Love Oh Love

Lisa charges high, if Lisa is her real name, for very few know her real name. In this city of Bristol, there would be a few who charge as high as she does and only hard cash in your pocket isn't sufficient for you to hire her services. She has the perfect taste in clothing, the best sense of make up, the make up which never looked as crude or as vulgar as her competitors. No, it would be unfair to call them her competitors as Lisa operates in a different circle altogether. She speaks perfect London accent, which makes her stand out in Bristol and impeccable vocabulary often makes her sound more like a teacher or lawyer than what she is, a high class prostitute.

She arrived in Bristol some 23 years back, if you believe the old sailor Cunningham, who was one of her first clients. A girl, fresh from Pampanga in Philippines, who couldn't speak a word of English, and was sobbing silently while her agent fixed her hourly rate with the interested clients of foreign flesh. She was thinly built that time, organs still blossoming to full youth, just like any other 16 years old girl you see on the street. Now she has the curves and measurements any man would die for but not then actually. She was sold for a very high rate after her virginity was proven.

Lisa didn't tell her story to many, she learnt how not to trust a single person in this treacherous world. Her agent, old ¨cooky¨ Laurel, told to a few with incomplete details. Like most pinays, she also landed in the England illegally, those were not the time of global village concept. She of course didn't know of this until she was taken into a small boat with 25 more, 30 miles from the shore of England She would be a nurse to old invalid rich men, who are kind and pays well and will treat her as a child, her agent in Manila told her. She didn't hesitate and paid the money she earned working as a hair dresser swiftly. She had a big family to take care of and her father didn't come home sober ever.

She realised the care the old rich men needed wasn't exactly what you expect from a hospital nurse or an aide to disabled. It was something else. She cried, but then like all others in her profession she adjusted to her fate. From the second year onward, she could send money home. She found peace. It was occasionally broken when physically violent customers had her but later she could hire two muscle-men to shove those customers away from her apartment.

There is something about Richard, Lisa thought while in the taxi. She is using a taxi today and not her car. She doesn't want anybody to know where she is going. She met Richard 5 days back. She was sipping her drink alone in Hobert´s when Richard approached. He later told he is 28 but at first glance he looked more like 25. He spoke and she didn't pay much heed. After all, every body wants to talk to her. But there is something in those words. He didn't look at her with greed in his eyes. His words were not veil to his suppressed desires to have her in bed. There was a certain innocence which touched Lisa and she turned her head and they talked amicably. When he asked for a dinner next day, to her surprise she agreed. After a long long time, someone asked her for dinner with no plan to sex afterwards.

Lisa pondered a lot after coming back from the dinner. For after a long time, she laughed wholeheartedly. His stories were not fascinating, often he spoke how idiotically he had behaved in certain situations but Lisa liked it. She was smiling thinking of the moments she just spent with a relative stranger. Oh no Lisa, you are 39, don't be absurd. You passed your teenage first love age 20 years ago. He is just being a nice chap.

But then who could control love in this world? Lisa wasn't any exception. When Richard called again next day, she cancelled a regular customer to go out with him. It was a magnificent decision, as it turned out to be. All day they laughed, she giggled like a teenage girl all the time, sharing jokes randomly and running around. At 39, it was tiring her but she loved this feeling. They layd on the green grass side by side, she could smell him, and watched the sky. Laying side by side when Richard hold her hand, she knew what it means and against all her reasoning she didn't withdrew her hand. Love oh love, what magic can you do to the most logical and bitter person in this world. Next night Lisa asked Richard for a Dinner at her place.

All day she spent reorganising her apartment, removing every last bit of evidence of her profession. She bought a new dress as she didn't want Richard to see her in dresses in which her customers saw her. She felt like a cleanly washed baby and bathed for long. With each scrub, she was trying to take off the years of filth that she has accumulated in the profession.

Richard came and they had the dinner, perhaps the most romantic dinner in her place ever. She was habituated of eating alone. At most, the maid servant accompanied her. All were asked out today, she didn't want to share this moment with anybody.

After dinner, still at the table, Richard did something incredible. After 4 days of companionship and 2 dinners together, he asked if Lisa would marry him. Lisa was speechless after 23 years. Last time she went speechless in sheer sorrow after knowing why she was brought to England. First time perhaps, in her total lifetime, she was speechless in happiness. She didn't reply for a long time.

But this dream wouldn't last long, just let Richard know of my profession. Her heart was crying, didn't want the dream to be over so soon, she was liking it. But truth must be faced. It can´t remain hidden all life and when it will come out, it will hurt them both. Sighed Lisa, Richard was still looking at her for an answer. So be it, she though and gathering all her courage, she asked ¨do you know what I do for a living?”

¨I knew it all the time Lisa, after the first drink together I asked about you from someone and I know exactly who you are. And yet, I am asking for your hand.¨

Lisa couldn't believe that. She tried not to cry but then all of a sudden she started sobbing and cried like a baby. Richard hugged her. Next morning they woke up in each other´s arms. First time in her life, Lisa made love and not served sex to someone.

The taxi is near the hotel now, the hotel Richard is staying, Ohh I forgot to tell you, Richard is vacationing here in Bristol with 3 more friends. Lisa paid the taxi and went to the reception and moved on to the room. Her heart was racing, she was praying she is looking great, all her professional confidence about her look was gone. Richard is going to formally introduce her to his friends today. She could hear her own heartbeat.

Just facing her door, she paused before entering. She would take some deep breaths and go inside. The door was slightly ajar and people were talking inside. So all the friends are here already. She could hear them clearly laughing, perhaps sharing a joke. One of them controlled the laughter somehow and said, “ this is incredible Richard, you are a genius.¨

Richard, her Richard, replied ¨didn't I tell you I could fuck her for free?¨