Merle’s Story Part 4: An unfortunate super power

Sorry for the delay getting this out.  Should have been last week, but I missed that deadline.

Last time, Merle was trying to explain the miracle of childbirth to his eight-year-old friend, Lu.  You can catch up on what you’ve missed here: Part 1   Part 2   Part 3

“Yes. Indirectly.” Looking back down the road, Merle pulled Lu across and into the woods. The car was only a short walk now, which was good, as Lu was tiring; pulling her was becoming harder, and she had started to stumble every few steps. “Anyway, you know your vagina, right?” He didn’t know if Lu knew the word. He hoped to God she did, because he was unsure what word she would know. “Where you pee from,” he added, sure that she would know that.

“Yes. My pee-pee.”

“Yes. Well when girls grow up and want to have babies, the man has to give his sperm to the woman to fertilise her egg.”

“How does he do that?”

Merle sighed. This was getting harder. Perhaps when they reached the car it would be easier. Perhaps he could make something up. Did he really have to introduce Lu to sex before her parents had even raised the subject? He thought not, but he wanted to explain. He would try to keep it basic.

“Well, the man’s sperm comes through his penis. You know that word?”

“Yes, of course!” said Lu. Why she knew a man’s bits but not her own baffled Merle, but it was a discussion for another time.

“He puts his penis into a woman’s vagina –”

“What?” Merle heard Lu squeal in disgust. He didn’t need to look back to see the face that she would be pulling.

“Well, the sperm comes out of the man, into the woman and looks for the egg.” He slowed his pace gradually and then stopped. Through the trees ahead, he could see the red of his Fiesta. The trees hid it well, and you would struggle to see it from the path, unless you were looking for it. He positioned Lu so her back was towards the car. He didn’t know if she had seen it already, but he needed a few minutes before he showed her. Hell, he needed a few minutes before he saw it again. He hoped they had made it in time. He took hold of Lu’s arms and bent forward until his eyes were level with hers. “I know what you’re thinking. Gross, right? Well, in a few years, you’ll change your mind. Trust me.” He spoke softly now. “Well, that’s what me and Hayley were doing.”

“Hayley from the store?”

“Yes, Hayley from the store.” Merle had met Hayley on a visit to the local store. They had struck up a conversation over a few cans of soup. She had a soft voice and soft lips. He closed his eyes as he remembered her. She was four years older than him, at twenty-two years of age, probably – certainly – wise in the ways of adult relationships. They had started going out after that, and it was their fourth date that they had found themselves in his car, him with adolescent dreams, and her with her short skirt and no knickers. It was a match made in fantasy heaven for a young man.

“So you had your – ”

“Yes,” interrupted Merle. He knew what he was doing. He didn’t need to hear it from a girl too young to know what her vagina was. “Well, I had just got to the point where my sperm was coming out,” he said and hoped that Lu wouldn’t ask any more questions. She didn’t, so he continued, “and Hayley gripped my arms tightly. She dug her nails in. Look.” He pulled back his t-shirt revealing his upper arms. There were four small, semi-circular marks, red and angry. He dropped the sleeve; this wasn’t important. Hayley was. “Her eyes got real wide, and she said my name.” He stopped talking; his eyes began to tear up.

“And?”

“She blew up, Lu. She got fatter and fatter, and blew up.” Merle covered his eyes as he began to cry.

 

We’ll call time on Part 4 of Merle’s story.  Next time, Lu gives us a clue to her own ability.  If you’re enjoying the story of this young man’s unfortunate super power, let me know what you think.