twisting the hem of her dress. “You mean sex, don’t you, Meri? Have you met a man? You’re finally going to let yourself have a little fun! Good.”
Meri explained the situation in a curt fashion. “Having fun isn’t the same thing as having sex for the first time with my balding, fat supervisor.” Meri watched the knife slice through the carrots and potatoes. The sharp thud the knife made each time it hit the cutting board was aggravating. I feel I’m on the cutting board and the knife is waiting to cut through me! She got up and began pacing, each step matching the thud of the knife.
“You’re a virgin?” Tuula’s voice was an octave higher than normal.
“ Oui . And this horrible man who could fire me is going to use me as his mistress. Are you going to judge me or help me?” Meri was on the verge of tears, an unusual place for her to be.
“I’m so sorry. The first time should be with someone nice because you never forget your first.” Tuula had a far-away look in her eyes although she was still chopping vegetables. Not a good combination , Meri thought.
“What can you tell me? I know nothing about what men and women do together.” Meri walked into the small kitchen and took over the chopping. Her frustration proved useful in this task.
Tuula handed the knife over to Meri in uncharacteristic acquiesce.
“Nothing? Didn’t your mother explain anything about sex to you? Or didn’t you notice when your parents were together?”
Meri shook her head and kept chopping. The vegetables would be dust particles soon.
Tuula reached over and took the knife away. “Okay let’s talk, not chop…and fast, before Elina comes back from wherever you sent her.” They sat opposite each other at the round kitchen table. “Here are the basics. The man’s popol has to get hard first. Sometimes it just happens and sometimes it needs help.”
“ Popol ?”
“You know. His thing.” Tuula grabbed her crotch. “His popol .”
“Oh.” Meri closed her eyes, thinking of all the times she changed little Jani’s diapers. Sometimes his little thing was soft, little, and floppy and sometimes it stood erect as a pine tree. As a toddler she often caught him pulling on it, as if it was a play thing; it grew larger and harder then, too. Male body parts confused her, then and now.
“Meri, are you listening?”
Meri opened her eyes and nodded. “Go on. I need to learn this. Mamma should have taught me, but we didn’t talk of these things in my family…at least she didn’t explain it to me.”
“Sex is such a natural part of life and yet so many women are ignorant about it. I had to learn about it from a girlfriend, too, Meri. Don’t feel bad. The older generations—they don’t think it’s proper to talk about things that matter to us. They teach us how to set the table and make stew and leave us wondering about how babies are born! Speaking of how babies are born…where were we?”
Meri blushed. “Making the man’s… popol …ah…hard.”
“ Oui , sometimes you have to help it get hard.” Tuula shrugged.
“Help it? What kind of help?” Meri looked at Tuula as if she had just said people could walk on the moon.
“You must do different things for different men. Kissing. Strutting around naked. Letting him touch you wherever he wants. Touching him wherever he wants. You get the picture, right?”
“ Mon Dieu .”
“It’s not so bad. Sometimes it feels good.”
“Tuula, the only male thing I’ve ever seen is Jani’s popol during diaper changes and when he ran around naked during the summers as a toddler.”
“Meri, you are so innocent! This is going to be very different for you. Maybe you should come out with me some night soon and I can find you a nice man who will be your first and treat you gently.”
Meri paused for a moment. She thought about Tuula’s offer and how she got herself in a position where she might actually consider such an option. Siri came to mind. I’m going to
Meri explained the situation in a curt fashion. “Having fun isn’t the same thing as having sex for the first time with my balding, fat supervisor.” Meri watched the knife slice through the carrots and potatoes. The sharp thud the knife made each time it hit the cutting board was aggravating. I feel I’m on the cutting board and the knife is waiting to cut through me! She got up and began pacing, each step matching the thud of the knife.
“You’re a virgin?” Tuula’s voice was an octave higher than normal.
“ Oui . And this horrible man who could fire me is going to use me as his mistress. Are you going to judge me or help me?” Meri was on the verge of tears, an unusual place for her to be.
“I’m so sorry. The first time should be with someone nice because you never forget your first.” Tuula had a far-away look in her eyes although she was still chopping vegetables. Not a good combination , Meri thought.
“What can you tell me? I know nothing about what men and women do together.” Meri walked into the small kitchen and took over the chopping. Her frustration proved useful in this task.
Tuula handed the knife over to Meri in uncharacteristic acquiesce.
“Nothing? Didn’t your mother explain anything about sex to you? Or didn’t you notice when your parents were together?”
Meri shook her head and kept chopping. The vegetables would be dust particles soon.
Tuula reached over and took the knife away. “Okay let’s talk, not chop…and fast, before Elina comes back from wherever you sent her.” They sat opposite each other at the round kitchen table. “Here are the basics. The man’s popol has to get hard first. Sometimes it just happens and sometimes it needs help.”
“ Popol ?”
“You know. His thing.” Tuula grabbed her crotch. “His popol .”
“Oh.” Meri closed her eyes, thinking of all the times she changed little Jani’s diapers. Sometimes his little thing was soft, little, and floppy and sometimes it stood erect as a pine tree. As a toddler she often caught him pulling on it, as if it was a play thing; it grew larger and harder then, too. Male body parts confused her, then and now.
“Meri, are you listening?”
Meri opened her eyes and nodded. “Go on. I need to learn this. Mamma should have taught me, but we didn’t talk of these things in my family…at least she didn’t explain it to me.”
“Sex is such a natural part of life and yet so many women are ignorant about it. I had to learn about it from a girlfriend, too, Meri. Don’t feel bad. The older generations—they don’t think it’s proper to talk about things that matter to us. They teach us how to set the table and make stew and leave us wondering about how babies are born! Speaking of how babies are born…where were we?”
Meri blushed. “Making the man’s… popol …ah…hard.”
“ Oui , sometimes you have to help it get hard.” Tuula shrugged.
“Help it? What kind of help?” Meri looked at Tuula as if she had just said people could walk on the moon.
“You must do different things for different men. Kissing. Strutting around naked. Letting him touch you wherever he wants. Touching him wherever he wants. You get the picture, right?”
“ Mon Dieu .”
“It’s not so bad. Sometimes it feels good.”
“Tuula, the only male thing I’ve ever seen is Jani’s popol during diaper changes and when he ran around naked during the summers as a toddler.”
“Meri, you are so innocent! This is going to be very different for you. Maybe you should come out with me some night soon and I can find you a nice man who will be your first and treat you gently.”
Meri paused for a moment. She thought about Tuula’s offer and how she got herself in a position where she might actually consider such an option. Siri came to mind. I’m going to
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