Editor's note: this story contains scenes of incest or incest content.
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Long ago. South America.
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Maybe. Maybe it would have been funny if it was happening to someone else. Maybe I should've stopped it then.
I froze. My lips were dry, again.
My hands kept trying to open the lid of the water bottle, but they were sweating, I was always sweating here.
What is happening?
I thought.
I remembered my step-father, commenting what had become my new personal mantra: '
You can't escape the sun there'.
I didn't remember his exact words but I knew that's what he'd meant.
The plastic crumpled as I forced it with more violence than I'd meant to use. The water here had a faint metallic taste. Warm; it brought no relief going down.
My brain met my eyes again and realized I hadn't stopped staring this whole time, staring at this.
"Is this real?" I muttered.
I imagine my expression was some poor conjunction between confusion and perplexed shock.
I wanted to keep some composure, I wanted to project that...false serenity. It always made me look mature beyond my years--first impressions are very important, and I wanted to impress--but my mind couldn't wrap around this scene.
This can't be right.
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In the early months, to me Colombia was always alien and bizarre. Loud, warm, vibrant. The hot winds of summer fluttered through leaves on lone trees--wherever they managed to rebel on any of the multiple rivers of mangled concrete streets--baring the sky and yourself from the much needed shelter of the clouds.
Life was desperately trying to catch up with the modern world, but the indigenous soul of the people stood, and the result was a whirlwind of wonderfully bright colours and music. Women wore this on their flesh -- playful, elegant and spirited. It was amazing. A stark contrast to my quiet, dull life growing up in a classic suburban community. On any given street you'd find someone willing to sell, to speak, to smile...or to take. I lost my watch twice before I learned not to trust anyone, not even little kids. Still, over time I came to appreciate that culture and to tolerate its dark side.
So yes, I learned plenty, but as strange and passionate this country had been for me, nothing I ever lived there prepared me for the idiosyncrasies of my girlfriend's family,
especially
concerning her uncle.
I was standing there, not ten steps back, with my mind racing to count all the reasons why he shouldn't even think about touching her breast while he conversed with her, groping away over her purple blouse like this wasn't his niece, or we weren't present, me and Milena's mother and aunt. He was so casual.
"No, this can't be right," I grinned, hoping it was some sick joke. The scorching Colombian sun and my sprouting anger were starting to make my head spin.
"How are you, mi amor? Do they hurt?" he asked, taunting her with a feigned worried tone that was supposed to add humor to his facade. His raspy voice was sandpaper to my ears, and his tone was not at all familial to me, but she seemed comfortable enough with the fondling.
Rolling her eyes with a shy smile forcing her lips, Milena nodded.
What is she doing? Wait, hurt?
The sudden 'get together' was beginning to make sense.
Was that why they arranged this whole thing? They think she's pregnant? God, I knew I shouldn't have come.
I proposed to Milena because I was
completely
in love with her, and while this love only matured with time, in our haste, we did pay a heavy price for each step. But apparently, in here people only married to legitimize children. I'd spent months in that country and was starting to grasp the basic concepts of its convoluting culture.
"Okay... Yes, uncle. I'm okay, really," her hand held his arm and her eyes laid over his contracting fingers.
"You're so hot, Milena. You're already more beautiful than your mother ever was," he said, planting a soft kiss on her cheek with his hands never leaving her tit.
There was something about him, about his behaviour,
screaming
that he might go even further.
I looked past them hoping to find some semblance of normality in her mother and aunt's response, but I found them to be chuckling before returning to their own conversation, as if it simply was a common and acceptable joke that I was too foreign to understand.
For a split second; it made me doubt my own sense.
Am I overreacting? Overthinking?
No.
When my mind unveiled the only possible answer, I took hold of it as though it were white hot nails. A slow blistering pain flashed through me, fueling my growing contempt towards these mocking strangers.
It felt natural to detach myself from all of them. We'd only just arrived but I had decided to leave. I couldn't stand the thought of humoring my girlfriend's family for a second longer, incensed as I was with their attitude and with Milena's filthy uncle...who was now, kissing her neck?
Unbelievable.
While I'd been fumbling with my thoughts, my mother-in-law and her sister had walked away, greeting someone else in the farthest stand, away from the street. Looking back at my soon-to-be wife I was finally convinced that all pretense of normalcy had been thrown out the window.