Charity Sunday 3: Oxfam International (#CharitySunday #poverty #donation)

When was the last time you were hungry? I don’t mean that time when your meeting ran late and you didn’t get lunch until 2PM. Or the recent evening when you just had to have a chocolate sundae or you’d go crazy... Have you ever gone days without any solid food? Do you know anyone who has died of malnutrition?

Most of my readers very likely reside in wealthy or at least middle income countries,where serious hunger is fairly rare. So you might not know that today, the world stands on the brink of unprecedented famines. About 30 million people are experiencing alarming hunger, severe levels of food insecurity and malnutrition in north-eastern Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen. Ten million of them are facing emergency and famine conditions.

That’s why today, for my monthly Charity Sunday, I’m supporting Oxfam International (https://www.oxfam.org/en/about). Oxfam is a global confederation of twenty organizations, working with local partners to alleviate poverty and hunger around the globe. What I particularly like about Oxfam is that they look for systemic solutions. They don’t just provide food aid. They don’t just drop off emergency supplies and disappear. They try to deal with the root causes of poverty and famine, in creative and sustainable ways. For example, they provide goats to families in poor rural communities. One goat produces not only milk, but also fertilizer. And two goats can be the start of a herd, and a chance to escape from poverty.

One reason I chose Oxfam this month is that they have an offer for matching funds. All gifts before the 15^th of August will be doubled. So I hope you’ll leave me a comment today; for every comment I receive on this post, I’ll donate $1 – and Oxfam will get $2!

Of course, Charity Sundays are for fun, too. I don’t have any stories about hunger. Instead, I thought I’d share the infamous Thai banquet scene from my first novel Raw Silk.

Why infamous? Read on! (This is definitely not safe for work!)

“Come, have something to eat. I hope that you enjoy spicy food.”

“Definitely. At home they say that it is because of my red hair.”

Somtow ran his fingers through her curls. “I see. So perhaps red hair is associated also with hot blood? Try this, then.”

He offered her a plate of raw papaya salad. She recognized this as one of the spiciest dishes available from Thai restaurants at home, but was not prepared for the stunning effects this version had on her tongue.

“Goodness!” she said, taking a spoonful of the coconut rice that normally accompanied this dish, to dampen the fires in her mouth. “I thought that I could handle hot food!” They both laughed.

Somtow opened another bottle of wine and refilled their glasses. They continued to nibble on the exotic delicacies he had provided, sitting half-naked on the cushions in the balmy night.

Kate found her gaze drawn again and again to his smooth, muscular chest. The folds of the sarong around his waist hid his penis from her eyes. She wondered what he would do if she reached down to touch him, as she longed to do.

Somtow was talking about Thai cuisine, the two thousand royal dishes and the hundreds of other‘country-style’ recipes. Suddenly, it seemed, he noticed her looking at his body. She blushed a little. He said nothing, but reached across the table to pick up a bowl of raw chilies.

“Did you know, Katherine, that Thai chilies are considered to be among the hottest in the world?” He picked up a bright green pod between his thumb and forefinger, and raised it to his mouth. Instead of eating it, however, he ran the pepper across his lips, almost as if applying lipstick. Then he leaned forward, and kissed Kate lightly.

The chili oil made her lips tingle and burn. “Mmm,” she murmured, as she returned the kiss with enthusiasm. She felt him untying her sarong. Then his lips captured her nipples again, first the left then the right.

She was not prepared for the sensations that assaulted her as the pungent oil touched her skin. The nubs were still hard, sensitized from her recent arousal. They burned and throbbed, almost painful, as Somtow deliberately anointed them with the remnants of the pepper. The near-pain was overwhelmed by the pleasure, though, as a delicious warmth radiated out across her breasts.

“Oh…!” She sighed, closing her eyes and savoring the heat. “That’s incredible.”

A light touch between her legs caused her to open her eyes. Somtow had another chili in his fingers, brilliant red this time. With one hand, he parted her lower lips. Then, holding her open, he began to stroke the rigid little pepper against her equally rigid clitoris.

The effects were explosive. Sensitive though her nipples might be, the delicate tissues of her sex were much more so. Her labia swelled and ached. She rubbed herself against the fingers that kept her sex spread. The little knob of flesh directly in contact with the pepper pulsed and flamed. Part of her thought she could not bear it—and she knew he would stop immediately if she asked. Still, another part of her craved even more of this intensity, hotter, fiercer, consuming her flesh. She groaned.

Somtow made some soft sound in answer. Looking at him, she saw that he had crushed the pepper between his fingertips. Now he was rubbing the red pulp over his penis, up and down its stiff length, over the bulbous top. Kate realized his cock must be burning with the same almost unbearable heat as her labia and clit. He looked into her eyes, without a word, and she knew he understood her wordless consent, as he plunged his fire-laden member into her depths.

Hey, I warned you!

So – I hope you’ll leave a comment and help me support Oxfam. Meanwhile, please visit the Charity Sunday pages of the other authors listed below. You can make a difference, just by reading erotica and romance!