When I was 10 and my sister Maxine was 7, something happened that changed our lives forever, especially mine. Max, as our family called her, and I got along great as kids. She was this adorable child with big brown eyes and thick dark curly hair, but she had a slight birth defect that caused her to walk with a limp, and it meant she couldn't run well. So, kids being kids, Max took a lot of abuse from neighborhood idiots. Sometimes it happened when she was by herself, and she'd come home crying from being called a gimp or worse things that I won't even mention here. But if I was around, and I heard anyone say anything cruel to her, I'd run to defend her. So I got into some fights, even with boys 3 or 4 years older, and I'd inevitably lose those. But it never stopped me from trying to protect my little sister. As a result, we were close as could be as children.
One summer Sunday, our family, mom and dad and Max and I (Eric) were at a local park for a picnic. We were having a nice time, dad and I throwing a ball around for a while, Max and I playing together. You know, family time. After lunch, I was helping mom clean up while dad went off to the bathroom. A dog wandered by not on a leash and Max, like most sweet kids, walked over and started petting the dog, a medium sized mutt. I saw her and I went towards her to check out what was going on when Max let out a huge screech. The dog had her arm in his teeth and she was terrified and screaming in pain. I ran the rest of the way and I hit the dog to get it to let go, which it did. Unfortunately for me, the dog turned its attention to me and started scratching and biting, getting a bunch of bites on my face, tearing my cheek, biting off part of my left ear and bite marks on my shoulder and arm. I couldn't even feel any pain at first as I was slipping into shock. I could hear my mother screaming in the background, along with others, and then I blacked out.
I woke up in the ER sometime later, being worked on by a few doctors and nurses. And I was in unbelievable pain. I never felt anything like it, before or since. Searing pain on the left side of my face. I felt more pain on my body, but it was nothing compared to my face. I was vaguely aware that Max was crying nearby as well, but for once, I wasn't concerned about her. The doctor told me I was going to surgery and they gave me a shot which quieted me down. Then everything went black again.
When I woke up again, mom was by my side and she looked awful. Her eyes were red and swollen, her hair was a mess and she looked like she hadn't slept in days, though it had only been a single day. I had thick bandages on the left side of my face and on the left side of my upper body and arm. The pain was down to a deep, dull ache and my head was spinning from what I later learned was morphine.
The wounds to my shoulder and arm weren't very serious. The wounds to my ear and face were another matter. Without a skilled plastic surgeon and as many as a dozen surgeries I was going to have some serious scars. The surgeon wasn't a problem; one was willing to do the work for whatever my parents insurance would pay. But the hospital bills would, even after insurance, be impossible for my parents to afford. They did what they could. but I was still left with some very serious scars and a misshapen ear.
Thankfully, Max's injuries were fairly minor. She'd heal up just fine, with barely a mark on her arm. And an orthopedic surgeon who was friends with the plastic surgeon donated his services to fix her leg, She'd learn to walk normally like everyone else.
When I went home from the hospital I needed a lot of help at first. Thankfully mom was already a housewife, the hardest job of all, but her job would get harder. My bandages had to be changed a couple of times a day and the wounds cleaned. At first, mom couldn't help but cringe, but she learned to not react when she saw the damage. I would heal with her help, my physical wounds, anyway.
Psychologically was another story, however. I was horrified by my own disfigurement. Even after a few surgeries, the scars were obvious, and on my face, the worst place imaginable in my mind. I went from being a nice looking kid to a freak, again, at least in my own mind. I didn't want to see any of my old friends, I hated the thought of going to school, where everyone stared when I returned. I got some sympathy but I also got a lot of cruel remarks behind my back. I became sullen and withdrawn, even with seeing a child psychologist.
I did well in school. It was easy to study since I wouldn't get involved in any sports or other activities. Gradually, I lost my friends. It wasn't their fault. I couldn't be around people any more than I absolutely needed. I went from being a happy kid to an angry teen.
And my relationship with Max suffered greatly. She still loved me, and I loved her, but deep inside I blamed her for what happened to me, unreasonable as that was. It wasn't her fault that dog attacked her. BTW, the dog was put to sleep. Normally that would have upset me, since I loved animals. But I lost no sleep over this one being euthanized.
So Max and I became more distant over the years. She thrived. She grew into a beautiful woman, with friends and boys interested in her, she was active in school activities, and she was headed for a good life. She went away to college when the time came. I stayed home, going to a local school so I didn't have to live with strangers who would always ask questions. I got enough stares as it was. When I graduated with a degree in computer science, I got a job where I could work night hours, when there weren't many others around then office. Eventually I made enough money to find my own apartment and live quietly away from others. I never went out, never socialized, even when invited by acquaintances at school. I never went on a single date. I was destined to be alone.
Still, I wanted to lose my virginity. What man doesn't want that, whether straight or gay, or the other options these days? So one night, I summoned up my courage and decided to have a visit from a call girl instead of jerking off to porn as I usually did. I needed to feel the touch of a woman, her body, her softness. I needed to know if I could make love to a woman.
I called this ad in the back of a local "underground" paper that advertised discreet in home services. The woman I spoke to was very pleasant. I told her what I was looking for, which wasn't difficult. I answered a few questions about what kind of woman I was attracted to. Dark hair and eyes, bust size not important, but I did tell her I preferred women with long legs. It would be $700 plus a tip for two hours. I didn't want to feel rushed. I even wanted to sit and talk with her first, even share some wine and a snack, like being on a real date.
"Laurel" came over that night, and she was a lovely girl, a couple of years younger than me. Small breasts, very trim and at 5'8", she had legs that went on forever. Most important, when she saw my face, she didn't react at all. No cringe, no sign she was repulsed by my appearance. She wore a nice grey and light blue dress and she had a real touch of class.
I invited her to sit in the living room, where I had some cheese and crackers out with some fruit and a closed bottle of wine. She let me know in a subtle way that we needed to settle business first, so I handed her the fee plus a $300 tip. I figured sleeping with me meant she would be earning it.
She had some wine with me, ate a little from the cheese, and we talked for a while. Very pleasant.
"Eric, do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?"
"I guess it depends what you want to know. You may ask."
"Well, I guess anyone would want to know what happened to your face. I mean, it's obvious its an old injury, and from the other side, you're a very handsome man. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But you can tell me. I won't make you uncomfortable."
So I told her the story of going to my sisters defense when the dog attacked. How I came to get the worst of it.
"Tell me more, Eric. You can tell me anything, you can tell me everything. I'd like to help you. You're a very nice man, and a gentleman. I don't end up meeting too many of those."
