I carried the suitcases the five steps to my truck. Karen followed. I noticed three men on a balcony across the street watching her. I locked the suitcases in the truck, turned and took her by the arm back into the apartment.
"When you're finished turning the knife in my wound I'm walking out the door and out of your life."
"Please sit down."
I sat on a kitchen chair. She sat on the other one. She made no effort to cover herself. Mad as I was I still loved seeing her body and I wanted something she said to matter.
"Three weeks ago we were in bed and I felt a pain in my tit. I couldn't feel a lump or anything but I did feel a pain. I went in to the health center and they did a mammogram. When I got the results they said they wanted to do a biopsy on a clouded area of my right breast. They thought it might be a precancerous growth. A week later they wanted a biopsy of my lymph nodes. I have cancer."
"You went through all this without telling me?"
"In my family women don't tell men about feminine problems. My Mom has had three lumpectomies and my Dad doesn't know anything except she had a cyst removed. I reverted to family thinking instead of realizing I could share it with you."
"Tell me about the cancer."
"As far as they can tell it hasn't spread from my right breast. They won't know for sure until the surgery. I am going home to Iowa and it's all arranged. They are going to cut off my breasts."
"A radical?"
"Not unless they find a reason to go that far. The two doctors here seem to think that may not be necessary. My sister, the nurse, says they say that and then, once you're on the table they take everything but your ribs."
"Can I ask a personal question?"
"Yes."
"What does any of this have to do with you leaving me?"
"No man wants a woman who is no longer a woman."
"Sometimes I am amazed at you. Remember our first day together? I told you then that it wasn't your tits that attracted me to you. I'm not who you still think I am! So they cut off your tits. Will that stop you from having dinner? Can you still dance? Watch a sunset? Cook? Run a business?"
"I just won't be a woman anymore."
"Bullshit!"
"You aren't changing DNA. You want to go back to Iowa and live fifty years thinking that if you had kept your tits I'd still love you, then go! I'll go to Idaho and live on my farm and grow old loving a woman more attached to her tits than I ever was!"
"What else can I do?"
"Finally, you ask for my opinion. Here's what I would recommend, if I had any say in the matter. Let's enjoy the next two weeks and I'll go back to Iowa with you for the surgery. If we can transfer the surgery to a hospital in Idaho I'd prefer that. Then I can work the farm and take care of you. I would recommend we get married twice. Once in Iowa and once in Idaho. My folks can't leave the farm at this time of year. I'd recommend we order food from Mr. Tsu and stay in bed all weekend with a lot of that time spent playing with your giant tits and wonderful nipples. I'd recommend that you invite me between your legs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I'd recommend that we publish a wedding announcement in the University newspaper. That is what I'd recommend, If someone had asked."
"You still want me?"
"You can still ask?"
"I'm sorry." She stood up and went to the phone. She hit a speed dial number and handed the phone to me. I held it up to my ear.
"Hunan Palace. Mr. Tsu speaking. May I help you?"
Blindsided again.