Forbidden Passions of Harold and Nanula

I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point in our relationship, Nanula and I stopped having sex. We would still cuddle each other in the morning, before her boss came to collect her, we would kiss goodbye when she left for work, and I would wait for her to return. But we no longer did anything more than a kiss on the lips, much less anything physical.

Nanula was always a good kisser. I remember the first time we kissed, sitting together on a bus after work. She had just gotten hired for a new position at the club and was telling me about it as we rode home from work. It was one of those crowded buses where you could barely move your arm without bumping into someone else. As we were talking, she reached across the empty seat between us and gave me a big, unexpected kiss on the lips. “I wanted to give you something to remember me by since I won’t see you again until tonight,” she had said with a smile. When she later told me what she did for a living, I remembered that kiss and how intimate it felt even though there were dozens of other people around us on that bus ride home. That moment is forever etched into my memory. And I still feel that same warmth when I think about it today as I sit alone in my room waiting for her to return.

My parents hated Nanula from the very beginning. They never explained why they disliked her so much; they just made sure they made it clear to me that they didn’t approve of her at all. I never knew why they felt this way, but their disapproval made our relationship all the more special to me. No matter what anyone else thought of her, I loved her and was only happy when she was around.

We tried to keep our relationship secret as long as possible; had anyone found out that we were dating each other there would have been serious consequences. Despite this prohibition against interracial relationships, many people continued to find love in spite of society’s disapproval. In fact, there were numerous underground clubs where such relationships were openly celebrated. We went to one of these clubs together shortly after meeting each other on the bus. The music there was loud and reverberated loudly off of the low ceiling throughout the dimly lit space; it was always filled with people dancing together in pairs or small groups. We moved together slowly through the crowd holding hands as we looked for an open spot on the floor where we could start dancing with each other without bothering anyone else who might be nearby. At last, we found a small corner that seemed isolated enough from other couples so that no one would get upset if we danced close together while everyone else was forced to dance with strangers barely able to move even an inch closer to one another than they already were.

As soon as we started dancing with each other, however, things changed quickly enough: our fellow dancers seemed agitated in general, but no one gave us any trouble directly until suddenly a man standing next to us bumped into us. He was trying to reach out and touch his girlfriend who was dancing beside him just out of arm's reach behind him, when suddenly my partner angrily shouted at him, "get your fucking hands off my boyfriend!"

Everyone within earshot turned quickly around at once to look at us with shocked expressions on their faces, including mine. Although initially shocked by what happened next, I couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous this entire situation was starting to seem. Just then, several security guards emerged from various parts of the room and pushed their way through the crowd towards us while shouting, "Everybody freeze! You are all under arrest! Anybody who moves will be shot!"

People began running towards various exits indiscriminately without regard for their own safety, or anyone else's. Several shots rang out in rapid succession as people began getting trampled underneath foot by those trying desperately to escape. My partner grabbed hold of my hand tightly as if trying to pull me along with her towards one particular exit, even though she didn't know where it led exactly. I wasn't sure whether or not escaping like this was any safer than staying put, but at least it seemed like moving might get us out alive.

A few moments later, we were outside standing next to an unattended government vehicle parked nearby. It had no keys in its ignition and no gas in its tank either. Upon further thought, I recalled that earlier in the night, Nanula had visited this place prior to work and had stolen several key pieces from various cars parked nearby, ensuring none of them could start. She had also pilfered several guns from inside the building itself, planning to use them in a heist she intended on performing once she got back home.

With adrenaline surging, both of us hid behind the disabled government vehicle, readying for what might come next. Suddenly, another car pulled up alongside ours. Two men emerged from its cab