During happy hour on a regular weekday evening in a moderately illuminated cocktail bar, you the reader can name the place, there occurred a meeting of two very different worlds. At the particular hour of the alignment, there were not too many patrons in the bar. Two men, both modestly drinking cocktails, randomly sat at the quiet bar with an empty bar stool separating them as mellow rhythm and blues music played softly in the background. One man, several states from home on business, was a husband and a father of solid moral structure. The husband was a simple man, which showed in his plain and modest dress, of whichever race that you as the reader will decide to choose for him. The other man, sitting two seats down, was a stylish club scene “player” type of character, again of whichever race that you the reader desire to assign him. Like an antonym, the playboys’ sunglasses and clothing were loud and expensive compared to the husband. His jewelry glistened in the multicolored neon beer lights of the lounge.
The two men from different worlds struck up a basic conversation that seemed to grow more comfortable and unrestricted with drinks and time. When an R&B song began to play throughout the bar, a song showcasing a male singer crooning about sexual things he would do for women whose men could not do, the random conversation of the two men narrowed to a topic.
“See now, player. You need to listen to this song. He could be talking about you.” announced the player with a sly grin.
“What do you mean?” asked the husband.
“Didn’t you say you travel a lot, my man? You never know, some man like me could be giving your old lady the kind of loving that you can’t, or won’t, do anymore.” retorted the player.
“Are you married? Do you have a woman?” the husband asked.
“Me? No wife, no need. Not my style. I am no one woman man, if you catch what I mean”
“I see. And how many women do you have?”
“Many, my brother. Many. By the looks of it, more than you have had in your entire life…haha. Look at your rags….let me clarify, your clothes. You look like a plain john doe. You need to get some style and bling to keep you looking good. To keep your old lady interested or getting bored of you.”
“Many women, huh? How do you maintain all those women?” asked the husband with growing interest.
“With great skills, my man. You have to keep your sexual skills sharp and your verbal game tight! It’s all about skills. See, you probably only been with one old lady for years, so your skills have probably gone dull….If you had any skills to start with, that is.” chuckled the player in amusement.
“And you assume that, since my skills are assumed dull, that any man could just move in on my wife and fulfill these most important physical desires while I’m away?”
“Not any man, maybe, but smooth talking players with the right moves sure could.” preached the player as he stirred his drink and then took a sip.
“And you could be that man?” asked the husband.
“Well, I’m not saying I would be, but there are other real players that exist out there who live to move in on women who are married to men like you.”
“I see. And what kind of things are you talking about? Just so we can be clear on what is important.” the husband asked.
“Man, you know. Catching the lady out somewhere and saying just the right things to her in order to grab her attention. Tell her how sexy she is, because she probably hasn’t heard that sort of talk for years. Compliments galore, man, and you can’t just develop skilled smooth talk. You got to practice for perfection! That is the opening stage. And you know… you got to let her talk her head off and pretend like you are listening, because men like you are usually too busy to listen to her emotional needs. You see, while you have to listen to it forever, I only have to put up with it until I undress her….haha. Once, I get them alone somewhere and a few romantic drinks…..start caressing her legs and feet. When is the last time you gave your old lady a foot rub, haha? Once I get her out of her clothes, it is on! All the caressing and sensual sexing that she has been missing! And they always keep trying to run back for more! Yes indeed, I…well, men like me…we can do a lot for your lady that you don’t do anymore or never could do. Maybe because things have lost their flavor over the years, or maybe you don’t have time, or maybe you never had the skills.” rattled the player in a tone resembling ecstasy.
“I see. Would you teach her children?” asked the husband.
“What? No. What does that have to do with it?” asked the player in sudden confusion.
“Would you teach her sons to be strong, righteous men? Would you teach them the social economic traps set to spring on them in the world so that they can advance? Would you build them toward advancement and teach them to be moral men and fathers over time and effort?”
“What does that have to do with me? You are talking square now, man.”
“So you wouldn’t teach her daughters to be strong, independent women with developed mindsets and the ability to thinking critically? You wouldn’t build a road for them to develop morally, mentally and spiritually? You wouldn’t build her daughters into future women that would learn to respect their bodies, protect their physical temple of child birth and demand respect for their whole person instead of simply having men lust after their bodies?”
“Shit…you are crazy. They are not my problem. Maybe you don’t understand what I am saying.” shrugged the player.
“Ok. Fine. You are not interested in the sons and daughters of these women, or in this case, my particular woman. You are simply interested in her.” clarified the husband.
“That’s what it’s about, you know…haha. Doing for the woman what you yourself will not do. Laying those sweet kisses behind her ear and caressing her neck right out of her clothes. Laying down that good love.”
“Would that good love consist of protecting her day and night by any means necessary? Laying your life or freedom down without hesitation if required? And would that ‘good-love’ consist of treating her with daily respect every minute of every year, building her up to the best of your ability mentally, spiritually, economically and morally on a daily basis while being a student of those same qualities from her? I suppose what I am asking is, would it consist of providing, protecting and guiding in the present and for the future?”
“Hell, no, man. I’m just talking about moving in for the one night fling and showing her what you ain’t giving her. ” laughed the player.
“In that case, it seems to me that if I were not married and a leader of my family, that I, and men like me, could be a man who could show your ‘many’ woman the things that you have failed to show them because you are only showing them something temporary and detrimental to society.” stated the husband. And with that, the husband finished off his drink, nodded farewell and left the lounge.
