Vers le sud

[recalling her first time with Legba]

Brenda:
We were both lying in our bathing suits on a big rock, basking in the sun. His body fascinated me. Long, lithe, muscular, his skin glistened. I couldn't take my eyes off him. And the later it got, the more I was losing my mind. He was, he was lying there beside me, his eyes were shut. I remember every move I made, as if it was yesterday. I edged my hand over and placed it on his chest. Legba opened his eyes and immediately closed them again. That encouraged me and I, I moved my hand down his body. Such soft, young skin. He was motionless. And I slid two fingers into his bathing suit and touched his cock. Almost immediately, it started getting hard, growing in the palm of my hand, until it just popped out. His arms were beside his body. He breathed faintly, but, but very regularly. I looked around to see that no one was coming and I threw myself on him. I literally threw myself on him. It, it was so violent, I couldn't help but scream. I, I think I never stopped screaming. It was my first orgasm. I was 45.

Ellen:
I turned 55, last month. There's nothing in Boston for women over 40. Don't contradict me. I've checked out every bar in that goddam, stuck-up city. And there's nothing there that's even close to Legba. How was such a handsome boy born here? On this dungheap.

Albert:
I was born in Cap-Haitien, in northern Haiti. I'm from a family of patriots. My whole family fought the Americans during the 1915 occupation. I think my father never shook a white man's hand. He saw them as lower than monkeys. He used to say: "I look behind a white man, to see if he has a tail." My grandfather didn't bother with that. To him, a white man was an animal, period. When he talked about "the white man," he really meant Americans. The invaders, occupiers, people who dared to tread on Haitian soil. If he knew I was a waiter for Americans, he'd die of shame. This time, the invaders aren't armed. But they have more damaging weapons than cannons: dollars! So that everything they touch turns to garbage. The whole country is rotten.

Ellen:
Brenda, a word of advice. Give him a free reign.

Brenda:
Look who's talking.

Ellen:
Listen, if you're out to snare a husband, you've come to the wrong address. Legba belongs to everyone. He makes the decisions.

Brenda:
He does, or you do?

Brenda:
[in Legba's ear] For three years, you were all I could think of. I missed you. I missed you so much, it was like an addiction. My whole body ached, my head, my belly. It was just agony, every day, every night. Especially every night.

Ellen:
Everything was fine 'til you got here. We led a simple life. Then you arrived, lugging along your romantic love, your goddam syrupy love. You convinced yourself Legba was the love of your life. You wanted him all to yourself. Well, let me tell you something, you're no better than the rest of us. We're all here for a good time, that's all. But we don't kid ourselves, we don't cheat. We don't think you can just show up and upset the whole apple cart just because some kid gave you an orgasm.