Hey little sister

“Does it hurt?”
“Pardon?” I ask as I look up from the bundle of rope I am working on.
“The rope, does it hurt when you get tied up?” She asks again.
“Well I guess that all depends on how you use it…” I respond as I reach into the tub and pull out another tangle of burgundy.

It is Monday night and I am working late again, a tub of burgundy and black rope sits at me feet. Almost complete, the rope awaits my finishing touches before it can be sent off to it's new homes. Tonight is the one quiet night of their 10 day visit. As I sit at the kitchen table working, Tambo and The Mom are off in the other part of the house doing some kind of mom / daughter bonding thing. Lil sis stands at the door of the kitchen, right at the edge of the portal actually.

“You see there are two major schools of rope,” I continue, “Western and Japanese. Western style rope is more centered on restraining someone to something where as Japanese rope is more about using the rope to restrain the body to itself. It also has a higher focus on the artistic aspects of the rope.”
“Artistic?!” She asks, furrowing her brow.
“Yes, this is actually an art form that dates back to feudal Japan, to the time of the shogun. A sort of sexual origami really”
“No way, cool.”
“Here, pull up a chair and I’ll show you.”

As she takes the chair across from me I am struck by how much she has grown up. I have known this girl since she was in diapers. I still remember her as the impish little 6 year old flower girl in a frilly pink dress and pigtails at our wedding. Armed with a huge basket of petals, she walked in front of the bride earnestly placing a single petal on the ground then taking a cautious step forward and placing another petal. Now, sixteen years later, she is an intelligent college senior. Whip smart, articulate, opinionated, and in the right light I am astounded by how much she looks like her sister at that age. One of the (many) side benefits of my life with Tambo has been getting to watch both her younger brother and sister grow up.

“Have you and your boyfriend ever played with rope before?” I ask.
“well….” She hesitates
“Everybody has probably tried it a little, maybe with neckties or scarves.”
“Oh yeah sure we have done that”
“Did you both enjoy it?”
“Yeah”

Now to most this might seem a might bit strange, me talking about sexual bondage with my wife’s younger sister. I’m sure some of you are thinking that this would be something more suited for the stage of the Jerry Springer show. Quite to the contrary actually. Tambo and I have always tried to be very open and honest about our lives to both her adult siblings. While not advertising our lifestyle choices (or actively recruiting), we have never tried to hide them either. We have always had a, “This is what I am drinking / smoking / reading right now. If you would like to try a little just ask” policy.

“So do you like being tied up or doing the tying?” I ask.
“Um… the tying I think”
“Would you like to learn a few rope tricks?”
“Yeah that would be cool”
“Now this is called a French cuff, see how I place the knot over the pressure point on the wrist? Good, now you try it on my wrist”
I place the bundle in her hands and she begins to feel the rope, begins to make the connection with it.

And so we sat at that table for the next 2 hours, I showed her some knots and quick restraints. Answering her questions and doing my best to dispel a few myths in the process. By the end her nimble fingers could manage the knots and with a smile she could quickly bind my hands behind my back. Yes, this girl was a good student. Along with knots I also shared a few insights on how she could further torment her willing victim once she had him properly restrained.

Stuffed into her suitcase, along side all the souvenirs and new clothes from her trip to Seattle, are 3 bundles of the Monk’s finest burgundy along with a note that reads. “Remember, there are a myriad of different ways in which people make love. Some ways may seem foreign or even wrong to you. Keep an open mind and never be scared to explore”