The Heart Goes Last in Chicago

La Naturaleza Tejana

Veronica's student at an alternative school would say, "Big Bogus Dick!" about the following story.  Another friend from Chile would say that Veronica always got into bang bang situations with guys who really had talents other than that bang bang experience she got. 

Or as a Buddhist friend told her about another African American member (do you remember Dr. PTSD?) who also slept with men to get pregnant until she was able to adopt a lovely boy by herself, when all that sex did not yield a child!

Fred came to a group opening where one of Veronica's paintings was featured. Veronica sent a mass email to invite people she knew, and Fred showed up of all people. He was a graduate student of Sociology.

They also saw each other again at an expo where at different tables students showcased the arts and cultures of their country or beloved state in the Unites States.

Fred was Texan and had a table wearing a large sombrero. Veronica had a table where children stopped by to paint colorful designs on masks using pastels. Next to her, it was an African student offering tea samples using Vero's hot pot. His booth also attracted quite a few visitors like Veronica's.

Fred hooked up with Vero after the expo. He was in a foul mood. He was upset because almost nobody came to his booth to show interest in the Lone Star, as Texas is also known as. He complained and his comment showed some disdain for the people who were interested in African delicacies and so on. "How could they?" Fred asked.

Vero could not hide her laughter after a while. First, she felt she could comfort him by making love or having sex. Fred kept talking about it though. Veronica could not fathom how he could be upset about this small showcase of different cultures at The International House in Chicago.

Fred had an angry face and stormed out of Vero's tiny room holding the condom full with his Texan semen. He did not want Vero to have it. Veronica wanted this sample to get pregnant as Fred thought. He would not share his Lone Star nature with her.

"This is what sperm banks are for in the United States of America, aren't they?" a therapist told Vero years later. Veronica tried to comfort him and show interest in his goods when nobody else did at his booth.

Fred had a girlfriend who housed him in the suburbs and, rumors uttered by his friends had it that he hooked up with many women. Rumors do not reflect the whole story though. When Lucinda was in Beijing she heard a Korean classmate discuss with her Chinese artist male friend who had feelings for Lucinda.

Lucy heard her say that Lucinda had many boyfriends. She was a bad girl, as one of her profs told her. Lucinda kept studying her article in Chinese and did not take the time to address that Korean woman who obviously wanted her Chinese sculptor friend for herself.

Lucinda went to a show of his sister who was an amazing sculptor too. These are female frenemies really. If Lucinda had gotten engaged or married in Beijing, she would have certainly had avoided being deported and traumatized by the experience.