My Lolita by Que Son (reading strategies book TXT) 📕

-Hello? A thick voice answer.

-I am in Vung Tau at the hotel. Where are you and how are things going? I say. -Oh, sir, we are on our way to Vung Tau, about halfway there.

-How is my woman doing?

-She is sleeping like a baby. Like a sleeping beauty waiting for you to kiss her awake. I have to say, she is extra-ordinarily beautiful. I almost fall in love with her.

-Who are you and what did i tell you last night, ha?

-I am the boss. I am sorry. I said i almost fall in love with her, but not quite, so you have nothing to worry about.

-Alright. Take her to this address.

I give the phone to the clerk and ask him to tell them where we are. After giving the directions to the goon-boss, he hands the phone back to me.

-Where are the other three guys? I ask.

-They are with me.

-So there is no room in the car.

-Where the do you stuff her? In the trunk?

-No sir, two punks are with me in the front of the car. One, the smallest, is in the back. Your woman is lying straight on the back seat. The guy squeezes himself on the floor. Your woman is safe, i guarantee you. We will be there in an hour, sir.

-Ok.

-And the money, sir?

-I have it here, all 10,000. Don't you trust me?

-We trust you. You are one of the rare people we can confidently do business with. Sir, could you imagine? This is our first kidnapping and it went without a glitch. My troops performed exceptionally well. I am very proud of them--the boss brags.

In the background, i can here the noise of traffic.

-Get her here now! I say.

I go back to the room after telling the clerk to stay at the front desk to wait for the arrival of the punks and my cargo. He smiles as if he is in it too. And in fact if he is not in it, where is he? Did i not give him money to participate in the scheme, the kind of money that he can only make if his hotel is full of guests 24/7?

-And stay by the phone at the desk at all times in case i need to call you from my room for something, i say.

In the room, i look out the windows into the distance and think about what i am doing. I am breaking the law. I am committing the crime of kidnapping to which i will happily plead guilty. I lean out the window and look down. Yes, it is very high up here. If she jumps, she will surely break her neck and die. It is all concrete down there. And i hope that she is a reasonable person and will not jump. I hear the cries of the seagulls. I see the blue sky and feel the breeze on my face. And my heart slowly increases its beats. I lie down on the bed. This will be my bed and that will be her bed. I pick up the phone and tell the clerk that i want some beers. Ten minutes later he enters the room with a bucket of ice and beers. He says, somebody will be here with you? And i say, yes, not just somebody, but a woman i love, i love her so much that right at this moment i feel that i cannot live without her, have you ever felt that way? The guy hesitates, and then says, yes, once many many years ago when i was a lot younger. I fell in love with a girl. It was the first time i love. It was crazy love. And i say, did she love you? And he says, yes, she loved me as much i loved her. It was the first love for both of us. Then what happened? I ask. And he says, she is now my wife, and we have three children, and i still love her like crazy. I say, and she still loves you the same way? That, he says, i am not sure anymore. Why? I ask. She has become cold to me for the last few years, and it hurts me a lot. Sure, i say. Then he says, do you need anything else, sir? No, i say. And he leaves.

I finish a beer and the phone rings. On the other end is the clerk: Sir, you woman is here. Send them up, i say. And moments later the goons enter my room with the girl. She is carried by two goons. One holds up her upper part and the other her lower part. The boss follows them into the room.

-Put her on that bed, i say.

And they gently spread her out on the bed. She is wearing a burgundy aodai that embraces tightly her upper body. She is still unconscious and her chest goes up and down gently with each breath. That is D. In my possession. How beautiful she looks in her sleep. A sleeping beauty, like the punks say. A tremendous happiness fills the entire of my being. Heaven. Two punks are sitting on the couch and two are standing by the window.

-How soon will she be up? I say.

-In about two hours--the boss says--we applied the solution to her nose and she breathes in deeply, that is why she is still in the neverneverland. Please examine to see if she is injured in any way.

I see that she is not hurt. Not a bruise anywhere.

-Good job. And thanks a lot. Here the rest of the money, I say.

I give the boss an stuffed envelope. He takes the money out and counts. Then he says, you are a gentleman, sir. It was a pleasure doing business with you. Please contact us again if you have any other jobs for us. And i say, I am no gentleman, gentleman does not kidnap people. And the boss says, but this is an exception, sir, because you are a man in love! And you are going out on a limp for love. That, we admire and respect. That is why we did our best for you.

I look at D again. And my heart beats faster. Soon she will be up and what am i going to do?

-Can we go now, sir? The boss says.

-Yes, and thanks again.

They walk out of the room.

Ten

The object of my desire is still in her blissful sleep. I come near and look at her. Hmm, that face is so angelic. Her face is so smooth, and the skin is so silky. Her lips are painted red. Except for the red lips, she has no other make-up on. Strands of black hairs cover part of her face. I feel like pushing those hairs aside so i could see the whole of her face, but i dare not. I have told myself that i will not touch her, however slightly, that i will respect the integrity of her body. I only want to be near her--that is all. I bring my ears down to listen to her breaths. They are steady, gentle, and quiet. Then i bring my eyes down on her chest. A rush of animal desire takes over me when i see those breasts: two little lumps of meat delicately veiled under a thin layer of fabric. But i catch myself in time: no, i am not going to take advantage of this angel. Yes, angel. In one of her emails to me, she said she was my angel. And i called her my angel. "Your angel must now go to sleep," she once wrote. I felt happy when i read that. Now my angel is here, totally helpless, under my control. But then i think: What am i going to say or do when she wakes up? I am confused, and even a little scared. I think a little bit, then decide to let the situation develops on its own.

I take another beer and sit by the window and look at the mountains in the distance. Then i call downstairs. The guy answers. I say, Bring me three gallons of water, a case of lemonade, potato chips, ice cream, and some ropes. Twenty minutes later, he bring them into my room. I tell him to put everything in the refrigerator, except the potato chips and the ropes. He does so, and i see him steal a glance at the girl. Is that the woman you talked about? Yes. She is very beautiful, it's a disgrace that she does not love you and forces you to do this to her. But i don't blame you, i would do the same if i were you. Really? I ask. Yes, really, sir. And i say, you are not trying to blow smoke up my ass, are you? No, leave me alone with her for five minutes, i would fall in love with her, just like you, he says. Then i say, are you kidding me? Five minutes? I and she have been talking to each other for five months and we only saw each other in the flesh two days ago, and she rejected me. Why, he asks. Because i am an old man, that's why. I am old enough to be her father. She did not know that? No, that was why it shocked her to learn my real age, and she was disappointed and ran away. And he says, How old are you? I am 47 years old. Yeah? I thought you were thirty something. You look a lot younger than your age. Exactly, i say, but still, she thinks i am too old for her, and i cannot object to that. She is only twenty years old.

The guy then walks out of the room. I make sure the door is locked, then return to the window and the beer. Soon, it will be dark. I heard movements on her bed and i turn and look. She is awake. She slowly sits up and looks and when her eyes land on me, she shows surprise.

-Where am i? What happened? What is this place?

-You are in a hotel in Vung Tau, i say.

-No, i was going to school!

I am happy to hear her voice again. A voice that sounds like music, like birdsing.

-Yes, you were going to school, but now you are here, i say.

-But why am i here? I thought that i would never see you again.

-But i want to see you again. Do you remember what happened?

-I remember i was riding my bike to school and i remember stopping at a traffic light, and ....

-And what?

-That's all i remember. How did i end up here, with you? You kidnapped me? She says, full of excitement and surprise, but no bitterness or anger. The goons really did a good job, i think.

-Yes, i kidnapped you, D. I could not help it. I love you.

-What is going to happen to me?

I am surprised that she is calm. She shows no fear at all. I leave the window and walk over to my bed, sit down and face her.

-I want to spend a few days with you. I want to see you, to have you around, i say.

-I have told you that even though i like you, we cannot be together.

-I understand. But I only want to have you with me for a few days.

-What are you going to do to me?

-Nothing. Just be here for me to look at. And we can talk if you want to.

She becomes silent. She stares at the wall in front of her. I don't say anything either. Then she sighs, and says:

-I did not know you love and want me that much.

She stands up and walks to the window. Again, the cries of the seagulls fill the silence. The breezes are in her hairs and she