I was at a friend's apartment with a couple of other friends....I was the only guy in the room......and my adorable friend had gotten out of the shower shortly before we'd gotten there and the room was fragrant with....whatever she had doused herself with. I remember it was like late morning, early afternoon.
At one point, she lay back on her little couch, and right next to her,where her head was, sitting in a folding chair, was another friend, we'll call her Maxie. Maxie was Dominican, she spoke with a heavy Domincan accent. And my friend on the couch, we'll call her Arisela.... is one of the most exotic, diverse mixes of people I've ever encountered, I won't break it down here because it's so distinct, but I can tell you that if every race blended into one, they might look like Arisela. Both were super cool.
(should I not even describe the 'lees?) (in fact, should i not even write these memories down?) (let me know!)
Anyways.....I'm writing this one down.
So Arisela is holding court, and laying on her couch, there must have been a reason because you wouldn't normally lay on a couch if you have company! I don't think, anyways! But there she is, in her beautiful soft Indian "hippie" dress, the sunlight splashing down through the big windows....and she's on her back, chatting away, while Maxie sits next to her head, looking down, with a bemused smirk on her face.....Arisela was very cute and almost like a little sister to all of us.....and Maxie is "mmm-hmming" and nodding and listening to Arisela chat away.....
...when all of a sudden, Arisela lifts both her arms over her head and starts doing something with her hair. Maxie sees this and IMMEDIATELY.....IMMEDIATELY......as if she's been waiting to pounce all along......lunges forward and puts both of her hands directly under Arisela's arms....and begins to tickle her.
Arisela, completely caught, squeals out an urgent shriek which recedes, like a wave, into helpless giggling. Maxie's face lights up in a way I'd never seen before, or since, as if to say "Aha! I have you now!". She starts taunting Arisela. "Why are you laughing? Hmmmm? Hmmmmm?" while Arisela just squealed out peals of high-pitched, girlish giggles and writhed around. No words.
After playing coy for a bit with the "why are you laughing?", complete with innocent-face and faux-puzzled expression....Maxie just broke into a giant smile and really dug in. She was out of her chair and over her, and getting her whole upperbody. Now the game was "Oh, right here? Right here?" as Arisela sank as deep into the couch as she could go, kicking around and squealing gigges.
Me? I sat in my chair, frozen like a fossil in an iceberg, taking in the entire show that was before me, as if it was on a proscenium stage. It's probably why I have such a vivid memory of this one. I don't know how I looked, and I don't remember anything about what happened afterwards, other than we hung out for a while, this had occurred soon after we had arrived. I have no idea how I kept it together. I almost certainly didn't mention it or talk about it or show any reaction to the tickling. In fact, I probably changed the subject as soon as I could!
**************************************
I got Arisela a couple of times, once just accidentally while we were walking down stairs, and I put my hands gently and affectionately around the back of her neck. She scrunched up, hyper giggling and squealing, "Leo! Leo! I'm ticklish! I'm ticklish!".
I also saw her once (at my apartment) proudly try to demonstrate that she wasn't ticklish on her foot anymore by handing it to another girl, who happily tested it out. She was able to take it for a bit, but the other girl was persistent, with this fascinated look on her face, trying different spots and techniques....and eventually struck gold.....
But nothing was as good as the Maxie Attack....she looked hungry for Arisela......it was completely palpable, as if it had been building up all that time, just waiting for her to make a wrong move or something........definitely not bad for a Saturday morning, or whatever it was!
At one point, she lay back on her little couch, and right next to her,where her head was, sitting in a folding chair, was another friend, we'll call her Maxie. Maxie was Dominican, she spoke with a heavy Domincan accent. And my friend on the couch, we'll call her Arisela.... is one of the most exotic, diverse mixes of people I've ever encountered, I won't break it down here because it's so distinct, but I can tell you that if every race blended into one, they might look like Arisela. Both were super cool.
(should I not even describe the 'lees?) (in fact, should i not even write these memories down?) (let me know!)
Anyways.....I'm writing this one down.
So Arisela is holding court, and laying on her couch, there must have been a reason because you wouldn't normally lay on a couch if you have company! I don't think, anyways! But there she is, in her beautiful soft Indian "hippie" dress, the sunlight splashing down through the big windows....and she's on her back, chatting away, while Maxie sits next to her head, looking down, with a bemused smirk on her face.....Arisela was very cute and almost like a little sister to all of us.....and Maxie is "mmm-hmming" and nodding and listening to Arisela chat away.....
...when all of a sudden, Arisela lifts both her arms over her head and starts doing something with her hair. Maxie sees this and IMMEDIATELY.....IMMEDIATELY......as if she's been waiting to pounce all along......lunges forward and puts both of her hands directly under Arisela's arms....and begins to tickle her.
Arisela, completely caught, squeals out an urgent shriek which recedes, like a wave, into helpless giggling. Maxie's face lights up in a way I'd never seen before, or since, as if to say "Aha! I have you now!". She starts taunting Arisela. "Why are you laughing? Hmmmm? Hmmmmm?" while Arisela just squealed out peals of high-pitched, girlish giggles and writhed around. No words.
After playing coy for a bit with the "why are you laughing?", complete with innocent-face and faux-puzzled expression....Maxie just broke into a giant smile and really dug in. She was out of her chair and over her, and getting her whole upperbody. Now the game was "Oh, right here? Right here?" as Arisela sank as deep into the couch as she could go, kicking around and squealing gigges.
Me? I sat in my chair, frozen like a fossil in an iceberg, taking in the entire show that was before me, as if it was on a proscenium stage. It's probably why I have such a vivid memory of this one. I don't know how I looked, and I don't remember anything about what happened afterwards, other than we hung out for a while, this had occurred soon after we had arrived. I have no idea how I kept it together. I almost certainly didn't mention it or talk about it or show any reaction to the tickling. In fact, I probably changed the subject as soon as I could!
**************************************
I got Arisela a couple of times, once just accidentally while we were walking down stairs, and I put my hands gently and affectionately around the back of her neck. She scrunched up, hyper giggling and squealing, "Leo! Leo! I'm ticklish! I'm ticklish!".
I also saw her once (at my apartment) proudly try to demonstrate that she wasn't ticklish on her foot anymore by handing it to another girl, who happily tested it out. She was able to take it for a bit, but the other girl was persistent, with this fascinated look on her face, trying different spots and techniques....and eventually struck gold.....
But nothing was as good as the Maxie Attack....she looked hungry for Arisela......it was completely palpable, as if it had been building up all that time, just waiting for her to make a wrong move or something........definitely not bad for a Saturday morning, or whatever it was!
