Page 15 of Ra
Opening the door to her father’s walk in closet, she purposely overlooked his more recent clothing, as he’d gotten a little shorter and rounder with age, instead focusing on the clothes he’d long ago outgrown. She found several pairs of trousers, a few collared pull over shirts, and a couple of button down dress shirts. She laid them all out on the bed, along with several pairs of socks and a pair of her father’s slip on sandals. She left the door to the closet open so Ra could easily find it, and after another quick inventory of the clothing she’d chosen lying on the foot of the bed, she went downstairs.
Azi chose the leftover Moussaka, ran it through the microwave, grabbed a fork and settled on the sofa to find something to watch on TV. She’d finished the Moussaka and started in on a leftover salad by the time Ra actually made an appearance. She’d just taken a big bite of salad and was doing her best to shovel the lettuce falling out of her mouth back in when she realized she wasn’t alone. Freezing with the forkstill in her mouth, she looked to her left and almost choked to death. The most impressive male she’d ever seen stood before her. His clothes fit a little tighter than they were made to fit, but some men wore that look well. Ra was one of them. The shape of his upper thighs, shoulders, chest and waist were somehow accentuated even more so than when he’d been nude from the waist up. He was not beautiful in the sense of femininity, but was instead perfectly sculpted, chiseled jaw, cheekbones, and lips.
“Is this acceptable?” Ra asked.
“It is. You look very modern.”
“Of course, I do. It was my intention.”
Azi watched as his nostrils flared, but she refused to say anything about it until he did.
“What is it that I smell?” he asked, his brows bunching up over his eyes as he sniffed the air.
“It is food. Would you like some?”
“I do not think so. I have no desire to wash myself again.”
“No, you don’t have to wash yourself again just because you might have to use the bathroom. There is a toilet for you to use rather than getting your entire body wet.”
Ra watched her accusingly, before he finally voiced what was on his mind. “You placed me in the waterfall intentionally, knowing I could have used other means.”
“I did. Because you were being stubborn and wouldn’t go. And it seemed to be based on the fact that you think relieving your body when you need to go to the bathroom is filthy. It might not be the most fun thing in the world, but it is a necessity that every single living creature must see to. You must eat to live. When you eat your body uses the nutrients and rids itself of waste. Waste is what you release from your body. Just don’t get any on yourself, and wash your hands well, and you’ll be good.”
Ra seemed aloof for several minutes before settling on the sofa beside her. “You will have to show me the proper way to do so without using the waterfall.”
“I will.”
“Gods do not have need of such things.”
“Did you not eat?”
“Not for sustenance. Just a taste here and there for pleasure. Even so, our bodies had no need of such human requirements.”
“Well, now that you’re human, you will. I will ask you again, are you hungry?”
“I believe so. My stomach rumbles.”
“You’re hungry. Come in the kitchen and we’ll find you something to eat.”
Azi went into the kitchen with Ra following closely behind and watched as she opened take-out container after take-out container. “This is a cheeseburger. It’s got grilled onions and mushrooms on it. This is a meatloaf, it has mashed potatoes with it. This is kibbeh, it’s got lamb and wheat and pine nuts and garlic and onions in it. This is the rest of the salad I’m eating. It’s got lettuce, black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese, and walnuts in it. This is a vegetable plate with hummus and eggplant. You are welcome to any of it you wish to eat.”
Ra picked up each Styrofoam plate, sniffing its contents before he settled on the vegetable, eggplant and hummus plate, and the meatloaf.
“Let me warm the meatloaf up for you,” Azi said, taking the plate from his hands and putting it in the microwave. While she waited for the bell to ring signifying it was ready, she pointed to the hummus. “That one can be eaten cold or warm. What do you prefer?”
Ra sniffed it and looked over at her. “I do not know. Which do you prefer?”
“I like it warm, it has more flavor, for me, anyway.”
“I will have it warm.”
The microwave dinged and Azi took his food out and handed it to him. She placed his second plate in the microwave and started it, before opening a drawer and handing him a fork.
“What is that?”
“A fork. You use it like this,” she said, taking a bite of the salad that was still in the kitchen.
He nodded and took a small bite of the meatloaf. He chewed experimentally, then swallowed and eagerly placed a bigger bite in his mouth. “I must eat this every night.”
