Mary entered the house. She looked very nervous.
"Where have you been?" Michael asked her. "It's late."
"I don't want my problems to be a part of your life."
"You don't have a real problem. You are only pretending to have one."
"I can do anything I want."
"Maybe there is just one real problem. You don't know what you want."
"I know exactly what I want, but I just can't stay focused in anything is important because of you."
"Do you still wait for someone to take care of you?"
"Don't look too much into the mirror of irony. You can get sick."
"What 's the matter? Are you afraid to risk to take your life in your own hands?"
"No, I feel paralyzed by some forces and I am unable to control them."
"But I'm unable to harness your inner strength."
"You cannot do everything you want. The world of the free people doesn't exist for you."
"I know exactly who I am and what I want."
"Yes, but you cannot do everything you want."
"Maybe, but I accept my resignation."
When people are in the hospital, they love to see their friends coming to visit them. The flowers are nice and the personal contact is very meaningful. Sometimes, people don't visit anyone in the hospital. They are nervous when they think of what they have to do and say.
"I admire your strength in all you're going through your whole life. Is there anything I can do for you? I know that you suffer. Can I say a little prayer for you to ease your pain?" Ella tried to be gentle.
Alexander's mother closed her eyes and breathed in. She knew exactly what Ella was talking about. Her shaking hands stopped only for a second before reaching the Ella's coat. She touched Ella's arms with her hands. She turned her head and she could whisper to be heard. "Your words are always picking me up. I always pray for you. Let me introduce you to Claire. She's my room mate. She's waiting for a liver transplant. She's a good friend. I always feel good being around her."
" I listen spiritual tapes and spiritual music and this keeps me occupied. I spent months waiting my death. The disease makes me lonely enough. It says that the agony is a whisper in the roar of hurrying existence". Claire was incredibly nice and she could make you feel comfortable. She used to answer all your questions and to communicate without rushing you. She was super knowledgeable and she could be a great friend.
"We don't ever get bored here," said Martha, another patient. "Claire is a very merry yarn and a caring person, despite her illness."
"Why are you here?" Ella became curious.
"I received a spleen transplant. I ripped my stitches a bit and I had a lot of pain."
"You're just having a bad day as everyone of us," said Claire.
"If my husband had been here, he would have helped me the most. When I was in pain, my daughter was here by my side, patting me and showing me her love." Martha said that their pastor had been tremendously helpful by reaching out to her family. She said that the pastor was generally working to create a peaceful atmosphere within their homes and within the congregation for the persons who are ill. She described how her priest had helped this to happen in her congregation.
"My husband is looking for me, but he cannot enter the hospital. Ella, can you tell me what to do?" Claire said, after receiving a call from her husband.
"He must mention your name or the room number. I was interned in another hospital and I remember that the visitors weren't allowed to go into the patient's room, unless they were given the permission by the nurse." Ella wanted to be useful.
Martha told them that her mother died having the same disease. She complained that she had excessive perspiration in the groin area, palms and soles. She used to drink large quantities of water. She also told them that she was unmarried and she had been having no sexual desire since a very long time. She described herself as a loner and a very sensitive woman. When she was younger, she loved so much to travel. She hated the routine of work, but she had to earn for her living. She has always had a fear of being robbed or raped. Her most painful memories could describe her breaking up relationships.
Alexander's mother was waiting for a heart transplant. Otherwise, the doctors told her she would die of heart failure. She knew that other patients had waited for three months in the hospital before they received their heart transplants. She didn't wait a person to die for receiving the heart, but she hoped that a miracle would save her. She knew that one death can allow one life, even there is no guarantee of restoration of health and life. Alexander's mother chose a private hospital. She was aware that the operation would cost a lot of money, far too much than she could afford to pay. She had a bank deposit. Alexander decided to make a bank loan by mortgaging the house. Ella told Alexander's mother that he had achieved the financial loan. Ella also told her that she was two months pregnant.
In the morning, Ella left the hospital and went home again. Alexander told her that Michael had reconciled with Nora and they had been invited to a ball, on Saturday night. This house party was hosted by the local theater, having a purpose to organize a fund-raising for AIDS patients.
"It is very hard to host a house party for three hundred people. Our director must be very busy," said Alexander.
Nora and some of her friends, who have belonged to a women organization, have decided to assist the director in having a successful party. They have chosen the date for the house party. They provided as much support as possible. They have chosen specialized people to organize the party, based on their fund-raising experience. They started planning the party twelve weeks before this event. This gave them the plenty of time to put together the guest list, to choose the basic donors, to send the invitations, to make the calls and to get the necessary food. After sending the invitations, they knew exactly the people they would expect. They requested a sum donation in the invitations. They thought that they would make an additional pitch for funds during the party by using a speech. They sent the invitations four weeks before that moment. They spent a lot of time calling and answering the phone.
"This is the most important thing you can do to ensure that everything turns out good. People may be able to ignore an invitation, but they will respond to the call. The most important idea about these calls is that you can mirror what's in the invitation and you can tell the prospective guests that their attendance matters to you." Nora became very critical. She said that her father was a very critical man and she grew up acquiring this same trait. She remembered that she used to hear a wonderful concert, but when the soloist missed a note, she could remember the mistake, not the beautiful music that surrounded it. She related to people in a similar fashion. The quality of her life reflected her focus. Because she focused on the negative, what she saw inside herself and all around her were the flaws and the problems.
"Should I ask them to have a checkbook or credit card with them?" Laura wanted to change and to improve the organization of the party.
"It is essential to know when your guests are prepared to make a significant financial contribution," said Nora.
"The party is not for the ill people. They benefit from it, but the party is for the healthy persons. We must think that they love being able to have dinner with other people around them, to have a couple of drinks and to hear other people laughing," said Lisa. She needed to learn how to get out of that situation. She didn't want to come, but she couldn't refuse Laura, because Laura was her friend. She used to build her masked ivory tower and put herself in there. She tried to learn all her life how to deal with it.
"We have had a tough year, but we had made it to be a good one. My collaborators might not look the same, but I really like them and I am happy to work with them. I am in the trenches with them everyday. I want to be with them. It is the time to remember the laughs and the tears that we had. It is the high time to remember the success we had." Laura concluded and tried to explain why she had an unconventional style of work.
She was the prosecutor's wife and she owned a small printing company. She was a very strong woman. Laura had narrow hands, long fingers, and nails very well manicured. She was tall and thin. Something in her big blue eyes made her to be quite attractive and charming. She had a nice sad smile obviously reflecting her goodness of soul. She had a black heavy hair, which hung like a mantle on her shoulders. She had soft thick eyelashes. She had an attractive little face and a scar upon her upper lip, which made her to look very sad.
"We can add more events as barbeques or pool parties. Alternately, we can add events and formalities," said Lisa.
"The donor parties are usually formal events ending with the cocktail parties. We must follow the rules," concluded Nora.
The top families in town were invited to the party as well as all the business people. When the party began, someone dimmed the lights and everybody took a seat at the table. There was a screen above the disco stage, showing everything around. People began to dance, to drink and to eat. Jeff, the director of the theater, climbed up the platform and tried to organize the speakers, who helped him to collect the funds. He wanted to keep a close eye on everything. At midnight, Jeff asked Brandon, the director of the hospital, to give thanks to all the supporters of this cause, along with a little speech about those ill people.
"Thank you for helping me!" Brandon needed to become thankful to Jeff.
"My involvement is obviously controversial," said Jeff, drinking his water.
Jeff had small black eyes, tight skin, a large mustache growing from both the upper lip and cheeks and a short platinum hair. He wanted to make it clear that, despite all the stories about him, his involvement was not for the money.
"I wanted to give to this party a heightened sense," said Jeff.
"The first step is to pay attention and to get this party as organized as possible. Otherwise, you'll get what you deserve. But don't worry, everything will be fine," replied Brandon.
"Hey, David, where is your wife?" Jeff asked him, while he was using a paper towel to wipe his forehead.
"She couldn't come to the party tonight," David said. "She loves your parties, but she is very tired. She remained at home."
David was a very rich business man.
"Do you want to eat some fresh fruits?" Lisa asked David, while she was stretching a fresh fruits plate. Lisa was Jeff's wife.
"Yes, thank you, I like the fresh fruits and the vegetables," said David. "I'm a vegetarian."
"I'm not like you, a vegetarian," said Jeff and his spastic bile-soaked voice became almost indescribably sarcastic.
"Where is Michael?" Lisa began to look after him. A huge smile appeared on her face.
Lisa went on the balcony and she saw Ella talking with Nora. They were seemingly involved in an endless discussion. When they saw Lisa, they stopped talking.
"What a lovely green dress!" Lisa exclaimed. She was visibly impressed because Nora was looking very beautiful in her French dress.
"I love it so much. It's a very expensive unique dress. I bought this piece in Paris, a few months ago."
"I adore it!" Lisa continued. "Where is your husband?"
"He is in the pool room."
Lisa entered the next room for searching Michael. He was there. He was talking with Klaus. Michael had a glass of wine in his hand.
"Did you eat something?"
"Not yet," said Michael, seemingly ignoring her. In fact, while he was talking with Klaus, he was looking at her face very inquisitively. After he had finished the discussion, he went out to search Jeff. After thirty minutes, he returned and searched her. She had been staying there waiting for him, slowly tendering her own face with her hands. After seeing him, she trailed her fingers down to her ears and to her blond hair. She has tilted her head to clearly see his eyes. He looked down to her body. Her breasts had begun to sag. Her body was slender and her long legs were shapely formed. She smiled, showing her teeth. Her green eyes sparkled. She closed her eyes and took a little breath. Opening her eyes, she looked at the man. Michael had never been very thin, but he was a special man, having a well proportioned beautiful body.
"I am a very methodical man," said David.
"I think it is very important to decide your own fate in life. Sometimes, it is very heavy to make your own fortune," said Michael.
"I have a deep respect for the regularity. I am who I am because of this," continued David.
"You're right. This is the secret for being a good business man. Try to understand where a merchant is a genius and where he's an ass," said Michael.
"Maybe he's both of them at the same time."
"Many boys run away from their home at the age of ten to search jobs. I understand them because I was very poor. I learned very hard to be a good actor, while I was working," said Michael.
"When I was fairly eighteen, I found myself doing a good outdoor cleaning service business. I was proud to do this work at my age."
A television channel has announced that the policemen had caught several major drug dealers with a total of one hundred kilos of drugs. They were arrested, being also linked to some crimes. The cocaine was hidden in some containers. David dropped the glass.
"Sorry!" David whispered.
"A business must always be done in a business way. This is the first lesson," said Michael. "What did you say?"
"Did you hear the news?"
"I didn't pay attention. The truth is that I had learned, in time, to jog on into the old routine." He tried to continue his idea.
"An old hunk knows very well to put up his own business. Try to stop him and you will be destroyed," said Klaus, the judge, who had been listening to the discussion since the beginning. He was short of stature and stocky. He had a groomed mustache and a small mouth. His bulging and very expressive eyes had always a quizzical look.
"How are you, my dear friend?" Michael cordially shook his hand. "You're the same Klaus as always, seemingly unchanged."
"Yes, I am. Look, a jealous husband shot and killed his wife, after he had caught her making love at home with another man."
"Tell me the story," said Michael.
"He had to go to work, but he became suspicious because of his wife. He decided to go to a bar to have some drinks. After that, he returned home. His wife had invited her male lover to her matrimonial bed. She was making love with him, when her husband knocked at the door. His wife didn't open the door. The man had to force the door to open and he was very stunned when he saw his best friend with his own wife. The jealous husband shot her wife in her head with a shotgun. After that, he shot her lover. Now, he is guilty of premeditated murder."
"I'm very sad when I hear about someone's death," said Lisa, somewhat scared.
"It's a true and very sad story," replied Klaus.
"It is possible to love and hate someone at the same time. How do you feel?" Lisa tried to catch his attention.
"Someone said that richness is nothing in comparison with health. Sometimes, the demands of the profession are too much for my delicate state of body. I'm an old man," said Klaus courteously smiling.
"Where is my wife?" Michael asked Lisa. "On the balcony!" She replied, suddenly becoming very distracted.
Michael disappeared. Michael met Helen. She was a woman having almost thirty five years old. She left her family and moved in the town, after falling in love with an elven wood cutter. The man had been working in a sawmill for a while but he got very ill.
After the wood cutter had passed away, she has worked as a prostitute to pay off his debts. She had no reservations about what she had to do for living, even she was a mother of a six years old boy. She possessed a slanted sense of morality, which guided her life. Helen was beautiful. She didn't need to blatantly flirt on the street with the men for making them her clients. She was approached by the men. She used to select only beautiful young men and rich old clients. She was working on the main street corridor almost every day. She had ten regular johns associates for doing this kind of work. Some of them had been drugged before being fifteen years old and, after that, they have been selling sex for money.
"Hello!" Michael was all eyes, searching for the snug in her body look.
She walked near the car.
"What's up with you?"
Michael told her to climb into his car. Holding a big plastic bottle filled with brandy, she opened the door and she hopped in.
"Are you Helen?" asked Michael.
"Yes. I am."
"I suppose you're a resident," said Michael.
"You're right. How did you guess?"
"Mark told me," continued Michael.
"Mark told me to get in touch with you," said Helen.
"We may have to do some smooth talking to get the deal," continued Michael.
"You probably want to get an idea about me, before you give me what I need," continued Helen.
"I guess you're right," said Michael.
"Where are we going?"
"You will see. You're a very curious woman," smiled Michael. "Anyway, it is a very pleasant place." After that, he turned to her and he looked right into her eyes. He said, "Your work is very pleasant."
"Especially for men," laughed Helen.
"Isn't it pleasing for women?"
"Oh, yes, sometimes."
She had a very sad smile.
The house was situated on the beach. They entered the house. He invited her into the living room and he offered her something to drink. She saw a large poster on the wall with a kangaroo.
"Why do you keep this?" Helen asked him. Her eyes found his gaze and a curious expression was plastering itself across her face.
"I like that she holds her baby in her pouch. Go and take a bath."
"Of course!"
After thirty minutes of washing, she left the bathroom to enter the living room. She was wearing a long white coat. Michael invited Helen to eat. On the table there were all the sorts of dishes she had never eaten before. After twenty minutes, they went into the bedroom. The room was decorated in red and black. They started having sex. The sound of the waves, ebbing on the sandy shore in the distance, was soothing. Her mind was occupied by so many thoughts. She had no idea why she felt so scared, even nothing could really scare her. She was surprised to feel the softness of his skin.
"I want you so badly!" Michael took her in his arms.
"I want to swim to the shallow end of the pool," said Helen.
"Later!" Michael said. "I need you now."
He began to cut off her words by kissing her. He scooped her into both his arms and lifted her for pushing his wishes within her dreams. All of a sudden, she felt her mind fading out because her senses have become diluted. She could no longer grip for her own satisfaction upon him. She could only wait and moan in her spirit because she felt trapped in her own body. She could no longer move her body, she felt paralyzed by his movement while he had sex with her. She had a strange feeling. It was like a creature had split her body up. She could not resist anymore. It was ecstasy and agony. She lost her control.
"Take care of her, Mark!" Michael told him and he got out of the house to return to the party.