17. At Flat 1A
Brenda, holding Stan's hand, leads Sheila & Irving, and they walk south along the west-side Jerome Ave, by its rusting, gray-paint peeling elevated train legs and the every-10-minute rumble of its overhead subway train to their left, and, to their right, the bustling shopping stores. It is a long block - a 3-minute walk to West Mosholu Parkway North - the "West" because it is on the west side Jerome Ave, which is the east-west divider in the Bronx, and the North because it is the north border of Mosholu Parkway - the wide, grassy west-east bed of a dried-up, long ago east-flowing river that emptied into the Bronx River to the east and now is a pleasant green place for people to sit on benches.
Ali's old apartment, 1A and the late Dan's 2A are kept on Ali's instructions under the old leases. Brenda & Stan use 2A, and 1A is neat, just as Ali left it. After telling Sheila to relax with Irving in 1A and even to take a bath or shower if either of them wishes, and also saying they can look at or use anything they desire, Brenda gives the parting words, "When you go, just press in the lower-knob lock button in the front edge of the door. OK. Toodle Loo." (To Sheila) "Don't do anything I would." (And with smile) "But if you do, use protection." and then she closes the outer door and joins Stan in upstairs 2A.
Sheila takes control of a situation that obviously embarrasses Irving. The apartment is summer-warm so she helps him off with his jacket and hangs it in hall closet and, beckoning him to follow, goes straight ahead into Ali's living room that has the tatami floor. "Ooh! What's this?"
"A Japanese fiber floor", says Dr Fact Irving.
"First thing is to get a little air circulating," She pulls up each of the two sash windows that give a view of Parkway and turns on a fan by the window to blow air comfortably onto the sofa along the west wall. She sits Irving there and sits down beside him on his left giving him the window view.
Irving is unsure of himself beside this very vital woman. He's had a lot of time to look her over and what he sees is a naturally dark blonde whose hair is cut to shoulders, whose big blue eyes penetrate to his Jewish consciousness, whose straight small nose contrasts with his larger down-curving one and whose definite lips do not need the lipstick to announce what they are for. And at the base of her neck in front, is that damned, damning cross. She has a solid body - wide shoulders, firm not overly large breasts under her rayon blouse and the brassiere, and a waist she alludes to frequently as needing watching. She gives off a slight fragrance - not perfume, just the daily shower and toilette, he guesses.
He is sitting closer than he ever sat to a woman. Irving is not a virgin but he is not very far from one. His only experience was the prostitute he calls Rosie because that is her telephone name. Last year, after a decade of masturbation only, he decided to experience sexual intercourse and confided in his Uncle Jack Panzer, the only family member he trusts to keep a secret. After hearing Irving's complaint, Jack said "You need Rosie", and scribbled a phone number. That evening he called.
"Is this Rosie?"
"Yeah."
"Can I make a date?"
"Who gave ya my numbah?"
"Jack."
"Well, I an't no Jill but Jack's OK. Tomorra at five. Come to 612 Fox Street, ya walk up five flights and just wait top a the stairs. A door'll open and a guy come out and you next. Did Jack tell ya the deal?"
"Yes." (Jack had said it is 5 dollars and to hand it to Rosie in cash)
"OK. See ya."
Next day he comes direct from his last class. Fox Street is in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in south Bronx, and building number 612, an old brownstone walk up. At the top on the 5th flight he waits. It is at the end of a dingy corridor with a door facing the stairs. He looks at his wristwatch. 5 PM. Just then the door opens and a squat working man leaves and walks rapidly by him and down the stairs. Irving walks to the door which is not closed but not open enough to see. He knocks.
"Come in."
He sees a pasty-face, black-hair, Slavic-looking middle-aged woman in a plaid house dress. "Rosie?"
"Yeah, You the kid who called yesterday?"
"Yes."
"Gimmee your five and close the door."
He hands over the money and she says. "OK, kid, take off your clothes and let's go to it. Got a condom?"
"I didn't know I needed ....?"
"Whuddaya think, I'm sellin' condoms? Look kid! No tickee, no washee." Seeing his sudden unhappiness, and fingering the 5 dollars in her pocket, she says "OK, we go French. Get outa those clothes and lay down here. "She pats the bed.
Sheepishly he follows instructions and experiences his first oral sex, which turns out the best orgasm he'd ever had before or since. From then on he visits Rosie once a month with condom but he sometimes prefers the oral. She only did one or the other for the 5 dollars.
That is it with sex for Irving. Now he is at a loss what to do with this nice girl sitting almost touching.
Sheila is virgin. Most nurses in 1940's Bronx are not virgin but Sheila had a very strict Irish Roman Catholic upbringing that taught that sex outside marriage is serious sin. The cross she wears on her neck was given to her on graduation from the Catholic parochial high school by Sister Marion, her favorite nun, who told her - "This cross is the eye of God. Always wear it in front."
At 29, Sheila is suffering the fate of Irish nurses in Jewish hospitals. The doctors want sex without the ceremony. Now she met Irving and she feels maternal and sexual toward the awkwardly shy guy - to her, his age 25 is almost robbing the cradle. She knows about sex from being a nurse and fending off the doctors on dates in dark corridors. But she is hesitant how to begin.
So they sit on the sofa, silent, almost touching. She is thinking: What's wrong with me? Why doesn't he kiss me? Scanning the possibilities, she is aware of the cross in front on her neck and it brings to mind Sister Marion's words This cross is the eye of God. Always wear it in front. And she recalls the look on Irving's face when they met in front of her building this morning and his eyes connected with her cross. In the silence she reaches up and pulls her necklace chain so that the cross is positioned behind her back under the collar of her blouse no longer between her and Irving, no longer able to be the eye of God. She turns to Irving, the cross no longer between them and says "See, I've come halfway. How about you?" and in an instant he's got her in his arms, their lips pressing and she is thinking He's for me.
Continue next, click 13.18 Follow Your Genie
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