TEEN SPIRIT – CONCLUDING…
Deji appeared suddenly and staggered towards them with a leery smile. He was drunk and dripping from many dunks in the pool. Being Dami’s Half-Indian cousin, Deji’s popularity with girls in the hood of Apapa was unrivalled. He, it was, who supplied Cynthia, Sally and a few passable ‘hood girls’ with invites to the party. He often used his powers, as cousin to the Taylors, to sleep with any gullible girl that wanted to be associated with the family and from what Sally gathered, Cynthia wanted that association badly! Deji had whispered something in Cynthia’s eager ears and just like that, they vamoosed and left Sally all alone.
It was a quarter past 10pm and past Sally’s 10pm curfew. Most of Demi’s friends had left but Sally couldn’t. Not only was the party a huge disappointment, Cynthia, her only companion was nowhere to be found. She didn’t know where Cynthia was but Sally suspected that she might be up to no good. She sat alone, gazing at the gleaming pool and wondered what Dami was up to. For some strange reason, she suspected that he was avoiding someone… her perhaps; but she couldn’t be too sure. She had never spoken to him in her life, except in her daydreams. Dami never seemed to notice her when she walked passed him and his friends on the street or past their house. He never acknowledged her in reality but they were lovers in her head.
With a frustrated sigh, she decided to go in search of Cynthia. She looked around the pool area, the makeshift bar and even the pool toilets but Cynthia wasn’t there. As Sally’s worry grew, so did her irritation. She contemplated entering the Taylor’s house when Dami chose that moment to emerge from it with a giggling Lillian in tow. She watched as he walked her to the Prado jeep that had come to pick her and cringed as they kissed shamelessly beside the driver who was old enough to be her father. Sally turned away, unable to take it. Her heart was broken. She was invisible to the love of her life and felt hot tears of frustration sting her eyes. With the resolve of a scorned teenager, Sally got up and made her way towards the gates just as it opened to let Lillian and her Prado out of the compound. Cynthia could find her way home whenever she chose to come out of wherever she was, Sally fumed. She was almost at the gate when a hand grabbed her. Turning angry eyes at the owner of the hand, she realized it was Dami. Her hurt and frustration morphed into tears and her eyes blurred. He looked at her with a compassion probably reserved for his pet dog.
“Are you alright”
“I’m fine” she answered crisply, wiping the tears away in childish indignation.
“Then why are you crying?”
“I can’t find my friend and I have to get home before my mum comes looking for me”
Dami looked around the sparse gathering of people left at the party.
“Your friend must have left without you” Dami said, his concern turning to pity.
Sally didn’t want his pity. She nodded and walked away, exiting the compound before he could utter another word. This was her very worst day and for some reason, she blamed her mother.
“How was the party”
“Horrible! I hated it. I don’t know why I went there!”
Sally’s bedroom door slammed shut with a ferociousness that shook the furniture. Mama Sally sighed. She’d guessed it would be like this. Just like her, during her teenage years, Sally didn’t seem to fit in with the popular crowd. This was why she never allowed her attend any party. She knew it would always end up this way. Deciding to give Sally time alone to herself, Mama Sally locked the doors, turned out the lights and went to bed. She made a mental note to quiz her daughter tomorrow, about the slutty gown she wore back home this night.
Sally couldn’t sleep. She was mad at the world. Mad that she was raised by a single, struggling mother. Mad that they were poor. Mad that her best friend had absconded without her. Mad that Dami ignored her at the party. After crying into her pillow for a while, she stripped off Cynthia’s gown and decided to take a shower. Her mother would have noticed the dress but she was too upset to worry about her reaction. She showered, scrubbing her body furiously in a vain attempt at washing her sorrows away. After her shower, she slipped on her night shorts and satin spaghetti top and slipped into bed, determined to wish away Dami from her life.
She was awakened by a staccato tap on her window. Panic gripped her as she sat up in bed and stared at it unseeingly, trying to decided what to do. She slowly got out of bed and tiptoed to the door when she heard a voice call her name. Torn between running away from her bedroom and investigating what or who was at her window, she heard the voice again. This time, she was certain it was Cynthia. She went to the window and cracked open the curtain to peek and sure enough, there was Cynthia, looking around her furtively and tapping on the window. Sally’s anger returned full blast. She quietly made her way to the back door in the kitchen and opened it slightly making sure not to attract her mother with the creaking sound. Then she slipped out of the house. Cynthia met her at the back with a wan smile which Sally reciprocated with a glare.
“I’m sorry Sally… I can explain; but I’ll do that when we get inside. Its so cold out here… is Psycho asleep?”
Sally didn’t respond. Instead, she turned and headed back towards the house.
“Guess who brought me home? Dami…”
Those words froze Sally in her tracks. She turned to Cynthia in surprise then looked around her, noting only blackness.
“Dami? As in Damilola Taylor?” She asked, her heart skipping a beat.
“Yes. He came to drop me after Deji passed out and there was no one to walk me home.”
“Where is he?” Sally could feel her excitement building.
“He’s out front, waiting to see if I can get in. He was upset that I abandoned you and told me you were crying as you left.”
Sally’s anger towards Dami evaporated instantly. Without a word to Cynthia, she stealthily made her way to the front of the house and sure enough, there was Dami in his father’s Mercedes G-wagon SUV. He saw her and beckoned her over. Sally looked around to be sure no one was about and ran towards the car. She heard the security locks lift as she approached and quickly slipped into the car. Without warning, Dami started the car and drove away, heading in the direction of his house. Sally’s fear knew no bounds. As Dami reached the gates of the Taylor’s mansion, it opened immediately and he drove into the garage and parked. He switched on the inner lights of the car and turned to her.
“Happy belated birthday Sally…” he said with a smile.
Sally didn’t know what to make of this scenario. In all her daydreams, she always had something witty to say when she found herself alone with him. But this was real; this wasn’t a dream. She was seated right next to Dami in shorts and a satin top on a chilly mid-night, speechless. So many thoughts ran through her head as she stared at him.
“I’m sorry for whisking you away like that but I didn’t want to talk in a brand-new G-Wagon, out on a lonely street in the middle of the night. I’ll take you home in a bit.”
All she could do was nod. He got out of the car and turned around to open the door for her. Holding her hand firmly, he led her to the pool at the back of the house and offered her a seat. Sally stared at him, mesmerized as he went to the now empty bar, got two bottles of Smirnoff Ice and brought them back to where she was seated, immobilized. He opened the bottles and handed one to her while he drank from the second one. They sat in silence for a while, him sipping his drink, she staring at him without touching hers. Sally suddenly started to shiver; the cool night air giving her chills. She tried to brace herself against the cold but couldn’t. Dami noticed it and got up, holding out his hand to her.
“Come, lets swim”
“S—swim? I’m c-co-cold”
“You’ll feel better when you get into the water”
Dami grabbed her hand and led her to the side of the pool. Without a thought, he lifted her satin top and pulled it over her head. Her nipples peaked instantly as the air hit her full breasts. She covered them shyly, avoiding his gaze. Dami seemed oblivious of her action as he tugged down her shorts. She stepped out of them, caught in a sexual trance that she couldn’t quite understand. Next, he slipped out of his combat shorts and T-shirt, tossing them aside carelessly and held out his hand for her as he walked to the edge of the pool. He was gloriously naked and Sally tried hard not to look down at his shrunken shaft. This was the first time she was seeing a penis… of course she’d seen drawings and a couple on the internet but never a live one. She was shy and uncomfortable and suddenly, the water seemed like a cloak where she could hide her naked body. Dami entered the pool and held out both hands to her to help her in. Soon they were both in the cold water.
She sank into the pool, leaving just her head above water and remained in one spot, watching him swim vigorously back and forth, doing laps. He disappeared under the water several time and always surfaced near her. Dangerously close. Each time he surfaced, she stared into her eyes with an intensity that frightened her. She felt a sudden wetness in her crotch that had nothing to do with the water and was immensely uncomfortable with the foreign feeling. Despite her discomfort, her eyes never left him. He was gorgeous with his curly hair flattened on his head and his body glistening as the moon shone brightly on the pool.
He coerced her into doing a few laps with him and held her body close to his when they swam to the deep end of the pool. She began to relax after a few minutes and even managed a shy giggle when she felt his penis poke her buttocks as he tried to grab her from behind. Her inhibition dissipated and she actually found herself enjoying the moonlight swim with Dami. Several times, he was so close to her that she thought he would kiss her but he didn’t. They swam for an hour till they became cold. Dami led her to a small changing room and shared a huge bath towel with her. Though she was a novice, she could feel the sexual tension between them. She snuck furtive glances as his penis several times to see if he was aroused by her. Sadly, she couldn’t really tell because he always seemed to turn away just before she got an eyeful. But she did get an ample view of his firm, fair butt. He ran back to the side to the pool and got their clothes. They got dressed in silence. Sally had a million things to tell him but couldn’t bring herself to say a word.
“I’d better take you home now” he said when they were both done dressing up.
Sally watched him from the corner of her eye as he drove her back home. She noticed, from the dashboard clock that it was almost 2:30am. A mixture of fear, frustration and resignation battled within her as he pulled up in front of her house and killed the the engine to prevent noise. Sally sighed and turned to him.
“… am I that unattractive?”
He seemed taken aback and was silent for a few minutes. Then he reached for her hand and placed it on his crotch. Her eyes flew to his as she felt it throb; stiff as a pestle.
“I don’t take advantage of girls. Don’t get me wrong, if your offered yourself, I WOULD sleep with you; but your friend told me you turned seventeen a few days ago and that you’re still a virgin.”
Sally blushed furiously making a mental note to throttle Cynthia as soon as she entered the house.
“Oh…” was all she could say.
Dami smiled at her obvious disappointment.
“Every fiber in my body wants to drag you back to my bedroom and fuck you senseless but I won’t do it. You’re a sweet girl and I like you enough to fight the urge. You will thank me later.”
“You will thank me later”. Her mother’s favorite words. Sally smiled at him in resignation. Without warning, Dami leaned and kissed her on the lips. A soft, slow kiss that quickly turned into urgency and intense need. He grabbed her close, running his hand over her breast, eliciting a soft moan from her. Just when Sally thought he was going to change his mind and move to second base, he let go of her reluctantly.
“I’m leaving for school tomorrow and won’t be back till December. I guess I’ll see you at the end of the year…”
Sally nodded and made to leave the car but he held her back. He reached into the glove compartment of the car and handed her an envelope. She looked at it in confusion.
“Its a birthday gift. I couldn’t think of what to get you so I decided to give you some money to buy something for yourself”
Sally looked at the envelope in surprise. She wasn’t a magician but she guessed the money in there was more than N10,000. She was about to refuse it but he pressed the money into her palm forcefully.
“If you done accept it, I’ll never speak to you again”
Sally’s hands closed over the envelope promptly. She muttered a shy thank-you, got out of the car and walked away hurriedly, eager to enter the house. Luckily, Cynthia had left the back door open. She managed to lock it without a sound and tip-toed into the bedroom. Cynthia was fast asleep and snoring lightly. Sally tucked the envelope inside her pillow. She would have loved to count the money but decided against it because she didn’t want to wake up her friend. She got into bed beside Cynthia and pulled the cover cloth over her cold body. She smiled at the thought of Dami holding and kissing her. Her thoughts drifted to a haze as sleep snuck up on her almost immediately.
Damilola Taylor sat beside the pool drinking Sally’s untouched Smirnoff Ice. His thoughts were in disarray. He had avoided her at the party deliberately though he watched her from a hidden distance. Seeing Sally naked with her young full breast, innocent smile and lovely dark skin was the biggest test he had ever endured as a vibrant, sexual young man. And she smelled nice too. In his head, he did many things to her young body that would make a porn star embarrassed. And when they kissed, he wanted to drag her to the back of the car and make her a woman. But he couldn’t touch her. He wanted to… very badly too, but couldn’t.
Sally’s mother had paid him a visit early the previous morning. The woman knew about her daughter’s crush and was willing to sacrifice N20,000 as bribe so he and his friends would stay away from her. The money only made him want Sally more. Everyone knew that Sally’s mother was struggling to care for her daughter single handedly and N20,000 was a lot of money for her to give up just to protect her daughter’s virtue. He accepted the money with a solemn promise that neither he nor his friends at the party would speak to Sally much less touch her. He had kept his promise, albeit, barely. He wasn’t so sure he could do it again if he saw Sally naked one more time.
With a final swig, Dami finished his drink and stood up tiredly. His hard-on was still very evident through his shorts. As he walked towards the house, he hoped Sally would put her mother’s N20,000 to good use and prayed she remained a virgin for him when he got back in December.
THE END
(The final episode on Dami's return in December is still upcoming)