The Chocolate Pimp

“Lucie, Lucie, wake up!”

Rita gently prodded her best friend, watching carefully for any small movement that would indicate Lucie was still alive.

Rita’s heart began to beat a little faster.

Was it possible her friend had died? Should she call someone? The scariest part was that Rita couldn’t remember the number to call.

Her fear subsided just enough to allow her to poke Lucie a little harder.

She took a huge leap of faith, loudly pleading, “Lucie, please wake up, I need, I need... chocolate!” 

In the moment it was the best excuse she could come up with to justify waking her friend.

Lucie, deep into a sleep that indeed appeared to be that of the dead, emitted a rather soniferous snore, opened her eyes and grunted, “What? What is it you want Rita?”

Rita gulped, knew that her request for chocolate was only the push that she thought she needed to work up the courage to awaken her friend. What lay beneath the surface of her chocolate silliness was a deep fear. 

She was afraid and the chasm that opened up to reveal her fears was so vast, she was afraid she would not survive the leap.

Over the past few years, her memory had begun to slip and little things that she once could remember with no problem, slowly began to elude her.

It was as though some stealthy thief had snuck into her brain and stolen memories and somehow jammed the mechanism that allowed her to retrieve thoughts that had passed through her mind only moments before.

Her fear deepened into terror and though she did her best to hide from others what was going on inside her head, she sensed it was a losing battle.

She knew that Lucie was one of the few people she could trust and so, allowed her small glimpses into what was really going on inside her brain.

Again, it took a huge leap of faith to let Lucie in and it was only the years and years of trust that gave her the courage to risk bridging this well of fear.

The two women had been friends for many years. 

They had first met in their late twenties through a mutual friend. 

They quickly discovered that they had much in common, a love of art, gardening and a deeply passionate connection to food, especially its preparation. They spent hours in one another’s kitchen, whipping up savoury dishes and other delicacies that tempted, titallated and satisfied all who were lucky enough to receive the fruits of their labour. 

They had waged a war against their bodies since their early teens and each struggled to keep their weight below two hundred pounds. Occasionally one or the other of them managed to achieve this goal. 

In her early forties Rita developed diabetes and through the careful management of her disease, became somewhat more successful than her friend at maintaining a lower weight. She seemed to achieve that which eluded and haunted Lucie, whose mobility was greatly impacted by her ever increasing girth and the accompanying arthritis that brought with it higher and higher levels of constant pain.

Rita had never married and was somewhat touchy on this subject. Lucie in a blundering moment of innocence had once brought up the topic of spinsterhood, casually making reference to the etymology of the word. 

To say the least, Rita was not amused and the ensuing scolding was both blistering and unforgettable, especially for the other guests at the table who rigidly sat in awkward silence til she ran out of steam.

Lucie never used the word again in her presence.

Rita had been employed for many years with the municipal government. She had worked in bylaw enforcement. Her duties over the years included working with residents and community groups to resolve issues through education. She had a special gift for teaching and was often sent out into the community to do presentations. Her job was to render compliance from those sulky miscreants who felt above the rules followed by most of the herd. She had a knack for reaching these especially defiant members of society.

But, by far the most favourite part of her job had been... giving out parking tickets! Somehow, the act of standing at an expired meter, filling out the form that would wreck it's vengeance on the tardy victim, brought her great pleasure. She sensed that this act provided a release from her educational duties which often taxed her patience. As an educator she did her best to practice gentle kindness, in hopes of rendering submission.

Her world shifted and changed when she donned her uniform and slung her bag across her shoulder. The military aspects of this act gave her a great rush of power. The headiness was quite addictive and sometimes to subdue the overwhelming emotion, she’d pop a small chocolate into her mouth. 

Rita loved chocolate.

Now Lucie could best be described as a tad bit scatterbrained. Some secretly believed she indulged in the use of marijuana or other psychedelic drugs, when in actuality it was her undiagnosed AD/HD that created her condition. Her tendency to go down rabbit holes and other such tangenting tactics, made conversations with her legendary and...lengthy. Her kaleidoscopic conversations could leave one dizzy with confusion.

When she and Rita first met, she had been working in a jewellery store. She had an intense love of shiny objects and an enviable grasp of the gift of gab.

This combination made her a perfect employee and an excellent saleswoman. 

She was eventually promoted to a managerial position, put in charge of gem collection travelling far and wide in pursuit of that elusive perfect cut. She frequently flew to exotic countries seeking diamonds to be brought back and showcased in the store. She would return home, streaking across the skies in a sleek jet, her eyes slightly wonky from the exhaustion of her search.

Over the years Lucie had managed to snare several husbands, eventually landing one who helped her produce a family. 

Her connection with her young children brought her much pleasure. 

Her husband? Not so much. 

Their marriage eventually ended. Lucie got the children, the husband got most of the marital assets and Lucie’s job in the jewellery store was all that saved her from living a rather impoverished life.

Time passed, the two women’s friendship deepened over the years. As each approached retirement they began to plot a future which would best accommodate their needs. They were each fiercely independent, but often discussed the possibility of living together after retirement.

Rita, as a government employee, had an enviable pension and her spinsterhood had brought her many material assets. With no children to care for, she had been able to buy a home in a very prestigious area. She owned a top of the line car and through a life of frugality and wise investments enjoyed great financial freedom. 

Lucie, in spite of believing herself blessed by the gift of three children, possessed none of these benefits. She’d always thought her investment in raising these children into adulthood would reap her the benefits of their attention in her senior years. It was with some sadness that she frequently sat alone in her apartment, longing for the companionship of these grown children. She consoled herself with the reminder that the whirlwind of their busy lives left them very little free time to fit her into busy schedules.

 She had developed attributes which somewhat compensated for her loneliness.

One of her greatest assets was her wild imagination and a fondness for wandering into the land of extremes. 

Her artistic nature and innate talent to render both through painting, sculpting, writing and other media, made her shine bright in most crowds. Her personality often left people shielding their eyes from its dazzling intensity. 

Her talent for enticing others to join her on some magical mystery tour, frequently bewildered her somewhat reluctant sidekicks. While sometimes feeling helpless to resist her salespitches, the addictive component usually left her victims helpless to refuse an offered adventure. 

On more than one occasion, Rita found herself riding off into the unknown with Lucie, whose tendency to blithely ignore warning signs stopped many. Rita, mostly through fear for life and limb, became the voice of reason. She had the ability to tone down some of Lucie’s more questionable plans.

Rita, a very talented artist herself, also had a gift for humour. Though somewhat more subtle than Lucie’s, it nonetheless left many giggling.

Lucie loved to laugh and knew that time spent with Rita would produce copious amounts of this magic potion. Even though Rita often put a halt to some of her tour suggestions, Lucie especially enjoyed her company. She had come to appreciate knowing that if Rita felt the adventure was not appropriate, then more than likely it was best left off the agenda. What she came to count on most was the comedic relief provided by their outings.

The two women on occasion appeared to struggle for dominance. What sometimes appeared as competition, eventually wore down to a place where each came to admire the talents in one another. They deeply appreciated the way they blended and complimented one another. Mutual friends had often commented that they should take their act on the road to entertain a larger audience. Rita and Lucie settled for a more intimate crowd and performed mostly in the living rooms of their closest friends. 

We now approach that place where many arrive as they age. 

Body, mind and spirit lose momentum. Youth fades and the years ahead number far fewer than the ones behind.

Brains that once functioned superbly, begin to falter and stumble. Simple tasks, once done with little or no forethought become herculean chores and retrieval of information an impossible goal.

Bodies that once tackled daunting projects, began to reject any cooperation and ladders became especially dangerous accessories.

Rita was keenly aware of what was happening in her brain and did her best to stave off the inevitable. She did an admirable job, but eventually capitulated to the requests and gentle prodding of family and close friends.

She and Lucie finally were able to solidify plans which though discussed in jest in their early years, became a practical solution for each woman. 

Lucie’s lack of financial security brought her dangerously close to living in her car.

Rita’s diminishing capacity to manage her own life also put her at increasingly greater risks.

Much to the relief of their families, the two women decided to live together. It seemed the perfect solution, and for the most part, was very successful.

There were minor glitches, like Lucie’s arthritis and her growing inability to do the physical chores she once accomplished with ease. This handicap, combined with Rita’s advancing Alzheimer's, added a dimension to the dynamic that often dropped into a comedy routine.

The two friends managed to muddle through and rarely crossed swords, only occasionally losing patience with one another.

So the scene is set for Rita’s attempt to wake Lucie.

She knew that she really didn’t need the chocolate, that it was just a ruse to rouse her friend from sleep. 

What she needed the most was the comfort of Lucie's assurance that all was well. She desperately wanted to hear the voice of someone she loved and trusted to help her bridge the fear that gripped her to the core.

Lucie, gradually rolling with the awakening, turned to her friend and again asked, more gently this time, “What do you need Rita?”

Rita gulped and shyly replied, “Will you be my chocolate pimp?”

Lucie reached out for the hand of her beloved friend. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled and whispered softly, “Forever and ever Rita, my lovely meter maid.”