"Maybe. What kind of feeling?"
"That's just it. I have no clue. Tonight's show went well, at least what I remember of it, but there were some moments during my routine that are missing."
"Tell us about it. Perhaps between the four of us we can figure out what happened."
Yemaya described each step of the routine. When she got to the part where the lid was lowered onto the sarcophagus, she hesitated before continuing.
"All I remember is lying in the darkness and then feeling short of breath, like I couldn't breathe. I thought I was suffocating, and then, nothing. The next thing I knew, I was standing onstage in my apparition costume staring at the rest of my crew. How I got there, I have no idea."
"Maybe you suffered from a slight oxygen deprivation. That would explain the difficulty in breathing and consequent blacking out," Mari said.
"True, but not how I escaped and managed to change costumes so quickly. Surely I would remember that. And then there was my crew's reaction. They were confused. Their relief when I appeared was almost palpable."
"I think Yemaya may be right. You two definitely need a real vacation."
"That be true, chil'."
* * *
Dakota, who had been sitting quietly, listening to the conversation, said, "Listen, sweetie. Your tour's over with. When we wake up, let's just pack our bags, get in my car, and go wherever the wind takes us. I can call Sonny for you and tell him we'll be incommunicado for a few weeks. Your brother and Reymone will handle everything back home until we return."
"I wish it were that easy." Yemaya rubbed her eyes as though still tired. "Somehow, whenever we go on a trip, trouble always manages to follow us."
"That's because you don't go to the right places," Mari said with a grin.
"And that would be where?"
"Here."
"Here? In the dreamworld?" Yemaya laughed. "You surely don't expect us to stay asleep for the next few weeks while we romp around in this place."
"Of course not. Don't be such a pessimist. While you and Dakota are here, Maopa and I will take care of your physical bodies."
Yemaya and Dakota looked at each other in confusion.
"And just how are you going to do that?" Dakota asked.
"It's really quite simple, if you agree. While you two get to play here, Maopa and I get to play there. It'll be fun. I've never been a human before, and your grandmother can show me what it's like."
"And exactly what will you two be doing with our bodies?" Yemaya crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner.
"Nothing you wouldn't do," Mari said, her pale blue eyes glinting with mischief.
"That's what I thought. I'm not sure I like this idea."
Dakota, however, felt differently. "I do. Two or three weeks here in our favorite spot? No worries about our lives or bodies in the real world? What's not to like?"
"Dakota. Think about it. As much as we love and trust these two, do you really want them in control of our bodies and our minds? And do you think people aren't going to notice a difference?"
"Just your bodies, dear," Mari said. "Your minds will be here, and what do you care what we do with the rest of you as long as you're here enjoying yourselves? As for what others think, since when did you care about that? Besides, think of it as your gift to us for the wonderful time you'll be having here."
Yemaya obviously was outnumbered. "As long as you make sure you don't get us arrested or in any trouble."
"Now, that ain't very nice," Maopa teased. "I'm thinkin' about a big, juicy steak with mashed potatoes and gravy and showin' Mari 'bout bein' human."
"So how do we go about doing this?" Yemaya asked.
"Consider it done," Mari said.
In a blink, the Earth Mother and her spirit partner disappeared, leaving the two women alone to again experience the unlimited pleasures of Mari's world. After the spirits' departure, Yemaya glanced at her lover and laughed. Dakota gave her a questioning look.
"Mari should have stayed around a bit longer. This isn't the best time of the month to be babysitting my body."
It only took seconds for Dakota to understand her meaning. "Oh boy." She rolled her eyes dramatically.
T
HE SENSATION OF waking up was unique to Mari as well as the feel of a bed, sheets, and Maopa's warm body wrapped tightly around her. Lying still, she listened to the sounds and inhaled the smells around her, trying to analyze each of them. For the most part, the smells were pleasant enough, with the exception of some faint obnoxious odors drifting from the air vents. The noises were a little more overwhelming, but she adjusted to those fairly easily. Maopa's physical nearness was extremely pleasing and aroused a strange tingling sensation throughout her entire body. Leaning slightly toward the still sleeping woman, she inhaled and smiled.
I think I'm going to like this experience,
she thought, wanting to snuggle closer to Maopa. Shifting slightly, Mari felt an uncomfortable bulge between her thighs. Of course, at the moment everything was so new she really wasn't sure if what she was feeling was or wasn't normal. Reaching down, she tentatively touched the thick, bulky object.
"What in the world...." Frowning, she groped around the area. She rolled onto her back and threw off the sheets. She stared at the dark silk panties and again poked at the bulge. Pulling at the elastic waist, she peered inside at a thick white padding with a slightly red stain. Unsure of what she was supposed to do, she nudged the sleeping figure next to her. "Maopa."
Maopa groaned loudly, opened one eye, and peered blearily at Mari.
"What?" she grumbled. "Dang, first time in a hunnert years I felt tired. I fergot what it were like." She made a face. "An my mouth tastes awful."
"Maopa," Mari said again, slightly frustrated. "Look." She pointed at the offending object.
"Yeah? What about it? Yah be havin' yer monthly, that's all. Go ta sleep."
"Monthly?"
"Yah know. Means yah be at the breedin' time. Tain't nothin' ta worry about."
"Oh, this is the 'curse' humans talk about, right?"
"That be it. Now hows about we gets a little moah shuteye. Then I'll enlighten yah on this partic'lar affliction."
Mari pointed at the sanitary napkin again and then tapped it tentatively with her index finger. "I can't sleep with this thing like that. It's uncomfortable. What do I do with it?"
Maopa sighed. She sat up, reached down, and snapped the elastic around her spirit partner's right leg.
"Nothin. Them thar undies are holdin' it quite nicely. When it's done filled up with blood, yah throws it away and puts in a new one. Yah oughta be grateful they makes them moah comfitable now. In mah day, twer whatever we could stuff down our drawers. Old rags was best, if'n we had them ta waste."
Mari felt her eyes almost roll back in her head at the thought of stuffing rags in her panties. She didn't even want to imagine what else might be used.
"Where do I throw this away and find another one? I thought humans were more advanced than this," she said irritably, "or at least more evolved."
Now it was time for Maopa to roll her eyes. "Oh Lordy. I think yer gonna be in fer a few surprises in the next few weeks, sugah."
Obviously, they'd never get any more sleep until the situation was resolved to Mari's satisfaction, and Maopa knew that wasn't going to happen for a few days.
"Come on. Some of this be new tah me too. We might as well be gettin' yah took care of. I just hopes my grandchild ain't gonna start her monthly too." She grabbed Mari's hand and pulled her from the bed and into the bathroom. "Thank goodness we knowed about plumbin' and such. Bein' one of them voheeyurs helps a whole bunch even if'n it do seem a little preverted.
"Okay, yah take a shower, and I'll scrounge around fer moah of them thar paddins."
Maopa wasn't sure, but she could have sworn Mari mumbled a few curse words as she walked awkwardly toward the bathroom.
Mari pulled off her panties and pad, tossed them in the small trashcan by the toilet, and then turned on the shower. After she climbed in, she slumped against the far wall.
Maopa rummaged through a few cabinet drawers and quickly located an opened pack of feminine pads. She smiled. Mari was definitely going to remember this experience.
"Make shore yah dries off good!" she yelled over the sound of running water. "I'll be a huntin' fer some of them fancy undies yer chil' seems ta preefer. And don'tcha go throwin' away anymore of them clothes now... just that thar pad. I doubt yoh daughter has enough undies ta last till we goes home."
Mari scrubbed her entire body with a large sponge that had been hanging on the shower head. The warm water soothed the muscles that hurt for some reason, and soon she felt her body relaxing.
"If this is what being human feels like, I won't last three weeks."
"Trust me, sugah, this be nothin' compared ta what yer gonna be feelin'," Maopa said, remembering the years she suffered through her cycles.
Grumbling to herself, Mari stepped from the tub and grabbed the soft white towel hanging on the rack. She quickly dried herself and tossed it on the floor just as Maopa walked back in.
"Yah can't just toss yer thangs on the floor like that when yah be done."
"Where do I put it?"
After pointing to a large, white basket in the corner, Maopa picked up the wet towel and placed it inside.
"These be fer the clothes yah wore. A maid gets them later and washes them fer us. At least that's what I heerd humans do nowadays. Used tah be slaves or servents did that sorta thang. Just be grateful yah don't has ta do the scrubbin'."
Mari was about to comment when she belatedly realized she and Maopa were communicating verbally. Frowning, she tried to talk to her through mental images and failed.
"What be botherin' yah now?"
"We're talking."
"Well tarnation, woman. How else would we be a jabberin'?"
"No. I mean we're
talking
.
I can't hear your thoughts, and you can't hear mine."
"What did yah expect? We be human now. Humans talk. That be why they's so messed up, I figgers."
"Great. Some vacation this is turning out to be."
Mari wasn't sure why she was feeling so awful. Her stomach hurt, her back ached, and a slight pounding pain in her head was making her extremely irritable. Rubbing her stomach absentmindedly, she stared longingly at the bed in the next room.
"Maybe we can just stay in bed and call someone to bring us food," she said.
"Now, now. Don't be frettin' none. I promise yah, you'll be feelin' a whole lot better in a few days. Monthlies always makes yah irreetable. They calls it ‘p.m.s.ing' nowadays. We jest called it the curse. I heered they gots stuff yah can take ta ease it up a bit. I use ta chug a pint a likker ta cure my aches and pains."
Looking around, Maopa found several small bottles of pills on the counter near the sink. She picked up each one and squinted at the instructions.
"Lordy, yah oughta see how tiny this here printin' be and the stuff they puts in these here jars. Words got more letters than the dikshuneerie. Can't be good fer yah."
Deciding on one specifically mentioning pain and headaches on the label, she pulled on the lid. When it failed to open, she eyeballed it closely and noticed two small arrows.
"I'll be danged. They done made it soes yah has ta match them two errers ta open this thang."
"I imagine some humans are a little slow and need help to figure it out."
"Ta take a lid off? If'n they jest screwed the top on, no one'd need larnin' or help. Here yah go, sugah. Says ta take two with water and it keels the pain."