It must have been the old lady who always comes to read one Agatha Christie novel during the weekdays. I don’t blame her for not understanding that bondage is fun, sexy, and sane, but I do think she should mind her own business. Little did I know how far the Shibari tutorial I was watching would take me.
Anyway, the point is that last Monday, just as I was leaving, the clerk gave me a handwritten note. She asked me to read it once I had left the building. I like the clerk, she’s a nice girl, so I decided to obey, even though I’m not very used to following rules. Basically, it said that I couldn’t continue using the public library computers for watching porn.
I got really upset. They had gotten it all wrong, and now I would lose precious time. It was unfair!
Next morning, I showed up at the library and, very politely, asked the clerk if I could talk to her for a few minutes. Since I was calm and speaking in a low voice, she agreed. To break the ice, I asked her name. She said it was Amanda.
—Amanda, listen, there’s been a mistake. I’m an engineering student, and I’m writing a paper about the engineering behind Shibari suspensions. Therefore, I’ve been watching those videos and photographs, the ones that the old lady mistakenly called porn, as part of the research necessary for my paper. It is imperative for me to graduate this year. So, I need your help. You must let me watch those videos. Do you understand?
—What is Shibaku?
—It’s Shibari.
I explained to her what Shibari is and how fascinating it is from the point of view of an engineer. I had been talking for around fifteen minutes, when I realized that I had caught her attention.
—If you want, we can go to the computers, and I’ll show you just how it is.
We used her computer, which is inside an office. That way, we wouldn’t have any problem with old ladies. After an hour or so watching videos and photographs, along with my erudite explanations, she told me that I could continue my research in her office. Actually, she bookmarked a Shibari tutorial that she particularly enjoyed.
I thanked her, and I was about to leave, when she added:
—One more thing, if you ever need a model, I’m available.
This is my Shibari story.
