BUKKY ALAKARA (EPISODE 4)

EPISODE 4

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 bosom. 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 sex 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.