sighted Gbemiga standing at a corner and wondered who he
was waiting for. She waved at him and walked past, but, he
held her by the elbow.
“I have been waiting for you.”
“Really?” she seized him up. He looked fresh, as if he had just
had his bath. He smelled well too. The red tee shirt and black
jeans did justice to his good looking features.
“Yes. Have you forgotten what today is?” he released her
hand.
Her eyes darted about. What was he getting at? She hoped
her aunt was home. It would be great if she had also
prepared dinner. A nice bath, then a palatable meal, what
more could one ask for?
“It’s the fifteenth of August.”
She shifted on both feet, “So?”
Her response didn’t go down well with him, “I can’t believe
you forgot our birthday.”
“Oh… that… I didn’t forget,” she scratched a spot on her
eyebrow.
He eyed her, he wasn’t convinced, “I don’t believe you.”
“I know my birthday is today,” she started to walk away. She
was in no mood to banter words with him.
He followed in hurried steps, “So is mine, have you
forgotten?”
She shrugged and moved her hand-bag to the other
shoulder.
“We were supposed to spend today together,” he sounded
exasperated.
“Ehn… when did I agree to that?” she glanced up at him.
He sighed with frustration, “We talked about it.”
“You and who?” she eyed him.
“That time now.”
“What time?”
He halted and held her by the hand, “Stop playing hard to
get.”
She snatched her hand from his grip, “I don’t know what you
are talking about.”
He looked heavenwards, then back at her, “There is
something special between us.”
She started to laugh, “Wow… you are imagining things.”
“We are attracted to each other. Stop denying it.”
She sensed the seriousness in his voice, “I don’t know what
you are talking about.”
Out of the blues, he pulled her into his arms. Gazes locked,
her surroundings became blurred, mouth wide open, she felt
wrapped in a warm tingling sensation that coursed through
every part of her body.
“Can you feel that? Am I still imagining things?” the look in
her eyes gave him the answers he needed.
“Let me go! We are in public for Christ’s sake,” she wriggled
free and stepped back, “Please keep your distance,” she
pointed a warning finger at him.
“I know you feel exactly the way I feel. I like you and I want
to go out with you.”
She turned away. What rubbish was he vomiting? She was in
no frame of mind to start a relationship. Things were topsy
turvy in her life at the moment. She didn’t want to add the
rigours of an affair to it.
“Spend the evening with me. I promise you a good time, no
strings attached,” he tried to persuade her.
She looked up at him. She was very hungry. When was the
last time she celebrated her birthday anyway? Here was her
birthday-mate dying to give her a treat.
“O-kay,” she gave in.
“Halleluiah!” he raised both hands and looked up at the sky.
She raised a hand, “But… but, wait a minute.”
“What?” he beamed at her.
“I must be home before nine. I don’t want to be harassed by
my aunt.”
“No problem,” he took her by the hand and pulled her
towards the bus-stop.
“Where are we going?”
“I have it all planned out,” he winked at her.
xxxxxx
On their way home that night, he took her to a cyber café
and tried to teach her how to use the internet, but, her lack
of education became a stumbling block.
He opened an email address for her and negotiated with the
Café Attendant, who lived in their area, to help her send
mails to him and also deliver any mails he sent to her from
school. He hoped to get a mobile phone soonest, and
hopefully get for her too, so that communication between
them would be frequent. They bought popcorn from a shop
beside the café and headed home.
“Hope you had a great time.”
She grinned, “Yes, I did. Thank you.”
“You are welcome. I hope you will spend this day with me
next year.”
“May God keep us till then.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes,” she avoided his gaze.
“I will be leaving for school in two weeks time.”
“Okay.”
“I will miss you.”
She remained silent.
“Will you go out with me?”
She didn’t respond. He reached out for her hand, but, she
pulled free from his grip.
“I need an answer before I leave for school.”
They walked down the street in silence.
“I am not sure it is a good time for me to start a relationship.”
He turned his head and saw the uncertainty in her eyes, “I
like you. I know you like me too. I will not disappoint you.
Just give me a chance.”
She sighed and pressed her lips together, “Why start a
relationship when you are going to be so far away?”
He grinned, “Lasu isn’t far away. You can visit anytime you
are free. The cyber café attendant is my friend; he will help
us to keep in touch. You have nothing to worry about.”
He sounded convincing. Maybe the distance was a good
thing. It might help them build a strong connection.
“O-kay.”
He halted and looked at her, “Is that a yes?”
She stopped a few feet away from him and nodded. He
started to laugh. He would have been depressed if she had
refused him. He had a feeling that theirs was going to be a
successful union.
“I have to go, it is almost nine,” she glanced at her wrist-
watch.
“Hurry along, I am right behind you.”
She quickened her steps and hurried home. She met her
aunt seated on a bench with a few other women outside the
house. They were gossiping about people in the
neighbourhood as usual. She greeted them all and went in.
She unlocked the door to her aunt’s room with her spare key
and walked in. She closed the door behind her and pulled off
her sandals. She dropped her hand-bag on the carpet floor
and sat on the mattress. Did she just agree to date Gbemiga?
She lay on the bed and smiled. She was so crazy. She had
never dated anyone before. What experience does she have?
Oh God… what have I gotten myself into?
She remembered the way he stared at her all night long. It
was so obvious that he really liked her. She liked him too. She
turned on her tummy. Gbemiga was tall, dark and good
looking. His faith in God was an added plus. She reasoned
that she had made the right decision. There was no need to
panic. She wished she could share the news with her elder
sister. They would have chatted into the night. Here in her
aunt’s home, she had no one to talk to. She doubted if Aunt
Kike would entertain such discussion. The thought of the way
he held her made her to feel warm. The chemistry between
them was undeniable. She would tread carefully. She had
witnessed several girls been burdened with children that they
were not prepared for. She would make no such mistake.
She planned to remain intact until her wedding night. Be it
Gbemiga or any other man, she swore to keep herself.
There was light off. Bukky and her aunt sat outside the house
with some of their neighbours. Many complained about the
incessant shortage of power supply, the terrible heat, and the
nation’s economy as a whole. A few people spread their mats
and lay under the moon, cooled by the night breeze. She
wished she could join them. She was already feeling sleepy,
but, dreaded sleeping in the hot baked room. She heard
someone whistle. She turned her head and sighted Gbemiga
standing by the entrance of the bungalow. He was looking
straight at her. He retreated and stepped back in. Her dark
anxious eyes darted left and right. She mumbled into her
aunt’s ear that she was going in. The woman nodded and
continued talking to the house wife seated beside her. She
got up slowly and went in. She saw Gbemiga walking towards
the back of the house. She hurried after him.
He halted behind the large kitchen shared by everyone living
in the house and turned around. He smiled broadly when he
saw Bukky walking towards him. It was dark, but the full
moon illuminated their surroundings. She stood in front of
him and folded her arms across her chest. She felt a tinge of
happiness at the thought that she was finally alone with him.
She saw him briefly that morning when she left for the
market to hustle for her daily bread, and when she returned,
she ran errands for her aunt until it grew dark. The lack of
electrical supply also made movement a bit restricted.
“How are you doing?” he grinned at her. He had been longing
to speak with her all day.
“I am okay,” she stared right back at him.
“I will be leaving for school tomorrow morning.”
She paled. She had tried not to think of the day he would
resume school. They just started dating. Would the time
apart make their bond closer and stronger or fragile?
“I will be home for the Christmas holiday,” he tried to cheer
her up. The sad glint in her dark eyes mirrored is own state
of mind.
“That is almost four months away,” she complained and
frowned. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to start a relationship
with him. Maybe they should have waited.
He reached out for her hands and held it in is warm ones, “I
am going to miss you too. You can always visit.”
“I don’t know my way to your school,” she began to shake
her head.
“My school is a popular place, you will not get missing,” he
tried to convince her.
She raised an eyebrow and stared back at him. She doubted
if she would be able to visit him in school. The transportation
fare would surely be cut-throat.
“The café guy I introduced you to will help you check your
mails and send replies.”
She dropped her gaze. She wasn’t comfortable with the
arrangement. She couldn’t read or write. What choice do
they have? She swore to herself. She would get educated one
way or another.
“I am going to miss you greatly,” he drew her close and
wrapped his arms around her.
She swallowed hard and looked up at him. Her skin became
tensed due to his nearness. Her heart missed a beat. What if
someone caught them? She pushed the thought and tried to
relax. She wouldn’t be seeing him again for a very long time.
“I am going to miss you too.”
He dropped his head and claimed her lips. She froze. Should
she push him away? Should she bask in the euphoric
sensations that coursed through her nerve cells for a while
then stop him? Indecision numbed her for a moment. She
parted her lips and leaned into him. She heard him groan.
She kissed him back; like a good student, she copied the way
he maneuvered his lips and tongue. She felt his hands
cradling her hips, and then settled on her soft, firm backside.
He guided her towards the concrete wall. She rested against
the rough wall, hands wrapped around his neck. She felt the
pressure of the bulge between his thighs. The way he rubbed
against her turned her on and to her surprise, the desire to
be united with him clouded her mind.
She jerked backwards the instance she felt his hand on her
b---m. She adjusted her blouse and lifted her shocked gaze
to meet his intense ones. Why did he touch her like that? The
fact that she allowed him to kiss her didn’t give him the right
to fondle her.
“I am sorry.”
He didn’t look apologetic. She eyed him.
“I got carried away.”
“Don’t do that again,” her warning eyes remained on his face.
He smiled, “Okay. Whenever you are ready.”
“Ready for what?” her eyes widened.
He chuckled, “It is normal for two people who really like each
other to express their feelings physically.”
She began to shake her head in disagreement.
“Come on. This is part of every relationship.”
“Not this one,” her eyes hardened with seriousness.
He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it.
“I promised God that I will keep myself until my wedding
night.”
He scratched his head. Every single girl he dated in the past
allowed him to touch them. Although as a Christian, he
wasn’t supposed to indulge in s-x before marriage, but, at
times, things got out of hand.
“If this relationship is going to progress, we can’t sleep with
each other,” she folded her arms against her chest.
He stared back at her, “But, we can still kiss and…”
“Maybe once in a while. But, you can’t touch me… you can’t
just grab me and start touching me anyhow,” her face
wrinkled in a frown.
He sighed, “I get your point, it’s fine by me,” he hoped to be
able to dissuade her from her almighty rules sooner than
later.
She sighed with relief. She would have called the whole thing
off if he had insisted on compulsory physical intimacy in
their relationship.
“Will you be able to see me off tomorrow morning?”
She nodded quickly, “Yes.”
“Good.”
Her eyes darted about the moment she heard voices afar off,
“I have to go. My aunt might be looking for me.”
“Okay. See you in the morning.”
She smiled at him.
“Can I get a goodnight hug?”
The smile faded, “Don’t be an Oliver Twist,” she backed away,
turned around and sauntered off.
He started to laugh, leaned against the wall and sighed
heavily. Thoughts of his girlfriend flooded his mind. It was a
good thing that he would be resuming school the next day.
The distance would help to cage his amorous feelings
towards her. He placed both hands on his head. He
reminisced on the taste of her lips, the smoothness of her
skin and the way his body responded to her proximity. He
wished he could stay in her arms forever.
.
To be Continued..
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