A Pearl for Perla

CH 01

I'll never forget the morning when I first saw Perla. I was camping in MLK Park with my buddy, Clayton. She emerged from a tent directly across the trail from ours. Her image was the most beautiful one that my eyes had ever sent to my brain!

She was dressed very provocatively in shorts and a t-shirt. She was lighting a Coleman stove. What can I say? Everything about her was perfection. She was beauty personified!

When Clayton joined me, I said, "Look at that!"

He looked, then he yelled, "Hello Perla. How's it hanging?"

She replied, "Don't ask me. Ask Marty and Dean." She laughed at her own joke. Her laugh was like little bells tinkling in a waterfall."

I turned to Clayton and asked, "You know her?"

He lowered his voice as he replied, "I've known her in every way possible, if you get my drift. So have most of Terryton's male population. She's the sluttiest of sluts."

"Are you kidding me? Look at her. She's an unflawed beauty!"

"I don't know what your definition of unflawed is, but I'm here to tell you that she's pretty damned flawed. So flawed that I don't hang with her anymore. I don't want to catch something she throws at me."

I was telling Clayton how wholesome and beautiful she looked when Marty and Dean came out of their big tent. Marty walked up behind Perla and wrapped his hands around her tits. Something in me wanted to see her turn around and slap him. I expected her to do that.

I got part of it right. She did turn around. She turned around and kissed him. It was as if she melted into him. The kiss lasted forever. When her lips left his, she jumped up and threw her legs around his waist as she kissed him again with even more passion. Once again, the kiss lasted forever. It was apparent that there was lots of tongue activity going on.

The kiss ended when she grabbed the front of his shorts like a masseuse. He reacted like a peeping Tom peeking into the Queen of Sheba's tent. As he carried her back to their tent, she yelled at Dean and told him to take over the breakfast preparation. She added, "Unless you want to come with us. I can give you something to eat big boy."

Dean said, "I think I've eaten enough on this trip. What I need now is nourishment."

So, that's the way I found out about Perla. It was both impressive and disappointing. Mostly disappointing.

CH 02

The next time I saw her was at a party in Terryton. She came in on the arm of a guy that I didn't know. She was hanging on him like a cat in a tree. My world stopped spinning. My eyes were fixed on her and her alone. She noticed. She surprised the hell out of me when she walked away from her date and came straight over to me.

"I've been looking all over for you! Do you remember me? I was going to talk to you at MLK, but I got distracted. Now, you're my distraction. Don't worry, Jerry won't mind. Can we talk?"

I was flabbergasted! She remembered me? How so? I mumbled, "If I distract you like you were distracted at MLK park, I'm gonna be eating something better than these party favors."

She actually blushed. It was riveting. She looked at me like I had slapped her. I stammered, "I'm sorry Perla. I didn't mean to upset you. Please forget what I said. It was insensitive nonsense."

She said, "I deserve what you said. I'm trying to revamp my life, but that doesn't change what you saw. I hate it that you witnessed my performance that day.

"You won't believe what I'm about to tell you. Hell, I have trouble believing it myself; but I swear that it's true. When I saw you looking at me that day up at MLK park, your eyes seemed to be seeing past the facade and witnessing the real me. All of my secrets were exposed to your gaze. It did something to my heart and soul.

"I can't explain it. I don't understand it, but I can't shake it. As Marty was carrying me into the tent, I was visualizing your eyes. They were begging me to change my behavior.

"I'm certain that I was a huge disappointment for Marty in the tent. I wasn't into it anymore. He thinks it was him, but it wasn't. It was you! By the time Marty finally gave up on me, you and Clayton were gone. I've been hoping to see you ever since. I've been searching for you.

"I don't remember much about Sunday School, but I do remember hearing a story about a pearl collector. He came upon an absolutely perfect and very unusual pearl. He immediately sold every other pearl that he owned so he could buy that perfect pearl. The story was called "A Pearl of Great Price." Something keeps telling me that you are my pearl of great price. I'm willing to forgo all others to get you. Tell me, am I crazy?"

I said, "I'm not sure that I can comprehend what you're telling me, but I visualize you too. I even dream about you. You are the most stunningly beautiful woman that I've ever seen. I know nothing about pearls, but I want to know more about Perla."

She was smiling broadly as I continued, "I tried several times to get Clayton to introduce us or to just give me your number, but he wouldn't do it. He kept telling me to stay clear of you. I listened to him, but I didn't hear him. I even drove through Terryton several times hoping to see you. I can't understand what happened that day, but I've been haunted ever since."

Then she asked, "Do you think we could be in love? Is that possible? I don't even know your name. When I asked Clayton, he told me that I didn't need to know anything about you. He told me that you were the most virtuous and principled person he knew. He didn't pull any punches. He said that he didn't intend to let me destroy you. He's a good friend, nameless."

I smiled as I told her that my friends call me Randy Evans and my enemies call me "that redheaded bastard."

She said, "I think I'll try calling you the redheaded stranger that stole my heart." I was speechless at that.

I gave her a quick rundown about my life. I told her that I was an experienced lover. She asked how experienced and I told her I'd been with a whole fourth of a dozen girls. She pretended to do the math on her fingers. Then she said, "So you've ravaged three helpless girls with your charms."

I told her that they were more hapless than helpless.

When it was her turn, she followed my lead and told me about the high points and the low points of her life. She admitted that she had lost count of her sexual partners. She said, "If you choose to date me, there will only be one from now on. It will be only you for the rest of my life. Before we do the deed, I will take an STD test and give you the results."

I told her that I would do the same. She told me not to bother. She said that she was confident that my three were clean.

We spent the whole evening talking and basking in each other's company. I began to wonder what the guy that brought her to the party was thinking about her absence. A few minutes later, that guy walked up and put his arm around her. She introduced us. He was David, her brother.

CH 03

When I got back to my digs, I felt like I'd been ran-over by a truck. I knew my life was at a crossroads. Could this be happening or was I dreaming? If so, was Perla dreaming too? Could she change? Would she end up changing me? Was Clayton right or was my sixth sense accurate? The only way to know was to take the plunge. Life is never risk-free.

To Clayton's horror, I began dating Perla. Clayton told me he was sorry he had invited me to go with him to MLK park. I told him it was the most significant thing that had ever happened to me and that I was grateful for his invitation. He left shaking his head.

Dating Perla was a new kind of experience for me. She was like a soulmate in lots of ways. We could and did talk about anything and everything. Our beliefs and convictions were scarily similar. It was the lovemaking that was new to me. She wanted good sex and she wanted it often. I mean like at least once on every date, but twice or even thrice was better!

She taught me positions that I didn't know existed. She was on the pill and she insisted on bareback. She enjoyed feeling my ejaculation. She told me that I was now her only partner. I found no evidence to the contrary. I enjoyed her in every way and she responded in kind. It was heavenly. It was bliss. It was love.

CH 04

It was sixteen months later that we tied the knot. Perla Jennings became Perla Evans. Clayton was my best man. He even kissed the bride!

She was working four hours a day at the library. I was employed by a major brewery to run their first-of-a-kind laboratory. They wanted their beer tested scientifically. They wanted to be sure that every can and bottle tasted the same.

Most other breweries still used brewmasters. The beer from those breweries could vary day by day, following the tastebuds of the brewmaster. If he had a cold or even a stopped-up nose due to an allergy, the brew would change accordingly.

It was my job to replace the brewmaster with comprehensive testing. I was paid to detect any change in a given batch of beer. If a change was detected, I had to determine what ingredients should be added to transform the bad batch into another good batch. It was challenging but rewarding. They paid me very well.

Perla asked me if I wanted her to go full-time at the library. I told her that I liked having her at home and we didn't need the extra money. I told her that she could quit anytime she wanted to. She said she would do that when she had our first child. She kept on the four-hour schedule. She was an excellent homemaker and cook. I never regretted her decision to only work four hours a day.

She continued to wear me out in bed. It was rare when there was only one time in the day. We christened every room in my apartment and every square inch of the living room carpet.

When we bought our starter house, we repeated the effort. If anything, the pace increased! She continued to be excellent in every way. As always, her life revolved around sex.

When I became sick with the flu one January day, I wondered how she would handle my impairment. She looked after me as if she was a nurse. Maybe more like she was a nun. She never mentioned sex or my disability. She was dedicated to me in every way and there was never even a hint of impropriety.

When I recovered, so did our sex life. Within a few days, she was back to wearing me out. She kept saying, "I really missed you, honey. I'm so glad to have you back in the saddle."

I wondered at the time what would happen if I ever became sexually useless. What if I developed ED or something worse? Her life was wrapped around sex. What would happen to us if I was unable to perform? Would our marriage survive?

CH 05

It was three months later when I had to face my worries head-on. We had decided that it was time to hear little feet pattering around the house. If you can believe it, we increased our sexual activity! It happened while we were doing that. There was a night when I didn't ejaculate. I orgasmed, but it was different. I knew it was strange and so did Perla. It was like that for three days. Then, thankfully, there was a return to normal.

Even though I was back to normal ejaculation, Perla insisted that I make an appointment with a urologist. Our GP gave me a referral to "the best penis man" in town. Penis man was booked solid and my appointment was delayed almost a month. There was no hurry since my symptoms had self-resolved.

There was yet another surprise for me from Perla. One evening, she came into the bedroom carrying some condoms and a tube of special lube. She said, "What would you say to a little change of pace? I've always regretted that I wasn't able to provide you with something that was all yours and only yours. There is something that I've refused to do with any of my previous partners because I considered it both dangerous and icky. No one has ever taken me anally. You will be my first and only. Are you interested, honey?"

I told her that I agreed with her about anal sex. I also considered it to be dangerous and icky. Even more than that, I couldn't see how it would be enjoyable for the woman. I could see why men might enjoy a tight fit, but what did it do for their partner? She agreed, but she insisted that we try it.

We got set up. She made a big deal of placing the condom on my penis. She did most of the work. She even lubricated the condom, but I lubricated her pussy. That was my job and I loved it. The whole thing turned out to be fun and it even produced quite a few laughs.

The actual anal sex was a different matter. It was far from easy getting my shrouded dick into her small hole. I could tell it was hurting her, but she wouldn't allow me to stop. I didn't enjoy it all that much when I knew what a sacrifice she was making just to please me and give me one thing that was only mine.

When we finished, she always made a big deal out of the condom disposal. She insisted on doing it herself! Geez.

After that first time, she insisted that we do it at least once a week. I kept asking if it gave her any pleasure and she kept saying that it did. I think she was fibbing. In my heart, I know it was a sacrifice that she made for me.

CH 06

The last time Perla had seen her older sister was at our wedding. She wanted to visit her, but she was reluctant to make the trip. We talked about it and I encouraged her to go. The brewery was launching a new product, so there was no way I could go with her. Ruby was in poor health and she kept asking Perla to come home so they could see each other. She didn't say "see each other one last time," but Perla knew it was what she meant.

One local airline was offering a new non-stop flight to Perla's hometown on Sundays. It was currently being offered at a special introductory rate. At my insistence, she booked her flight home. She would leave on Sunday morning and return the evening of the following Sunday. She was happy to be seeing Ruby again, but it would mark our first time apart since we became husband and wife.

On Sunday, I took her to the airport. She kept telling me that she would call me at least once a day while she was gone. She gave me all kinds of advice about meals and such that I should follow while she was away. I told her to concentrate on visiting with Ruby and make it a fun time. Nevertheless, when she left my arms to board her plane there was a tear or two on her cheeks. Did she have a premonition about what was about to happen?

CH 07

When I got back to our empty house, I started planning my upcoming week. Looking at my calendar, I noticed that my appointment with the urologist was on Monday. I should have scheduled it with my boss last week, but with all the planning of Perla's trip and such, the appointment slipped through the cracks. Oh, well. I could just tell the boss that I was having a problem and needed to see my doctor. It wouldn't be an issue.

As it turned out, the new product introduction at the brewery was on schedule and progressing well. I had no problem getting off on short notice to see Dr. Holloway.

I spent just a few minutes in the waiting room. I saw a PA first. She was an older lady. She had the referral from my GP, but she asked numerous questions about my problem. It felt like talking to my mom about sexual problems in my marriage!

She wanted to know if there was any pain. Also, what felt different when there was no ejaculation? She wanted me to describe what it felt like in detail. She asked me what a return to normal meant. Was it completely normal? Did it feel exactly as it had before or was there something different?

I told her that the ejaculation had returned, but the sensation was slightly different. It was very pleasant, but there was still just the tiniest hint of pain. I could only describe it as a tiny bit of discomfort that was overpowered by a lot of pleasure.

I was relieved when she got up to leave and told me that the doctor would be in shortly.

My relief was short-lived. When the doctor entered, he repeated most of the PA's questions and added some of his own. He wanted me to define what I meant by "the tiniest hint of pain." He asked if there was any chance that it felt like the semen was having trouble passing through my penis. As I thought about it, that was exactly what it felt like. Not a pain, but a discomfort in passing it through my penis. I told him that.

He wrote it all down. Then he placed my penis in a tube-like device which gently squeezed it as it displayed numbers on a computer screen. When that was finished, the doctor said that to be on the "safe side," he was going to send me down to imaging to get some pictures.

While I wasn't anxious to do that, I thanked my lucky stars that I was getting by without enduring a digital prostate exam. Having that finger inserted into my ass and wiggling around was my least favorite thing. My experience with that test was the primary reason that I was convinced that Perla couldn't possibly be enjoying anal sex. It had to be much worse than the prostate exam!

I waited at imaging for about fifteen minutes. Finally, a pretty young girl came to the door and called my name. My luck just keeps getting better and better. NOT!

She had me place my penis on something that looked like a cookie sheet. She asked me to move my penis a little this way followed by a little that way followed by rolling it to the left and then rolling it to the right. She finally took her gloved hand and put it where she wanted it. I just knew it was going to betray me and get hard as a rock, but if anything, it just shriveled up more than normal. Thank God!

When she was done, she asked me to go back to the waiting room. I asked, "And do what?" She said, "Wait."

So, I stayed in the waiting room while the results were being analyzed. It was almost an hour later when another young lady called me in. This lady told me that doctor Wheeler would be in to see me shortly. Geez! Yet another doctor?

When he came in, he shattered my world. He gave me an unwelcome surprise. He told me that I had an internal-to-the-penis growth that was surrounding my urethra. He needed to perform a biopsy. He would numb my penis and then use a needle-like instrument to get a tissue sample. He did exactly that. Afterward, it was back to the waiting room.

When doctor Wheeler's nurse called me in for a second time, she repeated what she had said before almost word for word. Dr. Wheeler's words, however, were different this time.

He said, "Mr. Evans, the pathologist has determined that your penis growth is cancerous. It's a type not seen very often. It's unusual for penis cancers to be completely internal with no skin involvement. I've been in contact with your urologist and we decided that we need to get doctor Able involved. He's the most experienced penile surgeon in this area. We patched him in and gave him all of the details about your problem.

He gave us some good news and some bad news. The good news is that he's convinced we've caught your cancer before it could spread. The bad news is that this type of cancer requires a partial or total penectomy. Dr. Able will know which procedure is appropriate after he removes the surrounding lymph nodes. A pathologist will check them for the presence of cancer. If they are clear, a partial penectomy will suffice. Otherwise, it will require a total penectomy to save your life.

I asked, "Are you saying that at best part of my penis will be cut off but possibly all of it will be removed?"

"Yes sir, that's it exactly."

"What if I just ignore the problem and go on with my life?"

"It will get progressively worse and will spread to other areas of your body. It will take your life, probably within a year. You might survive for two years, but that last year would be pure hell."

I asked, "Is there any place that would be better at handling my problem? Someplace like the Mayo Clinic?"