Please do not copy this story without my written consent.
For this story to make sense please read the first part: Helen Part 1.
The Morning After 早上以后
'
God! What have I done!!
' was all that went through my head after Helen and I got back to the school.
If she had just wanted to be boyfriend and girlfriend I probably wouldn't have worried, but talking about us already living together as we made out brought images to my head of being trapped into a relationship with a girl who only wanted me for money. I know you only kiss someone, when you are practically getting married in China, but she seemed so westernized. It was going too fast. I brushed my teeth, trying to get the taste of Helen's tongue out of my mouth, and then fell into restless sleep, dreading the morning when I would see her again.
All the following day I night I feared getting that call from Helen. All that went through my mind was a swirl of entrapment. '
I really shouldn't be dating her yet,' I tried to reason with myself, 'I mean, we're coworkers and all. What about the others, and our students…? She's probably too drunk to remember what happened anyway
.'
………
That night, after dinner with the rest of the American teachers, I got the call.
"Hi, baby!" Helen chirped through the speaker.
Ugh!
I groaned to myself.
"Do you want to see me tonight?"
"Yeah, let's meet at the fountain I want to talk about something with you." I croaked out.
"OK!"
When I got to the fountain there was no one there. I took the short walk to the office, thinking maybe she was working on something in there. No one. It was a dark night. Suddenly, she emerged from behind a large bush and walked over to me.
"You said you wanted to talk about something," she said as we sat down on the edge of the fountain.
"Um, yes," I took her hand in mine. "Helen, I don't regret what we did last night…" I began, not sure how to continue. The fawning looking in her eyes as she squeezed my hand made it all the harder to go on. "But, I don't think we should be in a relationship right now. I mean…it could make things awkward in the office. You said that you were thinking of leaving the school after this semester was over. We could get back together then…"
"Well, um…if that is how you feel…I'll respect that. I'll be waiting for you, after I leave this school when the semester ends," she smiled awkwardly.
………
When I got back to the foreign teacher's building, April and Justin were in the kitchen upstairs.
"How'd it go with, Helen?" April asked.
"Fine, she took it well. I feel like a jerk though."
"Well, you were in a very delicate situation," Justin said.
"Yeah, she just wants to make sure no one talks about it at the school."
"She doesn't need to worry. If the school found out about half the stuff we've done, we'd all be fired," April smiled and went back to washing dishes.
The Boyfriend 男朋友
By Friday the following week I wasn't feeling very well; my throat was sore, I could barely talk. I had tried drinking lots of water, but it hadn't seemed to help. After school was finished for the week I collapsed on my bed.
When a knock on my door woke me up, it was already dark outside.
"Helen," I croaked, as I opened the door.
"You don't look so good," she said as she walked in.
"I'm not."
"Sit down. I'll get you some water." She pushed me back onto my bed and went into the bathroom. She came back out with a cup of water and sat down next to me,. "Take this pill; it should help your throat."
She rubbed my back as I took the pill.
She got up and started making the bed. Once she was done with that, she went and got me a warm sweater to wear. "I was watching you all day, I felt so bad for you."
"You're so sweet," was I could get out; my throat felt like a desert and my mind was fuzzy.
"I'm going out with the others later. Will you be alright?" she asked, as she started to leave.
"Yeah, just need to sleep.
I gave her a big hug as she walked out.
………
"How'd it go last night?" I asked Justin the next morning..
"It was good. Helen and I stayed out till 4, then we went back and watched the sunrise up on the beach. She'd always wanted to do that."
"Oh, cool." I said though, I'm sure, it sounded hollow. '
I wanted to watch it with her!'
I thought. We moved on to talk about our plans for the rest of the weekend.
"So, I take it I have your understanding on this?" Justin said to me as I left.
"Of course," I replied, having no clue as to what he was talking about.
………
The next weekend George and I went from La Bang to Corner Jazz. I had been noticing that Helen and Justin were spending a lot of time together, talking about lesson plans more than normal, and going out to eat by themselves.
We walked up the steps and there they were: Justin and Helen locked in a passionate embrace, his arms around her waist, the hem of her clingy black shirt exposing her belly button and the tops of her pants. She cocked her head to the side, exposing her swan like neck to his oral ministrations. Her eyes were closed and her mouth open in ecstasy.
Suddenly, what had been so obvious, now hit me like a brick; Justin and Helen were a couple!
………
Lying in bed that night I told myself: its better that Helen was with Justin and not me; no mystery, no getting trapped. Then my drunken dreams, gave way to feverish fantasies; Helen's face, her tongue, sticking out her mouth like a porn star, would fill my mind, I'd feel her hot wet tongue in my mouth, the smell of her hair and the feel of her lithe body writhing against me would devour my senses and I'd want to Helen again.
………
Like a drug, when I couldn't have her, she was all I could think about. When I talked with her, or had Chinese lessons with her, all I wanted was to be rid of her. I tumbled into a pit of depression.
Helen offered to teach my kindergarten class, to give me some pointers, after seeing how moody I was getting, blaming it on teaching frustrations.
She was at her charming best, when she came to the class, smiling at Rose, and explaining in Chinese that she was going to help out today.
She took the pictures of the words the kindergarteners were learning and held them behind her back.