Contingent Claims

In French, la petite mort is an expression meaning “the brief loss or weakening of consciousness”, which in modern usage refers specifically to “the sensation of post orgasm as likened to death”. In Mexico the same expression is used in the plural, las muertes chiquitas, which could be translated as “the small deaths”. Both refer to the refractory period that follows orgasm.

In 2014, I had an unexpected encounter with a person with whom I had intercourse only once. A few days later, she asked me to take an HIV/AIDS test, just in case. I suggested we both take it at the same time, simply to share the same wait for the results. There is no waiting without hope. While the results were appearing, we waited and recorded the moment. The refractory period sometimes lasts longer than expected, and contingencies may arise during the wait.