Almost Adam and Eve

         ALMOST ADAM, AND EVE













         Stacy slammed the door shut to the top floor studio apartment.  She was still breathing heavily from the walking up the ten flights of stairs.

         "Derrick, when did the elevator break?"  She said this before she realized that he could not hear her.  The distorted sounds from the Acid Rock station were blaring forth from the black cube radio. 

         Stacy threw her purse and keys on the kitchen table.  It amazed her how he could keep his loft so neat and organized.  She followed the music down the hallway, it's rich oak paneling that was a hold over from the turn of the century buildings industrial past.  She glanced into his bedroom, she knew it would be empty, but she took in the fastidious room, just to be sure.  She stood just before the drape that hung at the end of the hallway.  The first signs of any habitation were on the faded red carpet.  It was a track of stone dust and marble chips.  Some limestone was mixed in as well; the track was ground in from the bottom of the drape to the bathroom.  The sounds of stone chips could be heard over the clamorous music.  Straightening her hair, she parted the drapes and entered Derrick's world.

         He was barefoot.  His stone washed jeans showed the butt that she so admired.  The muscles of his back made his fluorescent tan skin look fit.  She admired his short black hair that from the back made him look like a banker.  She reached over to the black cube radio; she wanted to surprise him, a red polished nail flipped off the switch, but the music continued.  She flipped it back and forth.  "Broken."  She thought. 

         She came up behind him, and spun him around.

"Hi honey."  They embraced.

         "It's done."  Derrick said as he reached up to pull away the cloth covering his latest sculpture. 

         Stacy was actually shocked.  The smoothness of the lines, the attention to detail, the sheer power, and beauty of the nude woman made her blush slightly. 

         "It's ahh," She looked for the right words, "beautiful." 

         "Do you like it?'  Derrick asked genuinely.  She was the first to see the completed work.  It had taken him days the get the very last perfection right.

         "It's very accurate.  Detailed."  Stacy managed to say.

         "I used you as a model."  Derrick finally said.

         "Me?"  Stacy wasn't quite sure how to handle that one.  She looked over the nude stone sculpture with a different eye.

         "Hmmm."  She walked around it, switching mannerisms, as well as subject.

         "So this is Eve."  Stacy said with a grin.

"I take it that this big hunk of rock is going to be Adam."  She mused playfully as she rounded Derrick and stood behind the rectangular rough stone.

         "Yup."  He looked upon the stone.  "We brought it up today.  And I think the weight of it broke something on the freight elevator."

         "You broke it all right."  Stacy was walking around the new piece of stone.  "How long till you get it faced off?"

         "A couple of days.  Then I can draw Adam on it, and start carving." 

"And will he be as anatomically correct of you, as Eve is of me?"  Stacy asked playfully

"You'll have to tell me."  Derrick said as he picked up some bottled water from the floor.  She walked up to him.  She could smell the now drying perspiration from his naked chest.

"I think I'm going to need some more research first."  Stacy prattled as she reached for Derrick's zipper.  He did not resist.

*  *  *

Derrick hadn't shaved today; he just got up and started carving.  Well, actually drawing.  First the outline of the head, then the neck and upper shoulders.  Satisfied, Derrick picked up a large chisel and began taking off large pieces of stone. 

The sun was just under the horizon when Derrick stepped back to judge his progress.  Stone had been cleared away showing a rough hemisphere of a head and upper shoulders.  With a tired smile he placed his carving tools on the top of the stone.

"Good night."  He said to the unfinished form as he switched off the work lights.

*  *  *

         Derrick had been working steadily for several weeks on the statue.  Details such as hair and eyes were done.  The nose was coming in nicely, as were the mouth and chin.  Derrick heard the familiar slam of the of the door.

         "I don't know about this girl."  Derrick said to the face. 

         "I mean the sex is just great, but there is nothing between the ears."  The stone monolith stared back with flat eyes.  "It's easy for you, I 'mean You've got Eve right across the way."  Over the music, Derrick could hear her walk down the hall.

         "Hi honey."  Stacy said from behind.  The two embraced.

         "I have some great news."  She said as she twirled two or three of Derricks chest hairs.

         "What?"

         "I just came from the Museum, and my boss said that when these are done, He wants to look at them first before you put them on the market."

         "You mean they're sold?"

         "Kinda."  Stacy offered.  It was not an actual sale, but it was enough to make any starving artist happy.  He kissed her deeply.  She ran her fingers over his back and buttocks.  He reached for her breast."

         "Derrick," she asked between passionate kisses.

         "Yeah?" 

         "Lets do it here."  He thought about it for a minute.  "The bed would be different."  He offered.  She flicked her head to one side. 

         "Carry me there."  Derrick scooped her up, walking out of the studio as the Acid Rock blared forth. 

*  *  *

         In the darkened moonlight, Adam stared stone faced at the most beautiful form he had ever seen.  The face on her was so smooth, the curve of her cheek, the calm continuos line that flowed with milky suppleness into her upper shoulders.  His emotions were, what?

"Hell."  Adam thought to himself.  He did not even know what was around him.

*  *  *

         The formation of the right arm was going well.  Derrick was humming to himself as he picked up a different smaller chisel.  He stepped back and looked at the arm, he compared it to the other one. Satisfied he started cutting away all the stone that was not part of the arm and hand.  He stopped from time to time to make sure that the right side matched the finished left.

         "Get out of the way!"  Adam thought to himself as Derrick was blocking his view of Eve.           "Damn."  Derrick said aloud, "I am good."  He moved forward and continued to carve away at the pinky finger.  The digit was still to thick, that would come later, but now Derrick was getting the length.

         "Oh shit!"  Derrick swore as a chunk, the wrong chunk, fell to the floor.  He blinked his eyes in disbelief as the 'pinky' was now to short.  Derrick felt his pulse quicken, he broke out into a sweat.  It had taken months just to get this far, and now it could be ruined.  Derrick stepped back to his usual spot in front of Adam.

         "Bone head."  Adam thought to himself, angry again because Derrick was yet again in front of Eve.  Derrick took a deep breath and began reshaping the hand in a different way.  He hadn't done much with the rest of the hand.  It was still mostly uncarved rock.

         "I'll just flip it around."  Derrick told Adam as he brushed away some errant dust from the Statues eyebrow.  Derrick continued working the rest of the day.  He didn't stop for lunch, and just sipped lightly at his warming water bottle.  The door slammed shut.  Derrick stopped suddenly.  It was dark out side.

         "Hi honey."  Stacy said as she came up to Derrick.  The two kissed.  Adam screamed inside of is stone head.

         "Get out of the way!"  Derrick was explaining to Stacy what had happened with the arm.  She came up and began to look at the hand.

         "First I can't see around his big head, now you're in the way!"  Adam roared away at the couple in silence.  Derrick continued to explain how he was able to cover his mistake by carving the muscle lines in a different direction so that it would look natural.  After a while Stacy turned to Derrick and started running her hand up and down his arm.

         Adam cooled his anger for a moment.  "This could be different."  He mused.

         Derrick pointed to Adams upper body.  "This part is going to be a pain.'  He told Stacy.

         "Why?'

         "Because I have to cut back about four inches of stone just to get to his chest."

         "I only have to go through this grungy Tee shirt."  Stacy mischievously lifted up on Derrick's shirt.  With a smile he placed his hammer and chisel on the four-inch stone shelf.  Stacy tossed the shirt off to the side as she closed her arms around him.

         Adam smiled inwardly at his front row seat.

*  *  *

         Derrick was back at Adams arms, doing some final touch ups here and there. 

"I don’t know," Derrick said to the stone face.  "I mean, the sex is great, but there is nothing else there."  Derrick stepped back and looked at the arms.  Seeing an imperfection, he continued to carve.

"So what do you think?"  Adam was stone faced.  "Of course, she may be my ticket to selling the both of you."

         Adam roared in fury at the thought of Eve being away from him.

         "But I should get a good price.  Who wants to buy Adam, without an Eve."  Adams' fury cooled down.

         "I guess she's pretty cool."  Derrick continued to babble on as he carved.  "I'm always working, yet she keeps coming over, so there must be something there."  Derrick shifted into a new spot on Adam.

         "So what do you think?"   

"Yeah, I thought so."  Derrick answered his own question.  He placed the carving tools on the rough stone below Adams shoulder as he continued to look over the arms.

"You probably like to watch."  Derrick continued his one sided conversation as he picked up some sandpaper and began smoothing out the carving lines.  The morning wore on without any conversation between the two, just the radio blaring forth its Acid Rock sound.

Derrick stopped and grabbed the water bottle as he took up his usual spot in front of Adam.  He stood there for an enormous length of time, looking, scanning, and trying to find any flaws in what was promising to be a great sculpture.  Satisfied with what he saw, he moved to the side and continued to sweep the statue with his eyes.

"Thank god you moved."  Adam breathed inwardly.  "Every second that I can't look upon Eve, is a century lost."  Derrick did find a slight flaw under Adams right shoulder.  He picked up a small chisel and took away some stone.

"I need something broader."  Derrick said aloud as he placed the small chisel on the stone shelf.

Adam suddenly got an idea.

Derrick used the wider chisel to gently smooth away the imperfection.  The door slammed shut.

"Hi honey."  Stacy came into the studio.  The two kissed.

"I'm finished with the upper part."  Derrick said proudly as he placed the hammer and chisel next to the smaller chisel. 

Adam could not believe his luck.

"Good."  Stacy said to derrick as she tugged at his arm.

"Where are we going?"

"To the fair."  She giggled slightly.  "It's a gorgeous day out.  You’ve finished one part, now it's time to play." 

"I don't know, I mean I really should stay and keep working."

"Go. Go.  Go."  Adam implored inwardly.

"Derrick they have a brand new water slide that I want to ride on."

Derrick was still hesitant.  Stacy unbuttoned the top of her shirt.

         "I bought a brand new bikini, see."  She opened her shirt to show off the budding flower print.  "I want to try it out." She concluded.

         "Good girl. That should do it."  Adam concluded.  Adam could see that she wanted to spend the day with him.

  Derrick looked into those big, eyes.

"OK."  He said as the two left.  Derrick half fell as she dragged him out.  Stacy was so insistent that derrick didn't have time to unplug the radio that was still blaring forth Acid Rock.

*  *  *

         Adam was alone.  He sighed as he looked upon Eve. 

         "Derrick is a blockhead," Adam thought.  "Going gaga over a bikini when Eve is.."  Adam smiled as he closed his eyes.  At first he was resistant to close them; (he would be unable to see Eve.)  However, he needed total concentration. 

         How long had he been waiting for someone to free him from this rock?  Adam did not know.  Couldn't know.  He just knew that what he wanted was only a short distance away.

         "But how do I get there?"  He thought to himself.  Adam thought about Derrick and Stacy.  "Maybe he's not a fool, he sure can carve."  Adam tried to move his mouth.  It was stiff at first.  His mouth felt stone dry. 

         "Eve."  Adam whispered aloud.  It was his first spoken word.  The sound was music.

         "Eve."  He said a little louder.  Adam sighed. 

         "To Hell with it!"  Adam said as he closed his eyes again and tried to move his right arm.  It felt stiff.  Still, in time, Adam had a full range of movement.  The left arm was easier to move.  In a short time he was moving his arms in big circular sweeps.  He then tried his neck.  Soon Adam was able to move this way and that, at least from the shoulders up.

         "Hi, Honey!"  Adam froze in fear.

"Over here dummy!"  Adam turned towards the source of the sweetest sound.

         "You can talk!"  Adam shouted at the top of his lungs.  "I've been looking at you the whole time."  Eve cooed.

         "Come on over.  I got a big chisel right here for ya'."  Adam had a mischievous grin on his face as he picked up one of Derricks' tools.

         "I can't move my feet."  The two of them looked down, her feet were part of a stone base."

         "I'm like you."  Eve said, "The base is part of me.  I'm not placed on it."  She showed Adam that she could move Her legs and ankles, but could not lift her foot up to take a step.

         Adam felt a pain in his chest.  "So this is it."  He thought to himself.

         "You mean we can look but we can't touch?"  Adam asked.

         "You have the tools."  Eve said, Adam looked down.  He felt so foolish that he smacked the palm of his hand on his forehead.

         He picked up the hammer and chisel, and started carving.

*  *  *

         Adam had been carving himself for several hours.  He was listing to Eve talk when a particularly loud song came on.

         "What?"  Adam said.

         "It's hard to talk over the music."  Eve hated the Acid Rock as much as Adam did.  He chiseled off a particularly large piece of stone.  With his right hand he hurled it at the radio.  The rock missed as it broke a hole in the sheet rock wall behind it.

         "Aim a little lower."  Eve suggested.  Adam cut out another one; he weighed the rock in his hand.  Juggling it up and down several times.  Leaning into it, the tiny boulder struck the radio right between the speakers.  Silence.

         "Thank god that’s over."  Eve breathed.

         "Now, where was I?"  Adam said as he began making himself.

         "You should make your stomach muscles more defined."  Adam looked up and saw Eve grinning.

         "Hey, I'm working on the belly button here."  He played with her as he went to his abdomen and chiseled it to look rock hard.

         "I'll start critiquing and making suggestions, when you get a little below your belly button."  Adam stopped, and looked over at her.  The two looked deep into their eyes.

*  *  *

         "Careful."  Eve said as Adam began carving his genitals.  He had left the stone blank, as he went down to his thighs.  It was when he began carving one knee that Eve decided it was time for a request.

         "You've been looking at me all this time, how about giving some back?"  Adam was all too eager.  He was getting pretty good at this carving thing.  Being a self made man, he was growing even more confident with each stroke of the hammer.

         "Don’t take off to much."  Eve nearly giggled.  Adam was having fun to.  He decided to make himself as big as she wanted.  He looked up at her;

         "For you my love."  The feeling of lust gave his powerful arm just a couple of foot-pounds per-square inch too much.

         Adam didn't see or feel it, but the sudden look of horror in Eve's eyes, he looked down.

         His godlike majesty lay on the floor, broken.  Useless.  He looked up at her, he wanted to cry, but moisture did not form.  Eve was crest fallen.  The sheer giddiness was gone.  The two of them looked at each other. 

         The door slammed shut announcing the arrival of Derrick and Stacy.  Panic filled the two statues. 

         "Where are the tunes?"  Derrick said as he pulled a rock out of the tape deck.  "What the?" Derrick looked at the rock in his hand.

         "Eve.."  It was the last spoken word Adam said as Derrick spun around to look at the almost complete sculpture.

           End