by Kiru Taye
“But you did well in your exams.”
“Not as well as I could have if I’d focused all through the year. It’s why I spend so much effort making sure each student understands the subject. I don’t want any of them to struggle when it’s time for exams.”
She reached across and covered his hand on the table. “When I started this year, Geography was my least favourite elective. But I can tell you now, it’s the subject I worry about the least. I could walk into the exam hall tomorrow and I’m sure I’ll be fine. You laid a great foundation for all of us. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He settled his hand on her nape and pulled her in for a kiss.
She got lost in it, savouring his taste and his scent and the sensations he evoked within her body. She really couldn’t wait to get more physical with him again.
“Now, for some food,” he said when he broke away. “You can pack away the books for now and set the table.”
“Okay.” She piled her books together and moved them to the floor beside her bag in the corner. Then she went in search of Ike. A smile curled her lips thinking of him as Ike and not Mr. Thomas.
The kitchen was at the end of the short hallway. It wasn’t a massive room, the maple-finished units set up in an L-shape along the wall with a black worktop. A sink sat under the window overlooking the rooftops of the other houses in the neighbourhood. His apartment was on the third floor of the building.
Ike stood by the cooker, stirring something in a pot. He pointed to a drawer. “The cutleries and place mats are over there.”
She took out the items and set places for the two of them. He came out carrying two plates of boiled yam, egg stew with shredded cabbage and carrot coleslaw.
“What would you like to drink? There are drinks in the fridge. Just take whatever you want.”
“Okay.” She returned to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Fanta and found some glasses.
The square table had room for four. They both sat next to each other rather than opposite, which was how she’d set it up. She didn’t want to be too far from him. She poured half the drink for him and half for her. She took a bite of the food and had to comment on how nice it was.
“You cook very well.”
“My mother had two boys first before she had a girl. And she’s always worked as long as I could remember. She and my father built the businesses together. Although we had house maids, she always made it clear to us that we needed to learn how to do chores for ourselves. My brother and I would help out in the kitchen with preparing the meals during the weekends. By the time we left home for university, we’d learnt how to cook most meals we ate at home.”
“That’s impressive. I’m not sure I can cook most things well, but I can cook the basics like rice and stew, egusi soup, yam, beans.”
“That’s a good start. You’ll need the skill when you go to university, otherwise all your money will go on mamaput.”
They both laughed and carried on eating.
“So you have a sister?”
“Yes, my baby sis, Ify. She’s in Lagos with my parents. She’s at IBS in Lekki.”
“Wow. That’s my old school. What year is she in? Perhaps I know her.”
“She’s in year 10.”
“That’s Lola’s year. I’m sure Lola knows her. It’s a small world, isn’t it?”
“It sure is.”
Lara stood up and packed up the empty dishes. She put them in the sink and started running the tap to wash up.
Ike came up behind her. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I should. You cooked the meal. It’s only fair that I wash up afterwards.”
“Okay.”
As she washed and rinsed, he dried the plates with the kitchen towel and put them back into the cupboard. When she finished and dried her hands, he covered her back with his body and kissed her neck.
She moaned softly and instinctively tilted her head, giving him more access. Her body warmed up as if he’d lit a fire within her. He kissed her one last time and lifted his head.
Sighing, she turned around. She really couldn’t wait any more.
“You said after I finish studying we could...you know...”
He stepped back. “About that, I’ve been thinking. Come with me.”
He took her hand. Heart pounding, she followed him, thinking they were headed for his bedroom. Instead, he took her back into the living room.
“So I’ve been thinking that I may have a solution that wouldn’t make me feel so bad for wanting you. We’re going to wait until after your exams. That way, you can concentrate on studying without distractions.”
“What? No!” Shaking her head, she crossed her arms across her chest. She’d been waiting for what seemed like forever to get this far with him. First, he’d denied wanting her. Then he’d confessed the intensity of his feelings. Now, he wanted to postpone having sex?
“Think of it this way, it’ll be our way of celebrating completing your finals and leaving high school.”
“No.” She squeezed her face and shook her head again. She couldn’t wait to feel the delicious sensations of orgasm. Remembering what he’d done to her made heat flash on her skin and her panties slick. He couldn’t just tease her and then tell her she had to wait.
“Think about it. It’ll be so much fun because we both waited, and a double celebration.”
She sighed heavily. When he put it like that, then it made sense. Would it be so bad to wait a couple of weeks? She’d waited this long already. Perhaps they could formally celebrate the start of their relationship at the same time and make plans for the future. “Okay.”
Grinning, he caressed her right side, spreading tingles all over her body.
“Good girl. Now, you can come here. But just one day a week and we have to pre-arrange it so I make sure there’s no one else visiting at the same time. Here—” he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Give me your phone number.”
She called out the numbers and he entered it on his phone. Her phone in her bag started ringing.
“That’s me calling you so you can store my number,” Ike said.
She walked over, picked up her backpack and took the phone out, saved his number, then heard the sound of someone turning a lock.
“Henry is back,” Ike said.
Chapter Six
“Man, you’re walking on the wire with this one,” Henry Coker said while dribbling the basketball in his left hand as he took steps towards Ike who stood in the defence position of the court.
“How do you mean?” Ike asked as he waited for his friend to make his move. Sweat dripped down his back, his mesh sports vest damp and clinging to his skin. The sun was low in the hazy sky but the heat of the day hadn’t faded yet.
Ike couldn’t wait any longer. He’d been waiting around too much. He’d finished working on his report. Still, he awaited the final decision from Hillcrest with regards to their recommendations about him.
Waiting was driving him crazy. He had so much energy to expend. Not going to work every day and dealing with highly-strung teenagers meant he wasn’t burning off as much energy as before. And his libido was in excess as he hadn’t had sex in months. Not since promising to wait for Lara. He hadn’t touched another woman.
“This affair you’re having with that girl—what’s her name?” Henry dribbled to the left.
Ike moved to block him. “You mean Lara?”
His friend bounced the ball into his right and headed in that direction to bypass him. He leapt from the ground, released the ball so that it banked off the backboard and into the basket.
He turned around, grinned, and backed off. “Yeah, her. I wouldn’t have made such an easy shot if you weren’t distracted by her.”
“Whatever.” Ike picked up the ball and bounced it a couple of times. He watched his friend and calculated his moves to score a shot. A crossover dribble, euro step, and a lay-up wouldn’t work since Henry had already used that move. Then again, Henry was probably
thinking Ike wouldn’t use it for the same reason.
“Seriously, man, hasn’t she screwed up your life enough?”
His friend’s words cut into his thoughts.
“You lost your job because of her. If the school finds out you’re in a relationship with her, you can kiss your recommendation goodbye. You need that letter, man.”
Ike straightened and sighed, holding the ball up in his right hand. “I know. But every time I think about letting her go, it’s like I’m ripping out my own heart. I just can’t do it.”
Henry shook his head. “What have you done with my friend? Is she that great in the sack?”
Ike chuckled, bounced the ball off the floor between his legs, caught it with his left hand, paused, and lowered his voice. “If only. We’re not having sex.”
Henry stood there mouth agape and Ike took the opportunity. He powered up towards the basket in a jump shot. The ball curved high over Henry, who only reached up at the last minute, and descended into the basket.
Ike walked over to the bench and picked up the towel. He wiped his face and neck before reaching for the bottle of water, unscrewing the cap, and guzzling down half the contents.
Henry walked over to him with the ball in his hand. He dropped it on the ground beside the bench and picked up a bottle of water, too.
“You’re not having sex? That’s got to be a first,” his friend said solemnly.
“Tell me about it.”
“This is serious.”
Ike shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I know I shouldn’t be with her. She’s sweet and intelligent. Someone like her shouldn’t be with someone like me.”
“She’s young. She should hang with her age mates. Boys her age.”
Henry’s words echoed his thoughts.
“Fuck!” Ike flung the empty bottle of water at the trash can. “Do you remember what we were like at that age? We fucked any girl that let us.”
“Speak for yourself.”
“You know what I mean. It was all about fun. It wasn’t about serious relationships. And we weren’t even that good at it. More like fumbling and spilling than anything else.”
“As I said, speak for yourself.” Henry grinned as he wiped his face with a black towel.
A grin tugged at the corner of Ike’s lips but he couldn’t give in to his friend’s ribbing. “Anyway, the thought of any of those boys doing that to her just makes me want to hit something.” Which was why he’d hit a student in the first place. “Her first time should be special for all the right reasons. She shouldn’t have idiots like Malcolm Ibeh introducing her to sex.”
“Malcolm is the boy you punched, right?”
“Right.”
“Well, if she’s as intelligent as you say, then perhaps, she wants to wait a while before she has sex.” His friend tossed his empty bottle into the bin.
“Oh, you don’t know her. She’s headstrong and knows what she wants. She wants sex. And trust me, she’ll do it soon. With or without me.” And didn’t that idea just make his gut congeal.
“Hmmm. I still say you’re playing with your future and not in a good way. Any more screw ups and your father will go ape shit.”
“Yeah. I know. I’ll be careful.” Nothing else he could do short of cutting Lara off. “Anyway, let’s go clean up and then we’re going out. We haven’t hit the town in so long.”
They packed up the items they’d brought downstairs for the game and headed to the main entrance of the apartment block. The building was located in a large estate. The sport courts, basketball and tennis, were at the back. A soft play area was located at the side with a slide, climbing frame, and swings for children. The front housed the parking slots for the ten apartments and visitors, all in a walled and gated complex.
The apartments were priced higher than a normal student could afford. But Ike had negotiated the expense with his parents as part of the terms of his placement. He couldn’t stay in students digs during his internship year.
Henry had been his friend since their high school days. His friend’s family background was totally different from his. But they’d become fast friends once they’d bonded in school. In their first two years at university, they’d shared digs. So when Ike got the apartment, he still wanted to have his friend close. But Henry couldn’t afford even half the rent but he insisted on paying his way with everything else. He paid the utilities bills and shopped for groceries.
Ike stopped as he rounded the corner to the front door. Mrs. Bello was stepping out of her car.
“That’s one of the teachers from Hillcrest,” he said to Henry. “Please take my stuff up. I’ll see what she wants.”
“Okay. I’ll see you upstairs. I’m going to grab a shower.”
Ike wiped the sweat on his neck and shoulders as he walked over to the woman he hadn’t seen for a few weeks. “Good evening, Mrs. Bello. Are you visiting someone in the building?”
“Hi, Mr. Thomas.” She beamed a smile at him. “I came to see you.”
“Oh, okay. Come on upstairs.”
“No,” she said, her keys in her hand but the car door not locked. “Can we talk in my car?”
Grimacing, he stared down at his body. “I’ve just been playing basketball and I’m all sweaty. I don’t want to mess up your car.”
She waved her hand dismissively, pulled the door open, and got into the driver’s seat. “Don’t worry about that. I won’t be long.”
“Of course.” He nodded and walked around to the other side and got in, too. If she didn’t mind, why should he?
When he shut the door, she turned on the engine and the AC hummed. Cool air on his hot skin, bliss.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” he asked, feeling a little edge and that something must be wrong for her to drive out to see him.
She turned sideways to face him. “I have good news about your final recommendation letter. I was speaking to Mr. Idowu and managed to convince him that we shouldn’t mention the incident with Malcolm Ibeh in there.”
Ike closed his eyes and tipped his head forward as he sucked in a deep breath and puffed it out. Leaning back, he opened his eyes. “Thank you so much. I can’t tell you how much of a relief it is to hear this.”
At last, perhaps his luck was turning.
“Yes, I figured you’d want to know the good news.”
Mrs. Bello smiled but it wasn’t the full beaming smile he was used to receiving from her. Something sad darkened her face.
“Something else came up,” she continued.
His heart thudded in his chest and he just stared at her because he couldn’t bring himself to ask the question. What?
She looked away, her gaze fixed at some point outside the windshield. “One of the teachers mentioned to me that she’s seen Lara Johnson in your car twice driving past her house. I did a quick investigation and also found out that on those days she mentioned, Lara was not in attendance in school.”
She paused, as if to give Ike the chance to absorb his words.
He couldn’t even look her in the eyes even if she was looking at him. His stomach rolled and sweat beaded his forehead although the car interior was cool.
Shit. Shit. Shit. He should’ve known that it was possible for him to be seen together with Lara. His car was very distinctive. Not many people drove a Toyota GT Primo Sports and certainly not in his colour. But he always dropped her back home every time she came to his to make sure she got home safely.
He swallowed several times as he awaited the dreaded outcome of this conversation. The loss of everything he’d worked hard for these past years.
“While I don’t want to jump to conclusions as to why a student would be in your car, there is very little I can come up with to explain it. I need to stress that it is inappropriate for teachers to socialise with students. It is easy for simple gestures to be misconstrued.
“I’m not saying that you’ve done anything wrong. But I will have to insist that you stop associating with Lara or any ot
her student of Hillcrest. I know you’re no longer a staff at the school. But I still have to write the recommendation. My reputation is at stake and I won’t make the recommendation unless I can get your guarantee that you will have no contact with Lara.”
“Mrs. Bello. I...” He trailed off as he couldn’t get himself to say the words.
Could he really promise that he would never see Lara again? On the other hand, he knew a threat when he heard it, and Mrs. Bello was threatening to ruin his future if he didn’t promise her to keep away from Lara.
“Look, I’m not trying to be difficult or mean,” she said when he didn’t speak for a while. “I understand what it is to be a young person. Everything seems more urgent than it is. People can make mistakes. But you see, I’m a mother. These students are like my children. Their welfare is very important to me. I want to ensure that when they leave Hillcrest, they leave in a good frame of mind. Lara is a young girl with a bright future. I don’t want anything that would derail that future.”
The implication that he could ruin Lara’s future didn’t escape him. He hadn’t really thought about it that way. At this age of her life, ruining her meant getting her pregnant. What if they had sex as they’d been planning to after her exams and she got pregnant? What would that do to Lara? Of course, he’d planned to use precaution as he always did, but there were never any guarantees. The only guarantee was abstinence. The only guarantee was to keep away from Lara.
His heart hurt and he heaved a sigh. He had to do the right thing for Lara’s sake. “I understand, Mrs. Bello. I promise to keep away from the Hillcrest students.”
“Good. I’m glad you understand.” She puffed out air as if she’d been holding her breath.
Ike opened the car door and paused. “Gloria Rawlins is a close family friend and her parents expect me to watch over her.”
“I’m aware of your existing relationship with Gloria’s family, so she’s exempted. She’s a boarder, anyway, and isn’t permitted out of school until the end of her exams.”
The knot in his stomach tightened. He didn’t miss the skewed message she delivered. He could socialise with Gloria because her parents approved it. But he couldn’t socialise with any other student. He suspected the woman didn’t want him having a relationship with Lara. Period.