At Arm's length

Suddenly I felt a needle like pain in my lower abdomen, then it clicked, the monthly visitor was on its way. I hurried to my desk calendar that was placed on a table at arms length to my bed.

"My periods!" I groaned loudly, as I fell flat down on my bed. I stared widely at the white ceiling, my eyes drifting to the purple wallpapers, black leather chairs and vanity table. My lips widened into a smile as I admired the artistic decoration of my room.

The touch of purple has always been a loud one. The smile came off as the horror of menstral cramps popped into my mind like a new whats App chat.

"Adesewa," My mum called, she is definitely in the sitting room, watching Zee World as usual.

"I'm coming." I screamed, squeezing my face at the thought of the multiple errands I might run early this morning.

"Sleep there," She replied back

My mum a short plump woman in her early sixties is who you will describe as a typical Nigerian Mother, the one who will ask you to bring her something and immediately you ask her where it should be placed. The reply is always to put it on her head of course.

"Sewa won't you come down to see your visitor," She shouted again

I'm very sure our neighbors that just moved in would have known my name by now . My mum can shout ehn, later she will be telling me I cannot kill her because she didn't kill her mother.

Madam did I tell you to shout.

"I wonder who the person is though." I murmured as I walled down the stairs.

Seeing the head and the grey tuxedo made me realize I was inappropriately dressed to receive a male visitor, I was putting on a pair of joggers and a tank top, before I could turn back, my mum looked up.

"Here she is, come closer now, " she ordered, giving me one look like this, one thing I know is that, the look signifies a lot of things and it's my job to know what exactly it means.

As I sat down or would I say tried to seat down , the way she looked at. I gently stood up and resumed staring at my bare feet as usual.

Staring at my feet and biting my lower or upper lip was one of my habits, but the one that annoys mum the more was wringling my hands.

Then she will be like do I look like your boyfriend ? You already have one right?  As if I'm not matured enough. I'm twenty three for crying out loud.

To avoid such embarrassment before the stranger. I folded my hands at my back immediately, making me look like a secondary school student.

"who is the person."

"Look yourself. "a voice rang in my head

Immediately I obeyed. My eyes met with a pair of dark-lashed eyes of uncertain color, he looked away making it obvious he was checking me out .

I had to force myself to breathe before I made a mess of myself . He was so, I don't know, hot, beautiful, gorgeous........ or something, cause just words alone couldn't describe his look.

His black hair stood out in a full combed Afro hair style. His tall frame filled out the tailored suit to perfection, showing off broad shoulders and his tall legs. This was definitely a build that shouldn't have been confined in a suit.

"Ice-cream!" That crazy voice in my head screamed.

I kept staring at him, why? you might ask,  I was transfixed by his eyes. A dark murdy like brown "oh yeah I'm very certain of the colour now " I mentally screamed as I almost fist bump the air.

Suddenly our gazes locked, he smirked and I immediately looked away biting my lower lip an ignorant person would have shouted, seduction alert. But it was only an habit.

"Mete mete," my mum shouted, Mum just derives pleasure in embarrassing somebody .

"3-0." that voice in my head snickered.

"when did the biting of lips and sucking of lips become the same thing ?"

"Don't you know the person sitting down, before you start looking like Zombie? "Mum asked

"4-0" that voice whispered again

I nodded my head negatively.

"You don't know Kenechukwu. My friend's son, Mrs Obiagwu. The boy you used to refuse to respect then. The one Baba teacher named dotun. " She kept on rambling.

"Kenechukwu..Dotun.." I drawled out testing the name as I walked closer to him.

Then it clicked, Kene the black head boy with the big gorimapa head, I used to wonder when the head would stop growing then. It was so big then I used to think it would fall of his neck if he moves to much.

"You have changed ooo," was the next thing I uttered out.

"Like wise you," he replied with a grin that showed his cute dimples that were sooo deeper than mine. 

"You are looking so good, fresh and smooth skin, very great! well trimmed beards. So you are back in Nigeria finally or not ?" I asked, he was lucky I forgave him long ago for what he did.

"Will you get into the kitchen now before you kill the boy with your stupid questions, " Mum shouted.

I told you na Yoruba Mother's ehn.

"Why is that mummy?" I asked

"You know Y has a tail and two long hands." She replied, rolling the sleeves of her and raising her hands up.

"And mummy he is a Man not a boy." I corrected, feeling high of myself.

"You know I told you I'm blind and I cannot see." She replied sarcastically, as she bent to remove her slippers.

"Did he say he's hungry ni. Kene are you hungry ?" I asked.

Before I could hear his reply, I saw mum stylishly bending down to pick her slippers. I did not need anyone to teach me before I ran into the kitchen. It is only God that knows what that slippers was made with.

I've suffered a lot from various types of that same slippers, right from childhood to my university days and even now that I'm a working class lady,  it has increased drastically, most especially during morning devotions, what can I say. Morning sleep is always sweet.

"Lazy girl." Mum shouted, as I hurried into the kitchen.

***

I came out of the kitchen shortly with a well laden tray containing plates of the hot Amala I just prepared and the Efo riro I made early this morning which I just quickly heated up.

"The food is ready!" I shouted, as I walked towards the large litted dinning room, proceeding to set the huge table.

"Uncle, you will like to come over here." I said softly, gesturing Kene to come over to the table.

"Wow! something smells really delicious." Kene said as he took his seat  on a chair with its back to the sitting room.

"Really delicious." I replied him as I went to the kitchen to get him a bottle of chilled water and the plate containing the Ogunfe meat.

"Kenechukwu enjoy your meal and make sure you inform me when you are about to leave, i need to go and rest my back. " Mum said as she passed the dinning to her room.

"So when did you come back," I asked, immediately mum disappeared.

He swallowed the large morsel he raised to his lips before he answered

" Monday, " He answered without looking up.

"Oh okay, are you planning on staying permanently now? " I asked again, drumming my fingers on the table.

This time around he looked up from his plate before speaking.

"Do you want me too? "he asked waiting for a reply

"How is the school and the students?" he added when he didn't get a reply.

"Fine." I replied, raising my eyebrows.

I give mummy bumbum. Head of Announcement team in Africa, she must have given him every information about me.

Mum is the owner of the biggest and most popular school in Lagos, While dad manages an oil Company.

"So when are you going to takeover? you are a full grown adult that can take full responsibility" He said without looking up this time.

"Probably when mum decides it's time for her to retire, you know I can't chase her away from her job, I'm okay with just teaching the students for now. " I replied.

"So what do you teach them?" he asked.

"Literature of course, " I replied

"A Masscommunicator teaching secondary school students literature, I never pictured that." he said raising an eyebrow.

Oh whatever! 

"Whatever," I replied kissing my teeth.

"You know I still don't know what part you major in medicine." I added, letting my eyes have their feed on his lips.

"Thanks for the food." he said not replying my question.

We both cleared the table and stacked the dishes in the sink. He volunteered to do the dishes requesting me to wait in the living room. I was not ready for any light hearted argument. Though we argued about this for a few minutes, it would have gotten longer if I had not pushed him out and threatened to break his head with mum's pestle if he dared come back. He ran out when he saw the serious look on my face.

I walked out of the kitchen to the spacious sitting room with rich furnishings, drying my hands. I picked the suit he hung on the chair he sat while eating as I walked towards the living room.

I sat on a plush love seat, which matched the oversize sofa in the center of the room and placed the jacket on its arm, I pretended to watch the movie that was on 'Witches of western high'

I could feel his eyes on me, I was so tempted to face him and tell him to stop. I began to feel self conscious of what I was wearing. Then it dawned on me, I wasn't wearing a bra and whose fault was it, maybe my mum's regular shouts that haunts me every night.

'Stop using your bra to sleep at night, am I supposed to be telling you that? '

I was feeling so uncomfortable, I had to cross my hands over my chest. I don't know where the braveness came from.

"I will be right back," I said running into my room.

" That was so embarrassing and mum is to blame for this. " I said to myself, face palming.

I stood in front of the mirror, checking out my lean body and fair skin, admiring the way mum styled my natural hair.

"🎶 I want to rababa rababa eh 🎶"

I sang as I walked into the bathroom to wash my face, pulling off my joggers.

***

"Say cheese," a voice said as I walked out of the bathroom.

I was almost blinded by flashes, looking up I got shocked.What was he doing in my room???

"Kene! you are so dead today." I shouted as I jumped on him making the bed bounce.

"Why are you so stupid? Let me have that phone" I commanded.

"Never." he replied

"Never ? Speak the language I understand, please" I shouted, as I struggled to get the phone from him.

I eventually succeeded and began to delete the pictures he took, before I felt his big hands on my waist, it took me some minutes before I realized I was sitting on his stomach with just my tank top and panties.

Haew! Now I will receive cassava for bride price instead of big Yams.

"Let me go Kene." I begged, when I realized the inner beast was already on awaken mode.

"Beautiful! this marks looks like an art work. " he said referring to the birth marks on my thigh.

I became suddenly shy I never wanted anyone to see those marks and I never imagined Kene will, I kept pushing his hands away, as he brought them back to rub the marks. The tank top I tried to pull down was not covering anything.

Before I knew it I was already under him, he seriously turned us over and now my hands are pinned down above my head.

"Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!" He kept whispering.

"You know you promised to give me a child," he whispered again rubbing his nose on my breast that were almost spilling out.

"What is he saying? Are y

ou crazy? we were kid's then, you don't expect me to fulfil that now" I whispered yelled.

"A promise will always be a promise, and a promise is a debt," he said, bringing his face closer to mine making me feel every breath he took.

"I owe you, no baby, let me go Kene." I said in a low voice, my chest rose up as I breathed in and out, making the swells of my breast obvious to him.

"Easy! We don't want my babies to spill out, or do we?" he whispered softly, as his lips kept brushing my ears over and over again. It was like 'this girl is on fire' was playing repeatedly in my brain.

"Don't you look hot as chili? I'm your plaintain come and fry me." he added, winking this time around.

"You know all this thing wey you dey take dey do iyanga, na me Kenechukwu go chop am las las. Na me go own everything "  he whispered softly in the local pidgin language.

I parted my lips to speak but he unexpectedly cutt off whatever I was going to say slamming his lips on mine. My brain went off till I felt his hands on the waist band of my panties, he was about to pull it off, when I realized I was already getting into the dangerous territory and ought to pull away right now.

"Don't get yourself involved in whatever God is not pleased with." I immediately remembered what mum taught during devotion this morning.

"No!" With all the strength i could muster, I grabbed his wrist and stopped him from going further.

The lust and desire were still evident in his eyes.

"Second thoughts." he challenged, nibbling on my left ear. I could feel his lips moving but I couldn't hear anything.

"You know I can't hear you right." I whispered.

"That's the deal,you are not meant to hear it." he said as he propped his head with one hand, letting his gaze rove lazily up and down my body.

I tried squirming away. To snatch of the gaping cloth over my breasts, but he pressed his weight on me pinning me down at the thigh.

"I know I'm a fine girl Kene, it's difficult to resist all these." I challenged

"But guess what? it's not available at the moment, please try again later."

"Sewa," he drawled out. "You are not fine, you are beautiful" he whispered softly with his eyes closed.

"Don't you want me again? "he asked restlessly.

"What!" I nearly screamed.

"Get off me now!" I commanded

"Remember who left without saying goodbye. As a matter of fact I'm not that same little girl you stole her first kiss, what happened to her? She grew up ni," I shouted, snapping my fingers.

"Stay away from me, keep your hands to yourself, I don't want to be involved with you."

For the first time ever I saw a glimmer of pain in his eyes.

"There has always been something electric between you and me, don't even try to deny it Sewa! You have felt it too. You might call it sexual attraction, plain sex or love call it anything, but it exists. In your mind, and in your body." he whispered with an air of finality.

I really wanted to hit him, but he was only saying the truth after all.

"I've got to go now. " he said getting up

"I wouldn't want to disturb mummy, you are both invited to my welcome back party, its next week Friday, bye see you next Friday. " he added before living the room.

"Was I too hard?" I whispered as I watched him drive out of the compound from my window.

"Time to take a nap," I spoke loud to myself ,burying myself under my duvet.

**********

"I can't believe I slept all through and you didn't wake me up mummy." I said with a pout.

I had to sit down stifly as my mum trimmed my split ends, making sure to hide the ones that came off before I start to cry like a baby they just gave injection.

"I didn't want to disturb you. Have you eaten?"

"No." I said, behaving like a two year old whose favorite candy just went on exile.

"What do you want to eat ?" She asked sweetly, well this type of privilege rarely comes, one has to make use of it.

"The remaining Ogunfe in the pot of soup," I replied, salivating already.

"Okay then. There's something I want to discuss with you. I know it's not a strange thing, but I want us to talk about it."  She said dropping the scissors and comb.

"Mummy what is it oooo, let us hear."

"What do you think about sex before marriage?" she asked raising her eyebrows.

"Jesus Christ! mummy...... I want to go and eat. I'm not discussing this with you. I know you are trying to make me talk about my sex life but NO Mrs Oyewole it's not happening," I replied kissing my teeth

That's my mum for you, like how does she expect me to discuss my sex life with her? and I know where her questions are leading too.

"You better answer me now."

"I don't think there is anything bad in it, Once you use protection and not end up getting pregnant or having any sexually transmitted infection. It's fine."

"Sewa ahhh it's not bad abi? So is that what you have been doing ?"

That's what she truly wants to know

"Mummy you should have just asked directly. What you want to know is if I'm still a Virgin. Yes I'm still a virgin oooooo. " I replied with a loud voice.

"Thank God," she breathed with relief

"And you must remain one till your wedding night. That's the only one thing I'm asking you to do" she said calmly

"Okay ma. Can I go and eat now ? Or should we discuss marriage too and how many grandchildren you want? " I asked sarcastically.

The way she started laughing, I had no choice but to join.

"Don't worry you cannot understand yet, wait till you get married and have your own kids."

"Mummy the mummy, Mr Oyewole's slay queen, Sure mama, Mamalicious mama any other mamas are fake.  I've heard all you said."

"It's okay. " Mum said with a longing look on her face, is she going somewhere, I mentally asked myself.

"Come here. "she said patting her laps still laughing.

I sat on her laps hugging her.

"Adesewa sometimes I find it hard to believe you are going to be twenty three by May, look at you. I am so proud of you my big baby "

How would you. when you keep treating me like a child

"Thank you mummy. I love you." Even though telling my mum 'I love you' always sounded weird, I still make sure I say it too her always.

"I love you too. Have you used your Ear Drops?"

"Yes ma," I replied nodding my head.

"Kene's welcome back party is next week Friday. " I added.

"Oh yes. His mother told me. I told you people to wake me up but you didn't or you forgot? "

"He said he didn't want to disturb you ni oo"

"What's up with you and kene? Abi you don't like him again. " She asked with a mischievous smile.

"Mama leave me alone please." I said emphazing the words .

" It's okay ooo. Your dad is not coming again, he said till next week. "

"Hallelujah" I said, dodging mum's slap.

Being the only child of my parents, I have always enjoyed parental care and love. My mum never sleeps till I've slept, whenever I cry she cries. She doesn't even eat till I've eaten. Gets bothered whenever I fall sick, and hates it whenever I get sad. Even though she forgets I'm a grown up sometimes, we still have our moments. The love I have for Mr and Mrs Adedimeji Oyewole is not of this world.

*****