The following story line flows at the same time as The taming of the shrew and happens just after Learning to swim. It is preceded by Vera’s revenge were I loose a fight with Vera and am forced into servitude as a part of the wager.

E-MAIL
Pia love,

Do not be concerned like I know you are. Vera and I have come to a sort of accommodation. Now no laughing but I am her domestic help till after the winter break. Yeap, me, the one with the filthy room is making amends for trying to slug her by keeping her place clean. I got sentenced to it last night in a sort of school court of Law.

She is not really so bad. I know I try her patience but she has been pretty cool so far, and I am sleeping on the floor. She did seem to like the meal I made but like always I am my name sake as only you know. No sleepwalking…I’ll see you Monday, but till then know that it’s all good. No putting together a rescue operation by getting all the peasants riled up to go kill the beast. LOL

Love always

Cala.

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Monday Morning

Even with my smarting ribs I feel pretty good and if not for them this would indeed be a great day. Even being tired has not ruined my mood. Perhaps work is not so bad a thing, but then again I will have to reserve jusdgement on Vera, my new mistress till later. now, now I seek out Pia in the 10 minutes between class. I do owe her, owe her an explanation after the terse email. I fear that for a while we might not have much in the way of time togher. SHort breaks between class and email. it might not be much, but I love her and after what we have shared I want us....

Fuck life is not fair...but Allah wills.

Monday:

Wait is that..?! It is..?
Pia's head turned, blonde pigtail making an arc in the air. Blue eyes, dull from lack of sleep, came to life and fixed on a familiar shape down the corridor.
"Oh, my! Cala? Cala!". Pia's bag hit the floor, books spilling out on the floor.
It is her!

"Sorry! Coming through!". Pia brushed past a couple of students, mumbling apologies. Red mary jane's pounded the floor, as Pia bolted towards the one person in the world she was most deperate to see in the world.
Virtually throwing herself upon the other, burrying her face in her hair.
"Oh, god! I have missed you!"


Earlier:
For a too short time, Pia had experienced the giddy rush of being in love. Steps bouncing, butterfly hearth, Pia went through her tasks with a new energy, byoued by memories and the new manta of her mind, Cala! Cala Maysson! Cala Maysson Sumayyah!

And then it all came crashing down.

Cala was not home. No one answered Pia's knocks. Pia knew there could be a hundred explanations for this, but deep down, somewhere between her hearth and her stomach was sown a seed of fear. And then Pia checked her inbox.

Pia had read the e-mail a hundred times. Cala's careless tone did little to calm Pia down. She sendt half a dozen replies, but doubted her love would be given the chance to reply.
While Cala seemed to try to downplay it all, Pia was not calm. A million things could happen between now and Monday. As far as Pia could tell, Vera was the vindictive type. And this school..
Pia's first impulse had been to storm the castle, so to speak, with or without a mob of peasants. But Pia knew she was powerless. What could she do? What could she do that would not endanger Cala further? All Pia could do was to wait. Wait and think. Wait and taste the bitter draught of despair.

And thus Pia learned the other side of being in love. Love gives strenght. Love gives hope. But love makes you damned vulnerable.

The shout, full of exuberance rang out over the mass of female angst as students crowded the halls and moved from class to class. I turned in a swirl of darkness amongst the masses, my mandatory head scarf keeping the inky blackness of my hair under wraps.

Spinning towards the sound as my heart thudded in my chest I watched as the blond pigtail danced atop one head in a sea of different hair styles. This one was familiar. This one I wanted more than any other to see and touch after my weekend. Swallowing heavily I remembered the collar, the thin band of leather and hoped the Pai would not fret and fuss once she learned the truth of my domestic help.

That was all the time I had for thought as a dozen faces turned while one jumped into me arms, her face buried in my neck, her arms around me. By Allah’s own grace I had forgotten what it felt like to love and be loved. I missed her. How I missed her. Two steps back, to recover from her headlong charge, wincing in pain from the cracked ribs as I held her and pulled her feet from the ground.

Setting her back down my face in a grimace of pain while I recovered I tried to breath when all I wanted to do was hold her and kiss her…and other things that we had no time for between classes.

“Pia love” hands along her face, brushing the tears away. Lips followed my fingers, tasting the salty trail. Her face showed concern, she must have noticed my grimace. But I brought up the smile, that authentic special one I saved just for the people I loved.

“Sorry…should have told you about the ribs…oh I have missed you.” Another kiss upon her lips, pressing myself to them before she could talk. A short kiss, but worth every bit of pain I had endured.

“I love you….”

"I love you too!", Pia whispered, passion strenghtening the words even if her voice was low.

A short kiss, but that was all Pia needed, even though she most of all wanted to leave this corridor and find a place where they could curl up. And then Pia would wrap her arms around Cala and never, ever, ever let go.

But Cala was in pain. Pia's face went pale. Her hands went up to her mouth.
"I hurt you? I..I am so sorry!", she gasped. "What happened to your ribs? I..I did not know.. Sorry!"

Pia's brows furrowed. "Did she hurt you?", she asked, concern and fear in her voice. "Did she.. did someone else.. What happened?"
A bit of anger mixed with her concern. If Vera, or anyone, anything was hurting her precious, then dammit! Pia would not stand for it.

“Pia..its ok…really” I gave her another hug, brushing the stay blonde hairs from her face and grinned like a camel at an oasis.

“I hurt it in a wrestling match. My fault, no big deal. Two cracked ribs so laughing or coughing to hard also hurts. Don’t blame Vera, she has been nothing but civil though we need to talk about her and what I am doing over lunch…I...I want you to understand the what’s and whys of it all. Playfully I laid my index finger on her nose.

“What I want is a long kiss a small soft hug and then we both have to get to class. I promise to answer all your questions over lunch…really.” I wanted so much more, but there was that nagging worry about what a slave was to Vera and how much trouble Pia would be in. Love was rough. It was rough because I wanted to protect her from Vera and was uncertain exactly how to go about it. I was still uncertain if Vera could be trusted to not harm Pia if I did what I was told.

"A wrestling match?", Pia asked, bewildered. "Oh. I see.. You did not pick a fight with her again, did you? You mustn't get yourself hurt! Please don't."

And I will blame Vera, regardless of what you say!, Pia thought. If something should happen to you.. I will murder her. One way or the other.

Pia forced herself to stay calm. The finger on the nose helped a bit. Pia cracked a little smile, a small one, one not quite daring to become a grin.
Being near Cala did bring her joy, even if she also was sick with worry and concern. Love seemed to hand out a mixed meny of emotions.

"Lunch would be lovely!", Pia said. "And I-I really need you to tell me what is going on.. I.. no matter what.. you tell me, right?"
Pia was blabbering, she was sure. If she continued, she would spill over, all her mixed feelings and thoughts pouring forth at once.
So she stepped closer, and gave Cala a quick kiss, followed by a mere touch of a hug, carefull not to bring more hurt.
Pia knew she probably should gather her discarded books and head for her lecture, but right now, those concerns seemed insignificant.

"So, we meet here after class? Promise?"

“Promise” I could feel the edges of my mouth curly upwards. It was so good to see her again. Quickly I helped pick up here discarded books and spent the next class thinking about Pia, about the night we had spent together. The whole night, arm in arm, the next morning awakening with someone I loved. The angst about what Vera might do.

The bell rang and for a moment I could not remember where I was. That was strange.

“Pia” I yelled…then ran forwards towards the bouncing blonde pigtail sure to find a familiar face beneath it. Some where I could swear I read the departures are sweet sorrow, and reunions….did abstinence make the heart grow fonder? I would have to say so.

Pia lit up as she heard her name called out. Class had been lost on her, to say the least. Pia's presence had been in body only, her mind on other matters.

She reached out and took Cala's hand in her own. The gesture was strangely hesitant, shy compared to the display of emotions from before. Pia felt strangely awkward.
"Shall we go and grab some lunch?", she asked. Food seemed a good idea. Pia had not eaten much lately.

She was silent for a bit. "It is strange seeing you with a hijab. I miss your hair, it kind of reminds me of an ancient queen or something."

As her fingers twined with mine I felt the familiar tingle she elicited with her touch. The questions came, but something was missing. The exuberant spark seemed gone as if she had put herself on auto-pilot or something. I wanted that old Pia back. The one that would play tiger or thief.

“Yes to lunch, and I also hate the Hijab but the last thing I need is demerits for not wearing it. I want to look like the others, to not always stand out just because my father thought this costume would make me truer to his heritage. Pia, something more is bothering you though.” Using our entwined hands I turned her to face me. Lifting her chin I softly kissed her, trying to show her that everything was all right, that nothing had changed.

“I am hungry for more than just food” I smiled at her, “Don’t ever forget that Pia even if it is all we have time for. I love you and will do anything to keep you from the harm, my own or yours. If you want to call it a deal with the devil than go ahead, but I am not in hell. Still…the time we have together is my heaven, my salvation of sorts. You are my guardian angel. Now if that does not sound like a bunch of trite bullshit then I have lost my touch. “ I smiled, trying to remove the lines of worry that radiated from her eyes with my words and gestures.

“I will answer any question you have honestly and forthright…but now…we get something to eat… talk along the way and I get to be with the one I love the most before I have to go back and clean the windows.”

b]"Oh, I don't hate your hijab. It fails to cover up your eyes and your smile. As long as I can see those, I am happy".
[/b]
Pia leaned a bit closer to Cala, careful not to cause more pain, and briefly let her cheek rub her shoulder. One more thing to add to the list of things she liked about her; She was just a bit taller than Pia. Pia found she liked that.

"I love you to. And it was not trite. It was sweet of you.." Pia said, smiling a bit. "And I guess I am really in love this time. Badly in it. It feels almost scary to say so, but it's the truth. I thought I was in love a few times before. Maybe I was a little. But not like this. Because.. After I left your room.. I felt like I was walking on a cloud or something. And when I realized you were gone, it was like that cloud went away and I was plummeting to the ground. I guess that proves what I feel, in a way. To miss someone so much as I missed you.. "

"But I feel guilty as well. Really guilty. Now you are Vera's servant, and your ribs are all cracked up and I wasn't even there to help you. Some guardian angel, huh?"

They were nearly there now. "Maybe we should find a seat for you? Then you can rest a bit and I'll fetch you some food. It is the least I can do for you. I'll fetch anything you want. My treat!"

I liked her head against my shoulder. There was something so intimate about the gesture that transcended the very nature of just getting naked and having sex. As I listened to her my heart sank. I had never meant to hurt her in any way. My own harebrained scheme had her worried far more than I would have wished. Maybe this was love. That love was not all butterflies and floating on clouds but was also the worry and torment of a loved one that could not see you. It was as if there was no right answer, like nothing I did could make any of this right.

Sitting, watching her work reminded me of what Vera must think of me. It felt good to take the weight off my feet and watch the sway of her skirt, the swoosh of her hair as she bounced along the cafeteria line gathering up our meals. The grin grew on my face, the heat ran along my body as I watched her and new that the ice princess upstairs felt nothing like what I felt as she came towards me and the table we would share.

“you are soooo beautiful, and while I do not deserve you, I accept that I am lucky to have you. Pia, I never meant you any stress, the email was supposed to let you know it was all right. I want you to feel the clouds all the time.” I thought about that though. I had once marveled at the warmth of the island, enjoying the sun and warm rains. Now, now I took it all for granted. Perhaps love and life were like that.

“And into every life a little rain must fall.” I had not meant to say that out loud and so stuffed my mouth with the slice of meat eater’s pizza. Aptly named for where my mouth had been in the past.

“I suppose that for walking on clouds we sometimes need a little rain, not that I ever want to bring rain to you, but we need it to make the good times even better. I am so sorry Pia, you were right and I should have listened to you. But Vera is punished for what she did, and I am punished for what I did.”

Pia eagerly bounced of to get food. It was a tiny, insignificant thing, but at least it was something she could do for her girlfriend. Watching Cala eat also brightened her mood somewhat. It seemed odd that such an everyday thing should make her happier, but it did. If Cala had her appetite, then she could not be that hurt.
Pia's own stomach rumbled, and she attacked her own slice of pizza. Pia was still worried sick, but with Cala here, she felt a bit better.

"Punished? That is so unfair!", Pia said after Cala had said her piece. "You only stood up for me! I.. I should have been there.. I should have said something, done something.. I am sorry. I failed you. It is not you who do not deserve me, it is the other way around. If I had been the one who was not so cowed back then.. I was the one who rolled over and.. and.. Now you pay the price for me."

Pia forced herself to calm down. And there were questions she needed to ask.
"So.. now you are Vera's.. domestic servant? What kind of arrangement is this? How long will it last? Will you be allowed to leave?"

It was good that she had a smile on her face again. A part of me knew it wasn’t gonna last much longer, not when we got to the details. For know I savored it.

“Well I did take a swing at her. That was assault, and if Vera had wanted to press it I am certain I would have been out of here. You were right you know. You told me to not get the powers that be involved, well I did and we both got punished. Now…now if I had won the wrestling match I would not be cleaning Vera’s place as her slave.” That had slipped out and the look across the table told me I was not getting out of this easy.

“So I have to go to her place everyday after class and on weekends. I have time off for school, or when she does not want me around and it only goes through your Christian holidays so it looks like I am not going home which is not a big deal. I also have her promise to not involve you if I am good. You know me, being good does not come easy, but really Pia, in spite of all that had gone on between Vera and I she has been a perfect lady about things. Nothing I can’t handle. Nudity never bothered me much anyway so it’s not a big deal. I do the work assigned and she sits on her computer. Though you should see her place, it is fantastic. A real bed…the kind you wish you had…kitchen: though that is small. The bathroom, a tub big enough for two and a shower. I want that …I want that for us.”

The smile grew as I thought about how much more comfy we could be in that big bed and what fun that tub for two could be.

Pia did not hide her feelings. Her face was a mirror of her confused emotions as she listened to Cala.
"If you won the wrestling match?"
"Promise?"
"Nudity?!" Does that mean.. oh please no..

"Look, Cala! I.."; Pia stammered. "I don't know how to even begin.."

"I.. I know you are putting a brave face on things.. and I appreciate it. But, please! Please do not underestimate her. Remember what she did, what she made me do, that she took pleasure in watching you as you where.."
Pia did not even continue. That episode was one thing she felt so bad about, she knew she would go all crying if she dwelled on it too long. And that would be placing another burden on Cala's shoulders.

"And I don't think a perfect lady lets someone with cracked ribs sleep on the floor either! What I am saying is.. what I am trying to say is.. You know her better than me, but I don't need to know her to know she is some kind of a sadist. And I don't think any promises she has made counts for anything. Besides, if she wanted me punished, I bet she would have done so by now.""
Gathering her breath, she continued. This part was important, she had to make Cala understand this.
" I.. I don't want you to do anything, promise anything for my sake! I am serious about this. I mean, Vera is scary and all.. but there are things I fear more. A lot more. And right now, I am afraid for you!

Reaching out I gathered one hand in both of mine. Nothing I had done had been to bring this sort of pain to my love. It hurt me inside to see the watering of her eyes behind the glasses she always wore. I loved her, and in spite my good intentions had managed to hurt her.

“Pia, I am so sorry I fucked things up again. Please…everything I try and do seems to have a downside I never saw till it hits me smack over the head. I love you, and father always said that if you loved someone they would protect you like he did with mom and me by giving up everything and moving to America. Maybe I am just not good with that lesson. Pia, as much as I would want to agree with what you want me to I…I don’t think I could. Never again am I going to just sit there scared out of my wits while …well while that happens to you, and if the tables were reversed I doubt I could make you promise the same. That is why I want to make certain you know that Vera is not hurting me in any way. If she does I will not hold you back ever.”

I winked…”She is a sadist, but there is a good heart underneath that gruff exterior, I woke up with a blanket over me and she does not have me do anything that will hurt the ribs. She is also paying penance for what she did for you, though to be honest I do not know what the community service punishment entails I just know it is disagreeable with her and I can take some sort of pleasure in that.”

“Maybe love is a burden gladly taken. I am here for you Pia and I know you are here for me and that helps each and every day go by that much faster. It will soon be over and I will have my old room all to myself. I do hope someone is there to make it more fun.”

The food had grown cold on my plate and frankly I was not as hungry as I had been. I suppose I had never thought through how Pia might take all the news. In the future I might have to better think that through. I didn’t want to hurt her again. Fuck it was going to be a long 3 weeks.