Kassandra, Woman of Mystery

I went into the bathroom and started filling the tub with hot water. I added three generous handfuls of Epsom salts, and stirred the water to mix in the salts while I adjusted the temperature so that it was not too hot. When I had enough water of the correct temperature in the tub, I turned off the faucets and went into the other room to get Kassandra.

She was starting to stir, when I got to the couch, so I took off the towels, picked her up, and carried her into the bathroom, where I gently lowered her into the tub. I helped her lie back and when I put a folded hand towel behind her neck, she relaxed and closed her eyes.

As I washed the heavy makeup that had started to melt from her face, I noticed that her skin was getting pinker and the bruises were starting to fade because the hot water was causing her blood vessels to expand which lowered her blood pressure slightly.

I knew the bruises would return when her body cooled, and her blood pressure became normal again, so I let her soak. When the water cooled, she became more alert and said, "I feel much better Todd, you are a miracle worker."

I smiled and told her that I didn't cure her, I only gave her some relief. Then I asked her how many Motrin's she had taken since she got home, because I had seen a family sized bottle in her medicine cabinet that was half full.

She told me that she didn't remember because she was in a lot of pain by the time she got home after the taxi ride from O'Hare. I told her "I'm going to stay the night to make sure you don't start bleeding internally because too much ibuprofen can thin your blood to life threatening levels."

I opened the tub drain, helped her up, dried her off, and carried her into the bedroom. I lay her in bed, crawled in next to her, covered us up, and held her until she fell asleep.

When I heard her snoring quietly, I carefully got out of her bed, and went into the bathroom to clean up the mess we had created. When I was done there, I cleaned the rest of her apartment and when I finished, I realized I was hungry. I looked in her refrigerator and saw a small piece of left-over lasagna, so I warmed it up and ate it.

Next, I checked on Kassandra and saw she was OK. I decided to take a nap because I knew this could be a long night, so I took off my boxers, and when I crawled into bed behind her, I felt her relax as she snuggled into me and 'spooned'.

When I awoke, I realized it was morning and I had slept through the night. My first thought was to check on Kassandra. The warm body pressing against mine reminded me that I was still in bed with her. I soon realized that she was quite well because she had my morning wood trapped between her thighs and was using it to stimulate her vulva and clitoris by 'humping' me.

I kissed her ear, and whispered "Good morning Darling, would 'Kassie' like a visit from 'Toddy' this morning?"

She didn't say a word, but threw off the covers, rolled me on my back, climbed on top of me, and impaled 'Kassie' on 'Toddy'. She started riding me like Annie Oakley, yelling, "YEEHAA".

How long we fucked, I do not remember, but when 'Kassie' started to spasm on 'Toddy' we both lost control and exploded together. When we came down from our mutual euphoria, we kissed, and stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes.

Kassandra broke the silence, and said, "Thank you Todd, for taking care of me. I was in bad shape yesterday but pushed myself, so I could help you. I wanted to make sure your photos blew everyone's else away."

I answered her saying, "Kassandra, I was amazed how much you knew about the process of printing from negatives. I first learned about printing from my father in our basement darkroom and learned the 'finer points' as an undergraduate at SIU. Yesterday you helped me create images that were better than anything I have ever seen in any gallery. Where did you learn that stuff?"

She smiled and said, "I've had the opportunity to work with some amazingly talented photographers over the years, but it was Francesca Woodman who took me under her wing, in the late 1970's during her time in Rhode Island, before she moved to NYC. Even though I was only a teenager, we 'connected' when I modeled for her on Block Island, and after we finished shooting, she invited me into her home in Providence. She took me into the darkroom with her and showed me how the 'magic' was done. During the month I shared her home and her bed, she taught me the basics of what she called 'wet-work' and exposure, as well as introducing me to my 'Sapphic' side. I think she knew then that she was not long for this world, and wanted to pass her knowledge onto someone, and I am grateful she chose me. I miss her a lot."

I was beginning to realize that Kassandra actually did know 'famous' people, because only someone 'in the business' or a dedicated student in the field of photography like myself would be familiar with someone as obscure as Frannie Woodman.

I heard her stomach growl and asked, "Hungry?" When she smiled and nodded, I watched as she climbed off me, got out of bed, and made her way to the bathroom. I saw she had regained the 'spring' in her step, and the bruises on her body had faded to the point where they were barely visible. I shook my head and thought, 'This woman has an incredible metabolism'.

I realized that I had to empty my bladder as well, and when I walked into the bathroom, she was sitting on the toilet, watching the remnants of our lovemaking drip into the bowl. When she saw me walk in, she asked, "Do you need to pee too?" When I nodded, she said, "Come here, there's room enough for both of us."

I had no idea what she was talking about, but as I walked toward her she scooted back on the seat. When I was standing close enough, she gently grasped my penis and aimed it at the space between her vulva and the front of the bowl. When she started to urinate, my prostate responded, and our two streams joined as they splashed together into the toilet. Before that day, I thought that making love was the most intimate thing that a man and a woman could share, but what we just did took intimacy to a whole new level.

When we finished, Kassandra shook the last drops from my penis, took 'Toddy' in her mouth, and cleaned the remnants of our lovemaking from him. When she stood up, and I kneeled and returned the favor. In retrospect, I must admit that the flavors of my sperm and her vaginal juices, mixed with her urine tasted pretty good.

When we finally got to the kitchen, I started a pot of coffee. Kassandra put on her apron and started frying a skillet half full of ground sausage. I cracked open and whipped eight eggs in a bowl, and when the sausage was almost done, I dumped the eggs in the skillet with the sausage. Kassandra stirred the mixture until the eggs were done, set the skillet on a cold burner, got out two plates, a package of flour tortillas, and some salsa.

We drank our coffee and ate homemade breakfast 'burritos' while we talked about my photos and how we should arrange them. We finally agreed that her suggestion that hanging them in two horizontal rows of three photos, with the photos taken in the same areas together vertically, and all spaced 2" apart.

I remembered I had two classes after Noon and realized that it was 11AM. We finished eating and I helped Kassandra clean up her kitchen. As I was getting dressed, she said, "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" When I told her I didn't, she said, "I'm going into the Loop tomorrow to do some shopping, would you come with me?" When I asked her what time, she said, "Meet me across the street at 10 for coffee, and we'll catch the Red Line up on Fullerton." I told her I would and kissed her goodbye. I went downstairs to my apartment and changed my clothes before I left for my Art History class.

Later, as I was leaving my Photojournalism class, I saw a crowd of people gathered around Adam, and when they saw me, they soon surrounded me. Evidently the word had gotten around that I had been seen in the company of a beautiful woman, and everyone wanted to know who she was.

When I tried to act like I didn't know what they were talking about, Debbie Tuttle, a busty young redhead that sat behind me in Professor Phillip's class spoke up saying, "Todd, I saw you walking down the hall with this gorgeous blonde yesterday morning. When you two walked by Alfredo, he 'freaked out', dropped his box of papers, and when it hit the floor the box split open, scattering the papers all over the floor. When I went to help him pick them up, I heard him mumbling, 'She came back, and she's with Magnussen," over and over.

I smiled and said to Debbie, loud enough for the whole crowd to hear, "The lady's name is Kassandra, and she lives in the apartment above mine. She knows a lot about photography and is helping me to improve my developing and printing skills. She is old enough to be my mother, and there is nothing 'going on' between us."

When the crowd quieted down, I continued, "We were going to the lab to make the prints for my project when we saw Alfredo, who I guess she knew, and she whispered in my ear, 'play along with me, I want to mess with an old friend'. When she cuddled up next to me, I was as embarrassed as Alfredo was, but I didn't lose it like he did."

Debbie blushed, as the rest of the crowd roared, and the guys were patting me on the back and shaking my hand. After the crowd dispersed, only Debbie and Adam were left standing in front of me. Adam spoke first, saying, "You two caused quite a stir when you walked in here yesterday and people noticed. When you caused Alfredo to freak out, a lot more people noticed. When Debbie came running over to me and spilled her guts about what she had seen and heard, even more people noticed, and the rumors started to spread."

Debbie blushed again and said, "I'm sorry Todd, I was surprised when I saw the two of you together. You've always been so serious, and I'd never seen you with a woman since you started Grad School here. When Alfredo lost it, I thought that something interesting was going on, and I jumped to the wrong conclusion."

I took the young redhead's hand, and said, "It's alright Debbie, you didn't know what our relationship was. Kassandra is a very special lady, and she has been a lot of help to me. Do you know who Francesca Woodman was?"

When Debbie said she did, I continued, "Kassandra modeled for Ms. Woodman in Rhode Island when she was a teenager and learned about how to develop and print from her. Since that time, she has worked with a lot of other pros, and when she offered to help me with my project, I jumped at the chance. When you see what we created together two weeks from now at the exhibition, I think you will realize that Kassandra is much more than just a pretty face."

Debbie gave me a big hug, said quietly, "I care about you Todd. I think of you as the big brother I never had. Alfredo is such a 'horndog' and has been trying to get me to date him since the first day I set foot on campus. I find him disgusting and have been fending him off ever since them. When I saw how he reacted to you two being together, I was happy to see him get a taste of his own medicine." Then she whispered in my ear, "I can tell how the two of you really feel about each other and your secret is safe with me."

As my two best friends at school walked away, I wondered, 'Debbie and Adam saw through my ruse, but everyone else believes that Kassandra and I are 'just friends'. I need to be more careful about 'public displays of affection', or everyone on campus will know the true nature of our relationship'.

I headed back to my apartment and tried to clear my head. After I grabbed a hoagie from Portillo's on the way, I spent the evening catching up on my required reading and taking notes on what I thought might be on my final exams in January. I decided it was time to 'hit the hay' when the music upstairs started. When I heard Don Felder's opening riff to 'Life in the Fast Lane', I knew it was going to be an Eagles night. I danced through their greatest hits, and finally fell asleep listening to Don Henley singing 'Desperado'.

I was awoken the next morning by marching band music. This didn't surprise me given Kassandra's varied taste in music, but this wasn't Sousa, Fillmore, or any other famous martial music composer's work. It was an obscure march titled "Our Director" that was written by F. E. Bigelow, and I recognized the very same recording by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops that used to play all the time at home.

My father liked it because of its unusual form for a march (AA-BB-CC-A), and also because an old mentor of his, William Morse, had used the CC bridge as the basis of a 'fight song' he had arranged for the new high school (Limestone CHS near Peoria), that had hired him as their band director when it first opened in 1953.

As I dressed, I tried to decide whether this was a coincidence that Kassandra had chosen this particularly piece of music, if she was psychic, or if she had used her CIA contacts to learn everything about me. As I ate my toast and drank my orange juice, I decided not over-think this too much and decided it was just a coincidence, as Sousa's 'Semper Fidelis' played next.

I didn't say anything to Kassandra about the music as we drank our coffee in 'our' booth at the coffee shop, or as we rode the Red Line EL, but later, as we were walking on the 100 block of E. Jackson Blvd, I asked her, "So, I guess you like Bigelow?" When she looked at me puzzled and didn't answer me, I added, "'Our Director', you woke me up with it this morning."

I could almost see the wheels turning in her head until she finally said, "Oh that, it's on my favorite Boston Pops album." I smiled and nodded because I had caught her in a lie. While 'Our director was the second cut on the 'B' side of a Boston Pops album of 'modern' marches, 'Semper Fidelis' was on an entirely different album. It was the first cut on the 'A' side of the 'Fourth of July' Boston Pops album. I let it go because I realized that she must have a good reason for her subterfuge and was probably just being careful.

A short time later, as we were walking north on S. Wabash, I realized we had arrived at the Mecca of the Midwest for photography enthusiasts. We were standing in front of 230 S Wabash Avenue, the home of Central Camera Co, the place where my father had purchased my Nikon.

When we walked through the doors, I felt like 'a kid in a candy store'. Behind the counter that stretched from the front to the rear of the store were glass covered shelves full of new and used cameras and lenses from every manufacturer I had ever heard of, and some I hadn't.

They were arranged somewhat alphabetically, with Canon's in the front, and Yashica's in the rear. In the very center were the cameras that were manufactured by Nippon Kogaku (Nikon), and there were examples from brand new F5's and F90's, to pristine examples of classics like my FM-2 and F3's, and even a couple of F2's and Nikkormat's.

There were also examples of every Nikon prime and zoom Lens from the oldest Ai and Ais models to the new autofocus models in every focal length. As I stared transfixed, I overheard the grey-haired man behind the counter said, "Hello Kassandra, here to pick up your package?"

I heard Kassandra say, "Yes Max, I hope it's ready." I was not really paying attention because an item on the top shelf had caught my attention. A pristine Nikon F-3T-HP with a 50mm f1.4 Ais lens attached, and its original box behind it, was staring at me screaming, 'Buy me now Todd!' This was the ultimate manual focus Nikon body, with a titanium frame, a polished titanium finish, and a high eyepoint pentaprism. It had the same 1/4000sec maximum shutter speed and 1/250sec flash sync as my FM-2, but the F-3 was the top-of-the-line model when it came out in the 1980's, and this was the titanium model. I felt like Ralphie on 'The Christmas Story' lusting over a 'Red Ryder' BB gun, and I wasn't keeping my excitement a secret very well.

When Max came back and set a cardboard box about 16" square and 6" tall on the counter in front of Kassandra, I noticed him whisper something to her. She nodded to him as she was signing the sales slip, and he walked down to me saying, "My name is Max Feinstein, may I help you, young man?"

I smiled and shook his hand saying, "I'm Todd Magnussen, and my father bought my camera here about eight years ago. I was wondering if I could look at that F-3T-HP on the top shelf?"

Max smiled at me and said, "Excellent choice, Mr. Magnussen, she certainly is a beauty" and got a stepstool to reach the top shelf. He unlocked the glass doors and opened them, stepped on the stool, and retrieved the camera. He brought it over to me, and gently set it on the mat in front of me. I took off my backpack, removed my 'Baby' from it and sat it down next to the beauty Max had just retrieved.

As I inspected the object of my lust, Max was doing the same to my 'Baby', and when both of our curiosities were satisfied, Max said, "We sold a lot of these back in the day, but I can tell that this is one of ours, because it still has our 'mark' here on the bottom," as he pointed to a small oval sticker about ¼" long on the baseplate that had 'CC' printed on it, opposite where the motor drive would engage with the film take-up spool. He continued, "I can see that you have taken excellent care of it, and if you are thinking of 'trading-up' I can make you a really good deal on the F-3T"

I frowned a bit and said, "Max, I would really love to trade with you, but I'm a starving grad student at DePaul, and even with a generous trade in allowance, I think that this just might just be out of my price range. I've only seen the F-3 before in the catalogs and had never held one before. I just wanted to see one close up. Perhaps, some day when I'm rich and famous I'll be able to buy one."

He shook my hand and said, "I understand, Mr. Magnussen, but if you ever decide to part with your pristine FM-2, please come see me, I promise I'll give you 'top dollar' for it."

I thanked him and watched him put it back in the display case. I smiled and thanked him, and we walked out the doors. Once outside my head cleared, and, I asked, "What's in the package Kassandra?"

Kassandra grinned and said, "The six frames and the matting for your photographs. I told you I knew a guy, and as it turned out I got better looking frames and matting than the art store next to the college for less money. Here, why don't you carry them."

I took the package from her, and after we walked about a block farther north on S. Wabash, Kassandra asked, "Are you hungry?"

I looked at my Timex and said, "Well, it's lunchtime, so I guess I am."

It was then that I realized we were in front of Miller's Pub. Because I was carrying a large package, Kassandra opened the door and held it while I walked through the door. We were shown to a booth immediately, even though there were several people waiting in line for tables. A man dressed in an expensive suit who seated us and called Kassandra by her first name asked me, "May I take care of our package."

I was quickly learning not to question things when I was with Kassandra, because everywhere we went, people seemed to know her. We were served two large burgers with 'homemade' potato chips and the best beer I had ever tasted. When the bill came, she signed it, our package was handed to me by a busboy at the front door, and a young man held the door open for us as we left.

As we were riding the EL back to Lincoln Park, I was deep in thought, attempting to process the inconsistencies in what my companion had told me about herself, when she noticed my distraction, and asked, "What's on your mind, Todd."

I answered, "Do you know everyone in town?"