinned.
"This is real, right? I'm not going to wake up and this never happened, am I?" she said.
He sat up next to her.
"Why would you say that?"
"Everything feels perfect—"
"It is perfect. You and me forever."
She let go of his hand and waved her fingers in front of her eyes.
"Baby… hey… don't cry," he soothed as he wiped her lashes.
"I just feel so lucky to have you. That's sounds so cliché and corny, huh?"
"No. I feel the same. You could've easily paid me dust until I graduated. I would've been another fanboy, but you saw something in me and rode it out. Thank you."
He kissed her closed eyelids, then her nose, before he reached over to hold her neck so he could kiss her. Butterflies moved around in her stomach when his tongue slipped inside her mouth. The kiss felt new… brand new. His touches were gentle but still needy in the way that she loved about him.
Erik kissed her pliant lips and made his way to her neck, where he planted seeds of promises along her throat. Traveling to her clavicle, his tongue licked its way to the valley of her cleavage. A determined set of fingers stroked her silky straps, but he didn't pull them down. He leaned back to admire the sheer material that allowed his eyes to see her breasts accentuated with the sparkly dotting of tiny red hearts that shined all throughout the short top that revealed a nearly threadbare pair of babydoll panties. Her nails and toenails matched and were sparkly as well. He lifted the top to get a better look at her panties that were sheer, too. His eyes already had her vulva swelling to a nice fatness.
His dick bobbed as it rose to a thick erection. Pearly drops of pre-cum cascaded down his shaft. Erik kept staring at her vulva until she parted her thighs for him. The sheer panties allowed him to watch her folds open as she moved.
"I just want to look at you," he said.
Disa adjusted her pillows and leaned back on them and opened her legs wider for him. Erik settled between her legs and dragged his dick up and down the panties, letting his wetness stain her folds through the material. She patted her clit for him and showed off her nails more, so he could appreciate the effort she took to please him. He liked nail coloring that accentuated her skin color. He also liked sheer things that made barriers for him on her body.
He reached down and clutched a breast, squeezing the fullness that belonged to him. His eyes already had that possessive tint to them. His other hand stroked his dick, painting more slick pre-cum all over her juicy pussy. Erik's full lips poked out further before they parted. She slid her panties to the side and his dick jumped at the root. His fat sack wouldn't take long to milk dry. She pouted her mouth for him, showing him how good her folds felt. A groan slipped out from him and her pussy throbbed open, spilling wetness.
"Open your pussy for me, Disa," he moaned.
"Put the tip in," she encouraged.
His head fell forward, and he groaned into his chest before inserting the fat head inside.
"That's enough… right there," she said.
"Baby," he whined, wanting to go in further.
But this was part of their ritual. He allowed her to control him. He loved to submit to her up until a certain point when the dominant side of him had to break down her power over him. She placed two fingers on her right hand on the sides of her inner lips and opened them wider for him. Her fingers slid against his dick and he pumped in and out, just letting the first three inches of his dick receive the clenching she did around it.
"More…" he begged.
"You need more?"
He squeezed his eyes shut. The battle to fight against submitting to her tangled him up. She was weak too, needing him to sink into her balls deep and just take over. But she wanted him to enjoy her looking pretty, naughty, and in control of him.
Erik reached out and touched her sexy outfit. Eyes raked all over her body.
"I love you," he said.
It was a losing battle.
He pushed in deep and his father's ring tapped against her cheek from the necklace it dangled from. Erik helped her slip a pillow under her backside to lift her hips up higher. Her legs shot up into the air to accommodate more of him deeper, and they kept their grunts and groans low in case Bakari and Shavonne returned before they finished.
"Squeezing me!" he panted in her ear.
Her name rolled off his tongue between vulnerable cursing.
"So creamy… pussy so creamy and deep…" he huffed.
"Love you," she purred in his ear.
He stopped in mid-stroke and kissed her. Lying still together while connected intimately aroused them both more. Holding one another was perfection, and they stayed joined in that way, staring into each other's eyes, until they heard Bakari and Shavonne downstairs.
"Let's just stay like this forever," he said, kissing along her neck again.
His stomach rumbled, and Disa laughed.
"Your body says different," she said.
"I am hungry."
"Me too."
He gazed at her body beneath him.
"Can they just bring us food up here and we stay like this?" he whined.
"Silly," she said, kissing his nose.
Wrapping his arms around her, Erik held her close until the odor of food wafted up the stairs and forced them to dress and feed themselves.
###
Disa clutched onto Erik's hand tight. Marisol picked them up with a male friend from the São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport and the first leg of their arrival was exciting. She took pictures from the backseat of the car with her cell phone. When they headed out to the favelas, she could sense her own internal cautious shift. Mentally, she prepared to see the place that held so much history for her fiancé. Heading into the thick of it was a different kettle of fish. It was beautiful, daring in its rawness, but it also filled her heart with uncertainty.
They stopped at a neighborhood café to allow Disa to use the restroom. There were a few curious stares when she spoke English with Marisol, who went with her. They bought a few cans of coke to quench their thirst for the rest of the drive. Stacks upon stacks of tightly packed ramshackle homes cobbled together with hopes and prayers dotted the giant hillside they switchbacked along. Marisol gave her a brief history lesson about how the area was once a squatter's camp that grew into its own community. The blatant separation of the rich and poor left no one guessing who was who.
"You okay?" Erik asked.
He kissed her cheek to reassure her, and his confidence held her securely until they came upon a blocked-off street.
"Easy," Marisol said to her companion Emanuel as they put the car in park.
"I got it," Erik said.
Disa pulled him back. There were men wearing bandanas over the lower part of their faces, watching their vehicle. The way they stood propped against a narrow corridor made her suspect they were armed.
"Wait here," Marisol said.
She stepped out of the passenger door and tossed back her shiny, long hair. Her svelte frame had an athletic grace to it as she slinked up to the men. Emanuel glanced back at Disa.
"Don't worry, Marisol works for the Paraisópolis Women's Association. People know her around here," he said with a loose grin.
Two rough-looking masked up men approached Marisol from the side. She spoke animatedly in Portuguese and pointed back at the car. One man looked over at them. He tucked a gun in the front of his pants and stalked over to where they waited. Tall, gangly, and wielding lean muscles in his arms, the stranger tapped on Disa's passenger window. Erik leaned across her to roll it down.
"What are you doing?" Disa said, reaching to stop his hand.
"Deixe-nos passer," Erik yelled out.
"Get out of the car," the man responded in English.
"Unblock that street. We're going in," Erik said.
Disa pressed her face into Erik's shoulder.
"Let's just go back into the city," she whispered.
Marisol walked back over and stood near Erik's side. She tapped on the window and Erik rolled it down.
"They are having some issues with other people crossing into our territory. There was a documentary team here from Finland doing a story earlier and it brought a lot of the police around. I wanted us to be discreet—"
"Tell them," Erik demanded.
"JaJa—"
"Word will get around, anyway."
"What is going on?" Disa said.
Erik jumped out of the car and spoke in Portuguese once more. His tone, demeanor, and swagger shifted into something she had never seen before. The rough snarl in his throat and the way his face changed told her a simple fact that even a language barrier couldn't conceal: her man was letting the shooters know who the fuck he was. Erik stormed around the car and the other man pulled out his pistol. Erik snatched it from him. Three older toughs rushed forward from behind the barrier, and Erik flipped the gun barrel down toward the ground. He barked orders, and the toughs ran back toward the mess of corrugated metal and old tires. The younger guard held out his hand toward Erik and she watched him hand the weapon back over by his shirt after wiping it down. The youngster held up a hand toward him and Erik gave him dap and bumped shoulders with him before palming the shooter's head affectionately.
Marisol and Erik climbed back into the car. Disa couldn't even get words out.
"What happened?" she finally asked as they cruised through the blockade.
Erik tossed his arm around her shoulder.
"Youngbloods out on the frontline. Had no clue who Marisol was and wouldn't let us go until the old heads showed up. I let them know I was back. It's all good now."
"Will we have to go through this again?"
"They'll text ahead and let folks know along the way."
"It was my fault," Marisol said. "Someone peeped you and me at the café and thought I was bringing another media foreigner. People tire of being entertainment to outsiders. He wanted to check you out… but JaJa straightened it all out."
They traveled through the narrow streets and there were no more incidents keeping them from their destination. By the time it was late afternoon, they arrived at a bright yellow building made of bricks and concrete. It was newer than the buildings surrounding it, with four levels of apartments. Erik stepped out of the car and looked around. Marisol stepped over to him and bumped her shoulder into his.
"It's almost like our old place. I put a down payment on it and will rent out the lower three apartments. I stay on the top."
Erik gazed at the structure.
"Why come back here? You're supposed to be in school."
"Don't start with me, JaJa. If you were allowed to take a gap year, then I should be able to."
"Don't think I don't know about that clown you're running around with. Is that why you're here? To be with him without your parents dogging you about it?"
"Why are we talking about that? You are here with your fiancé! Get your things! Emanuel, help carry Disa's luggage. JaJa. Get your stuff. Disa, come with me!"
Marisol linked her arm with Disa's and pulled her away from the scowling Erik and up a flight of steps that seemed long and steep.
"Oh, Marisol, this is so cute!"
The interior of the apartment was decorated like a cute college dorm room with colorful pictures of Brazilian rappers and singers, along with drums and various berimbaus.
"You and JaJa will sleep in here, and I will sleep across the way. You can leave the windows open to get a nice cool breeze. It is noisy around here, but you'll get used to it."
Disa stepped out onto the roof patio of the place and took a wide, nearly two-hundred-and-seventy-degree view of the housing around and below them. The density took her breath away.
Erik and Emanuel entered the flat carrying their luggage, and Marisol showed them where to put it.
"Well?" Erik said.
He stepped outside with her.
"It's amazing."
He pointed down in the distance.
"My Aunt Lia lived in that part. This is where she worked and lived."
There was nostalgia in his eyes. Marisol and Emanuel joined them on the patio. His play cousin stuck her foot out and tapped her heel against Erik's thigh, and he dropped low to the ground.
"Get back," Emanuel teased.
Disa stepped aside as Marisol play fought Erik. He stopped after a few minutes.
"I need time to stretch. I'll get you later," Erik said.
"You just don't want Disa to see me whip your butt!"
"When have you ever?"
"One day!"
Marisol glanced at her watch.
"Me and Emaneul are going to pick up some friends, and then we'll be right back. There's food in the kitchen—"
"I told you I didn't want anything big when we first got here."
"Oh, hush, JaJa. People want to see you. Get refreshed and take Disa for a walk or something."
"You up for it?" Erik asked.
"Yeah."
Erik led Disa back outside. They walked a few streets over and it was like being with a celebrity. People, old and young, walked up to him to give hugs, pats on the back, and kisses. He kept his arm around her waist and introduced her to everyone. Eventually, she had to step aside and admire him as he became a Sao Paulo native before her very eyes. The inflections, the facial expressions, and drawn-out nasal sounds in his speech made her feel like she was with a sexy stranger. The people there were affectionate and wanted to touch him like there was magic in his skin. That charismatic smile of his shined brighter and more openly. He relaxed into his role as a prodigal son. There was no mistake about it. Erik was royalty to everyone who loved him.
At an ice cream shop, he bought her strawberry and vanilla scoops and they held hands strolling around spots he remembered as a child. His shoulders grew tense when they passed by a few police officers standing around a barbershop. They ducked down a different street. She didn't have to ask why, just allowed him to guide her. Disa knew what the corrupt cops had done to his family. There really was no way for him to have a discreet visit with folks coming up to him when they recognized his face.
"Whoa, Erik…" she said with awe.
Negra Lia's picture loomed large, painted on a neighborhood wall that separated a church from a school. In a far corner of the artwork were smaller images of the Sao Paulo 4.
"Your Mom," she said.
Disa stooped down to touch the image. Marisol's mothers were so young with Califia on that wall. She cupped her mouth and her vision filled with watery tears. Standing up quickly, she pushed her face into Erik's chest. She hadn't expected to get so emotional that fast, but the suddenness of the image appearing out of nowhere struck her hard. He rubbed her back and stared at the mural.
"It's okay," he whispered in her ear, "don't be sad, Disa."
He turned her around so they could both look at the images. The weight of the mural sat heavily in Disa's chest. In undergrad, she studied those women, listened to Brazilian rap songs as a teenager while emcees spit bars about their courage to fight a global system, and there she stood, with the son of one of them holding her. That was her deceased future mother-in-law, painted in vivid colors with a raised fist, looking like her son immortalized for future generations.
"I shouldn't have brought you here this soon. You weren't ready. I'm sorry," he said.
"Don't be sorry. I'm glad you brought me here first. It reminds me of how important you are to my life. I wish she was here to see how amazing you grew up to be…"
She blubbered away again, and he wrapped her in a cocoon of love.
"C'mon. Let's get some coffee and chill out for a bit."
He clasped her hand in his and tugged her along. She wiped her eyes and took deep breaths while Erik pointed out more childhood spots that made her smile. Eventually, they sat in a corner of a coffee shop and sipped espressos and nibbled on coffee cake.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
"Yeah, I am. I can see why you love it here. It's so alive. It reminds me of New Orleans. Thick with culture, y'know? I feel it all around me."
She finished her drink and watched his movement as he lounged back in his seat and stared out of the window. Relaxed. He was so relaxed. Disa wanted him like that all the time.
"Some parts of this place have changed. I noticed a lot of neighborhood work Negra Lia fought for are coming along. Shit is just so slow."
He popped a small nugget of his coffee cake in his mouth.
"I gotta start working out with Besouro. My next cord will be hard to get."
"Why? You're so good at it."
"I'm the son of the Master Hammer. They'll expect more from me."
He reached across the table and caressed her hand. Stroking the ring on her finger, he bent his head down and kissed her hand.
"My mother would love you," he said.
Disa dropped her head down and studied her ring to keep from crying again.
"Let's go back," he said.
The walk back was long, quiet, and reflective. They stopped a few times to look at homes and structures, and he told her stories of people who lived there long ago. Disa took in the festive energy of carnival season and linked her arm in Erik's. When they came close to Marisol's building, music blasted loud and large groups of people went up and down the steps.
"What the hell?" Erik said.
"Pequeno Martelo!"
Marisol's voice bounced down from the upper patio. All the people meandering outside and along the steps shouted out Erik's nickname and clapped for him. They waded through the revelers, and Marisol met them at her front door.
"An early party!" Marisol said, "Surprise!"
"Is this why you made us go for a walk?" he asked.
"Yes!"
Inside the flat, decorations and food abounded. Marisol kissed Disa on the cheek.
"This is just a welcome back party with his few close friends," she said.
"Few?" Disa marveled.
"JaJa is popular! Don't worry, we'll have a fancier engagement party at the end of the week, but people want to see him now!"
Marisol walked around with Disa and took over the job of announcing to everyone that she was Erik's fiancé. Hugs and kisses were passed around and plates of food were parceled out. She was famished and ate the spicy Chinese dishes and drank plenty of coca-cola to wash it down.
Marisol threw on some carnival sounds and began dancing her ass off in her living room with some other women. Erik joined them, then tried to show Disa how to move.
"No, no, like this, Disa, the way I showed you last year," Marisol said, bumping Erik away.
Disa did the steps slowly and built up her confidence. It was hard keeping track of fast footwork and swinging her hips and hands simultaneously at supersonic speed. Erik's friends clapped for her, and Marisol made her feel more confident. When her breasts and ass cheeks shook with the rhythms in time, Erik stepped behind her to rub against her backside. Marisol shoved him back.
"Stop stealing her shine!" Marisol shouted.
Disa stopped to catch her breath and wiped sweat from her face with a napkin. Fernanda, Marisol's childhood classmate, who grew up with Erik too, handed her bottled water.
"We are so happy to meet you," Fernanda said, "mmm… you make the family… mmm… proud. Very proud."
Disa leaned in closer to hear the woman better.
"I'm happy to meet you all, too."
More guests piled in and gave Erik enthusiastic greetings. An older woman in her late sixties walked into the room carrying a wrapped plate of cookies. She headed over to Erik and spoke to him. He seemed moved by the gift and Disa took that time to slip away to the restroom to wipe down sweat from her body. Her t-shirt stuck to her upper body, but her cut-off shorts helped keep her bottom half cool. Marisol kept a roller of paper towels on the wall next to her clean cloth towels and Disa pulled off two sheets and soaked them in cold water. She wiped down her face and under her arms, then patted down between her thighs. Music bled through the bathroom door and the loud shouts and laughter made her smile in the mirror.
She touched her throat and adjusted her crescent necklace. Her eyes felt heavy. Jet lag crept up on her. She slept on the flight over, but the excitement of getting there and walking around caught up to her physical endurance. Stepping out of the restroom, she grabbed another bottled water from the kitchen and searched for Erik.
Marisol was in the middle of a heavy discussion with a young woman with light brown eyes that matched her curly hair color. A loose-fitting shirt dress detailed a shapely physique. Several other women stood around them and it looked to Disa that they were all trying to calm the woman down.
"Stay here," Fernanda said, grabbing Disa's arm and pulling her behind a group of men who regarded the other women with interest.
"En nunca disse isso!" Erik shouted from the patio.
He stormed into the living room and rushed up on the woman arguing with Marisol.
"JaJa, não digas nada, por favor," Marisol yelled.
"Sai daqui, Raquel!" Erik bellowed at the light-eyed woman.
Fernanda dug her nails into Disa's arm to hold her in place, but that didn't stop her from approaching Erik.
"Baby?" Disa said.
"Esta é ela?" Raquel spat out.
The woman glared at Disa and stepped closer to both of them.
"Sim, este é meu noivo," he said.
Raquel pushed Erik in his cheek with a finger, then slammed her hands on his chest, pushing him into Fernanda.
"Hey!" Disa shouted.
Raquel's eyes were full of fire and Erik stepped in front of Disa to keep her away from the angry woman. Marisol attempted to calm Raquel down, but she screamed and stomped her feet, her passionate words going over Disa's head. Fernanda and another woman dragged Raquel away and Marisol touched Erik's arm.
"I'm sorry JaJa, I didn't invite her. She wasn't supposed to know you were coming back here, but some people saw you over at the ice cream shop and told her."
Erik pulled Disa close to him by her waist.
"What was she screaming about?"
She knew instinctively that Erik had been involved with the woman. All of her body language screamed jilted ex. Marisol glanced at Erik with doe eyes that looked embarrassed.
"Let's go to the back," he said.
He pulled Disa through the rattled house guests and took her to the bedroom they would share.
"That was Raquel… an old girlfriend from about two years ago."
Erik ran a hand along his neck without eye contact with her.
"She seemed pretty pissed to be just an old girlfriend showing up," Disa said.
"Disa, I ain't never been a saint with overlap. I've juggled a lot of women down here, and she's always been one of my faves when I'm here. It sounds bad to say it like that, but you know how it is. I was smashing her heavy before I did my internship, and I was with her again before I started M.I.T. and right before you and I became... us. She just found out today that I'm engaged. I was her first when we were sixteen, and I guess she always thought we'd be together. I never promised her anything like that. Everyone around here knows I was never one on one. How could I be when I'm gone all the time?"
"What was she yelling about? Because it sounded like a lot more than heartbreak."
"She threatened to have her brothers kick my ass, but no one believes that. I've fought her brothers before at the same time. They are lightweights and she was just venting."
There was a knock at the bedroom door. Erik answered it.
"Hi. You two okay in here?"
Marisol's sing-song voice eased the tension.
"We're good, Marisol. Erik just told me what happened out there."
"Good… um… JaJa. Raquel is downstairs, and she wants to talk to you. She's calm now and wants to apologize."
"Nah. She can stay down there."
"She's embarrassed and wants to save face. She promised me she wouldn't act up or push you again."
"How many times has she said that in the past?" Erik joked.
Marisol smirked.
"You put yourself in these situations all the time. This is not new. Everyone here saw how she acted and Raquel is sensitive about her reputation as a drama queen. If you talk to her, she'll feel better and go home."
"Nope."
Erik pulled off his damp t-shirt and switched it out for a dry one inside his suitcase.
"You know she'll stand out there until you come down."
"I don't care. She wants to stunt in front of Disa. Not happening. If I go down there, she'll think she won something. Tell her ass to grow up and get the fuck on. We're not teenagers anymore."
Marisol shrugged and left the room. Disa sauntered over to him and ran her hands down his chest to smooth out his fresh shirt.
"Will this be a regular occurrence? Other hysterical women freaking out because I'm here?"
"I've done a lot of fuckshit stuff down here."
"Duly noted."
He grinned, showing her dimples for days.
"I'm beat. I'll tell everyone to go home. We can sleep in tomorrow and then I can take you to the gymnasium before dinner with Soliel and Aunjanue," he said.
Disa slipped her arms around his neck.
"Marisol is staying over with Fernanda tonight to give us some privacy."
He nuzzled her neck.
"Maybe you should put that red negligée back on and I can take care of you the way you should be by your man."
"I'll take a quick shower and meet you back in here," she cooed in his ear.
Erik left the room and Disa unzipped her large suitcase.
"Everybody get the fuck out!" Erik shouted in English.
"That man," Disa said.
She pulled out her sexy lingerie and chuckled to herself.
A flash of light caught her eye from the window. She moved to peer out of it and a crack of thunder rattled the window. Opening the latch, she pushed the window up and caught the scent of coming rain. But there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
"Strange," she muttered to herself.
Down below, she saw Erik's friends waving goodbye with shouts of "Ciao!" and "Parabéns!" reaching her ears. Slipping into the bathroom, Disa washed with a fancy new bottle of pink grapefruit shower gel. She undid her hair and sprayed it with an aromatic hair tea Marisol made for her. It refreshed her tresses. She applied a bit of tinted lip balm to her dry lips after brushing her teeth. The scarlet red from her naughty-wear brought out the red undertones in her skin and she slinked back into their bedroom.
Erik wandered in ten minutes later and watched her light up the white candles she found on the windowsill.
"Is it supposed to rain?" Disa asked.
Erik pulled off his shirt and shucked off his shoes and jeans. Standing in front of the window in just his boxer-briefs, he searched the darkening night sky for signs of a spring storm.
"No."
The faint brightness of a phantom storm flashed lightning again. The subsequent boom of thunder made Disa jump. Erik only watched the sky.
"Eu posso estar pronto, Ogum," he whispered out into the evening air.
"What did you say?"
Erik turned his face from the window and looked at her.
"When I was little, Marisol's grandmother used to tell me that every time I returned here, it always thundered without rain. She said it was because Xangô and Ogum were fighting over me and one day I would have to choose between them as my orixá."
He faced the window again.
"The last time I was here, and it happened, she said that Ogum wouldn't let it rain while Xangô tried to get my attention. He takes his iron sword and heats it up, slicing it through the rain and burning it away so it won't drop. But Xangô keeps trying."
He mimicked a woman's voice, who Disa assumed was Marisol's grandmother.
"Você tem que escolher. You have to choose."
He closed his eyes.
"Earlier, when I spoke, I said that I think I'm ready to choose. It's been a long time coming. Normally, the orixás choose who they want when they come down on you, but Auntie says I'm a special case because I carry the energy of two and they struggle within me."
Disa padded over to him and put her arms around his waist and rested her chin on his shoulder.
"Who would you prefer?"
Erik shrugged.
"I'm not really sure."
He turned to face Disa and held her shoulders.
"What I do know for sure is that I'm glad you're here with me. I'd choose you every time."
The window shook slightly, and Erik hooked his fingers into her negligee straps and pulled them down.
