the House of Meat

Chapter 4

Nickolas meets Véronique, the parent story

Nicholas the father of the girls met his wife Véronique at a bar in Beirut; she was a “night girl” working in the Kitty-Kat club in the “Zeytouni district” a place that has long been known to cater to all desires. Nickolas left the village to get a cultivating tractor from the port, The village mayor’s cousin in Brazil had sent it to him as gift, the mayor asked Nick to get it on his behalf as he learned how to drive while working in the French marine barracks located close to the Pigeon Rocks “Raoushe” and two miles from the main seaport of Beirut, when he was 17 years old, he knew the area very well as he spent couple of years working and living there. 

Young Nickolas shaved and dressed himself to explore Beirut’s night life; he did not know that he was destined to fall in love with the first girl he meet that night, Nick has been saving money to buy a land in the village. That was his dream, he saved every “Fils” and “lira” he earned to buy the land but wasn’t enough, he had the courage to take all his fortune with him to Beirut just thinking of what kind of adventure that may increase his sum.

He left the Pantheon, a budget accommodations hotel which was in a quiet, characteristic pedestrian street, leading to martyr square, also known as the “Piazza star”, in the heart of the old city center, just a walk away from the “Harem souk” (Nights district). In his mind and heart he was cursing the mayor and envied him at the same time, a tractor may come handy in the land in addition to the money that can be made by cultivating other village and villagers lands, imagine the time that could be saved, he was thinking and talking to himself while walking in the district, and really not looking at the Vetrina’s that was displaying pictures of glamorous girls dancing. Nick suddenly was stopped by a well dressed man wearing weird kind a hat and talking to him with funny accent and very quiet voice: “welcome sir, we have what you want and desire, just follow me please”, he kept insisting and repeating the same sentence. “Sir, please sir, just follow me, we have’s them all”. The thought of meeting “the future fife” never crossed Nick’s mind when he was dragged by that man unconsciously like a lamb. He climb the long red carpeted stairs, still thinking of that damn tractor; Nick was greeted at the door leading to the hall by another man wearing a dinner suit with a black dickie bow tie when he handed something discreetly to the “handler” that brought him in, a loud French music playing from behind the door that woke him up,  the hall was dark with a faint spot lights coming from the ceiling, also the bar lights was dimmed to the limited where it allows you to see the rows of drinks behind the counter.
He sat on the side of the bar on a Fanback Style Bentwood stool with red leather padding, he looked at his surroundings to see what exactly is happening in the far end, dancing couples, drunken man singing badly, women pretending to be Parisian dressed in the most reviling fashion and looking sharply at clients sitting around the bar as if they are waiting for signs, VIP’s, business men, foreign solders all setting in such chaotic way looking for the same thing. 

On his first drink which was expensive to his economic level, Nick was approached by a well-defined beautiful woman with deep set green eyes reflecting calmness, she drew closer to him by the bar with her hot shiny lips across perfect row of white teeth and pale smile; she adjusted her dark blond hair and put her hand on the curve of her leg supported by a squeezed waist and a pair of breast bursting with secret thoughts, she introduce herself to him as Vera and asked if he can order a glass of Dom Pérignon as she was thirsty, her thirst wasn’t just for a drink it was a way of making customers pay for their company. He looked at the bartender and waved with agreement, she sipped the champagne with excitement and readiness to start the conversation, “I am Vera, is this your first time” she said. Nick looked again at her; he heard silence for the first time in his life, rather than the playing of music and the chanting men in the background, an ivory statue dressed with a creamy thin material of the dress, overridden by her perfume and cigarettes, she toasted him as she adjust herself on the leather-padded bar stools, crossed her legs and chatted in an affable manner about her work in the club and how she is “full of it”, she complained about her luck and her being an orphan to a French father and Greek mother and her being brought up in “Alazzarieh”, (a corrupted house of angels for orphans came from a sinful behavior, or unwanted babies left outside the door of the house that was named after the orphanage in downtown Beirut). Nick heard her life story while she was sipping the champagne; her sight was absolutely wonderful as her fingers went through her hair in a mechanical way that shows her creamy cotton panties, an artist at work. Nick stood up as he had to scratch his groin without her noticing, he put his hands in his pocket when she screamed out loud, she stood up against him closely as she looked at the bar mirror, then turned her face toward the door. Nick turned himself to the door to see why Vera screamed in fear, a loud bang hit the air, and a gunman just emptied his pistol on Avi-Nov and two other bouncers. Avi-Nov, usually stand most nights greeting “clients” at the door, The shooter calmly looked at the guest in the club with a smile on his face, waving his gun shouting “I warned you Avi-Nov, I warned you not to interfere”.

“The Racketeering Russian”, that’s Avi-Nov nick name, was lying down in a pool of blood with his bouncers, Avi-Nov was the owner of the club, a well, and a known gangster, famous for extortion, loan sharking, bribery, and many other illegal business activities. He had many enemies. The night club turned into a circus, a horrific seine, everyone was running toward the exit door including Vera, she pulled Nick out in a hurry, she had seeing this happened before. They run to his room in the Panthion which was close by, they sat on the edge of the bed without a word, they cuddle each other tightly, she was shivering from the seeing of the crime, he was also shivering from being so close to a gorgeous woman next to him, she kissed him hardly, her sharp nails went through his back, it was painful but pleasures evening after all.

Nick and Vera woke up early in the morning; someone was pounding the door and shouting simultaneously, he moved out of the bed toward the door, when he realized that he was wearing nothing, he looked back at the bed to see Vera, also wearing nothing but her creamy cotton panties, he stopped and looked again, she was also looking at him with the same attention!! He shouted back asking to wait as he was not decently dressed, he moved back and gently covered Vera, he put his pans back on and move toward the door, he unlocked it from inside and comes out fearlessly, he opened his mouth early and bravely shouting as well, “what in Jesus name is going on”, he said that looking at the two uniformed policemen at the other side, they pushed the door to sneak in and review the content of the room, he shouted contesting, swearing that the only person in the room was his wife!!

Nick liked the sound of the word “wife”? Although he was not ready for it, Vera heard the conversation she pushed herself into the top of the bed holding the bed sheet firmly covering her necked body, acting innocent. He asked the policemen why they are knocking on the door maliciously. “We’re looking for runaway criminal, “Abu Rashid, have you seeing him? Have you seen or heard anything unusual since last night” one of the policeman said, he added some witnesses pointed out to the hotel after a shooting in the clubbing area, and that they sow couple running into the hotel just after midnight. Nick assured the policemen that it is nothing to do with him and that he is farmer coming from the village to collect a tractor from the nearby port, he showed him his ID and documents relating to the transfer of the tractor. The policemen were convinced and moved on. They never prosecuted the killer after surrounding himself to the police next day for “lack of witnesses”, Abu Rashid was just like Avi-Nov working in the same racket and a henchman for a leading politician.

That was the day when Nickolas met with his wife Véronique, Nick fell for her instantly, he confessed that he was embarrassed for his “shameful act” in the night, and that he is willing to “correct his mistake” by marrying her the same day, “I, shouldn’t have taking advantage of you” last night, when she was fragile and weak!! He put his thoughts altogether and exposed himself like an idiot after seeing a blood on the bed thinking that she was a virgin like himself. Vera was listening, not believing what she was hearing; she knew that she was no angel?  Vera accepts Nick proposal quickly and without hesitation and notices the blood on the bed as well; the blood that stained her high heeled Sexy Scorpina when she was running out of the club after the gunfight. They have agreed to keep this quite for the time, he explained to her that he needed to break this to his parents in the village and without a scandal, Vera new that Nick was a humble, Honest And Sincere Person, he spoke to her in a clarity and directness, her experience as a “go go” girl gave her the sense of confidence, she knew that Nick was a naive person and that she should really take that advantage if she really want to opt out of her night life. 

The sisters and Nick
I am sure Sigmund Freud will fail to Psychoanalysis this family with his theories to explore a person’s unconscious; the family had a growth issue of mental and physical illnesses, especially the areas of resistance. The language they use not only reflects upon their characters, but it offers new insight for Freudian analysis. They do not require deep thought and examination. The rage and surrender is obvious, a blend between their lust and fates, a violence complex. Failed emotions and Jealousy, madness and Ill beliefs in God. Bondless and obscure, a pessimistic future with dark shadows gloom over their nil achievement. With careful observation and interpretation of “The girls” allows a glimpse of its rich underlining message and the tools used by their evil thoughts left them defenseless and exposed without sympathies from other family members. The sisters had nothing in common; all of them looked somehow different in terms of skin color, face features and body in general, accept for the mother Vera. Vera knew that Nick tried to get her pregnant at the early stage of marriage; he was desperate to have children. He wanted to show off in the village that he was not a “faggot” as most married man use to call him the village. They doubt it his manhood as he used to disappear at times from the village for long period of time. 

Earlier Nick was taken to hospital as he was ill; he complained from pain in the groin area, while the doctor was checking Nick he discovered that Nick had an early operation in the same area. Perhaps he had this when he was a child, Nick remembers that he came to the same hospital before when his parents wanted him to join the church and becomes a priest. His family requested that he undergoes an operation called a “Vasectomy” for religious reasons. A vasectomy is a small operation that makes a man permanently unable to get a woman pregnant. Vera spared nothing to save Nick from pains, when she learned about his condition, somehow it pleased her as a sign of relief on her face was notable, and the doctor also was surprised to see her reaction after explaining the situation to her.

Vera wanted to please him in her own devilish way, she demanded a week later that he make an appointment at the “Hotel Dieu de France”, the only hospital in Beirut, that operated by French doctors and staff to “assure herself” and him that nothing was wrong with him, she also arranged a test of sperm counts, this simple test use to take sometimes and Nick needed to go back to the village for urgent works. She told him that she will come later to get the report after the specialist sees it. She planned this very well, the report came as she expected. She had a good and long conversation with the specialist whom he felt sorry for. It was concluded that Nick could not have children. She cried a little with a sign of relief on her face, as she herself was already pregnant. 

In the following week, Nick came back to see her as usual, she showed him the report, he looked at it not understanding the “French medical jargon” that was on it, she pointed her finger on the report in a theatrical way and said:

“everything was fine, the test came positive and nothing is wrong with you”.
She breathed out and continued: 
“your health is as good as an Ox”. 

She lied to save herself the embarrassment, she kept insisting while still pointing her finger to the white sheet of paper in his hand: 
“You only need the support of some medicines that I have ordered from France”. 

He was pleased with the news. She kissed him on his lips in such intimidating way. He melted as her tongue touched his dry throat. She sucked his tongue while her hands went through his hair. She lifted her right legs to show her burgundy stockings hanging on her upper knee-length, as her long skirt was slit from the front up to her panty level. Nick whispered in her ear in some nervous way: 

“I love you Vera, I will die for you”.

He held her tightly, her breast burst out of her blouse that revealed her matching burgundy bra and erected nipples, he pushed her toward the edge of the bed, his heart was racing with sensation of heat, they both climbed to heaven in a sensual pleasures.  As a million thoughts went through Nick’s mind in a flash, “finally, I will have children and avenge my dignity in the village, I will show the bastards that gossiped behind my back that I am a man, I will have a great family after all”, he smiled faintly as he lied his sweaty body in the middle of the bed, he closed his eyes and slept. Vera went to work as the time neared 11 PM.

Vera gave birth to a three girls and a boy during their short life together, she kept working in the same club as an independent night girl, now she is a married girl, she convinced Nick that money was an issue for him if he needed to buy the land in the village and that they should build a home for them and the kids. Vera died a week after their fifth anniversary from a “Neurological disorders”, Nick kept the children in his village and lived for them, he never questioned what she did in the club, he always believed she was working as a “public relation manager" as she told him, Whatever that meant.

still in process (not final copy).. please let me know what you think.