I dedicate this chapter to my darling sister and friend . Who's going through a rough time in her life. May God give her the strength to get through it.😔🙏🏾
This one's for you Nyi❤️
AZ
Song: Lonely Together- Avīci ft Rita Ora
I don't say anything. I'll torture him for a little while before I tell him anything, he's being too curious.
"Do you like get bad dreams at night?"
What?
I laugh and shake my head in denial.
"What is it then?" He asks and raises his head, looking straight at me.
"My life." I finally answer and he looks more confused.
"Your life?" he repeats and sits on the chair beside me with a puzzled look in his dark eyes.
"Yes..."
"Why would you call your life a nightmare?"
"Because it is... you're asking too many questions."
"Why do you think that?" he asks curiously, ignoring my complain.
"Too many reasons."
"I don't get it." he says shaking his head. "Nobody should feel that way."
"People go through unbelievable shit. Stuff that make you want to jump off a cliff and end it all together."
"That's a very drastic step."
"Maybe, but people get pushed to the edge sometimes"
"Yeah maybe, but there's always hope." he tells me softly.
"Let's not go down that road." I close the topic and fold my legs on the chair. He opens his mouth to say something but then stops himself. The silence takes over again as I twine some of my hair with my fingers. He looks at me for a few moments, definitely wondering what has made me look at life this way and a part of me wants to tell him.
But that's none of his business. He doesn't need to know shit about me.
"Where's the other one?" He asks.
I stand up and shift the right side of my jean shorts down along with the ribbon tied at the side of my panties. He looks at me quizzically, trying to understand what I'm doing.
"Don't worry" I chuckle. "I'm not trying to get naked. The tattoo's on my groin" I say and move closer to him.
"Its a writing?" He says looking at it and I nod. " AZZOE?" he reads and I try to push the memories of the day Zoe and I got our matching tattoos.
We were fourteen then, and we skipped school just to get them. It was the first time we smoked weed and she made us promise each other it would be the last but that obviously didn't hold up. The tattoos were to seal our undying sisterhood. I scoff at the memory of it all and how things have unfolded with time.
"What does it mean" he asks with his hands still in his pockets.
"It's the name of my favourite girl band back in Australia." I lie "It's really local. Nothing big."
"Yet you got a tattoo of them?" He asks with a baffled look.
"Yeah... they sing well" I shrug.
"Can I... Can I touch it?" his voice is shaky.
"Sure Kacely"
He brings his thumb towards it but withdraws it and we both giggle.
"You touched the others so why are you hesitant about touching this one?"
"It's in a delicate place." he answers and laughs shyly.
"There's nothing delicate about the groin"
"Of course there is." He touches it with his thumb and his touch sends a wave through my body. He smiles at me and I smirk back. I slip my hand in my back pocket and feel the condom I kept there this morning. Who knows? I might get lucky. It's been over a week already.
"Do you want one?" I ask sitting down.
"Want what?" he asks. If he's trying not to stare at my boobs, he's failing miserably.
"A tattoo?"
"Um...no" he giggles and rubs the back of his neck. "I like them, I think they're really cool. But I can't get one"
"Why not?"
"It's against the church" he answers.
"The church? Are you like... religious or something?" I didn't see that coming.
"I am" he says looking at me. "Well my aunt is. She plays a really significant role in her church and they don't want all these."
"What do you mean all these?" I ask doing air quotes with my fingers.
"Tattoos, piercings, leg and waist chains"
"Why? What do they do?"
"It isn't a good image to your personality, I guess"
"Your personality? So they would criticise me for having this?" I ask touching the piercings on my ear.
"Yes" he nods
"Why?" That's just stupid.
"I don't know... they say girls should have just one hole on their ears."
"That's utter rubbish. So I can get one but I can't get two, or three, or four? What does that change?" I ask and he stays quiet. "So like, if I didn't have these piercings on my ears would it change anything?"
"Well..."
"Or what if I didn't have all these tattoos or if I had one more or if I had more piercings on my ear, would that change the way you look at me?"
"Thing is, those things mutilate the body" he defends.
"Crap. I thought you guys were all about saving souls, so why does all that matter?"
"They say our bodies are God's temple and God doesn't want that" he says.
"Is that what he told you guys?" I chuckle. "Aren't waist chains and piercings just jewellery? Made from minerals created by God himself who also gave the knowledge to the jewellery makers? "
They have no idea. Back in Australia I met girls who had had their nipples pierced. I even hooked up with a guy who had a tongue piercing once and trust me, it comes in really handy down south.
"Yeah, but people believe only lesbians wear ankle chains."
"That's a really silly belief don't you think?" I ask rolling my eyes. "So because lesbians wear chains on their ankles I shouldn't wear one? It's my ankle, why should what they do affect me? What century are we in?"
He looks at me dumbfounded.
"What about tattoos? What do they do?"
"No... for tattoos it is actually in the Bible that we shouldn't get them. "
"Where?" I ask raising a brow and folding my arms.
"In Leviticus"
"Chapter 19 verse 28?" I finish with a smirk.
"You... you read the Bible?" he asks in disbelief.
"I used to. I stopped." I say "It says there that you shouldn't cut your body or tattoo it to mourn for the death."
"Are you sure?" he asks clearly surprised.
"You could look it up" I suggest and hand him my phone.
He takes it and types in the password, he reads it and stays quiet for a moment.
"But it's only cutting yourself that emphasizes on the mourning part" he says
"If you see it that way, then trimming your beard is also wrong ,as well as shaving the sides of your head. That means the big guy isn't happy with you trimming the sides of your afro. It's written there, in the previous verse." I tease
He traces the previous verse with his finger and reads it. He then looks up at me and blinks multiple times.
"Look, I really don't give a shit about all these religious stuff. I didn't read the Bible to meditate, pray or anything. I just read a lot of books out of curiosity." I explain "But what I think is if you guys want to save souls you shouldn't focus on these details that do not matter. I mean what does a piercing do to my soul? People get tattoos and piercings for many reasons or just for the like of them. Though some of the reasons might not make sense to the rest of the world but that shouldn't be a point of focus."
"I'm just shocked about the fact that my whole life I hadn't bothered to look up the verse myself, I just listened to what the preachers said." He remarks and laughs.
"You should confirm things sometimes" I say, laughing with him. "So some random girl who doesn't even go to church won't have to be the one to tell you." He smiles, clearly trying to hide his embarrassment.
"I agree with you... on the fact that we should focus on saving souls which is most important, but I'm still not sure about the whole tattoo thing. I'll look it up again."
"Feel free to." I shrug. "You want to have the last sip?" I ask to cheer him up but he shakes his head no. "Come on. Do me the honours".
He looks at me and grabs the bottle from my hand. He goes back to where he was sitting and gulps the rest of it down.
"I feel a little dizzy already." he says and rubs his nose while closing his eyes.
Is he that fragile?
"My head really hurts" he nags on.
"You're such a girl."
"I'm not" he defends. "I'm just... I usually don't drink much"
"Usually or never?" I ask while putting my right thigh on the chair and my elbow on the edge of the chair so I could face him properly. My gaze drifts to his full light brown lips.
"Well, never." he says
"Is this the first time you ever drank?"
"Um...no, the second actually. I drank at a party about a year ago"
"Are you serious?" I laugh, leaning into him more.
I don't know if it's just the alcohol, but I'm not taking this condom back with me.
"I know, it's strange"
"Very strange. That church of yours certainly made your life suck" I say and laugh harder.
"Not really... Well, yes. Kind of... My aunt is really strict so I really wasn't allowed to drink or go to parties." He explains.
"Wow, your life must really suck." I laugh.
"No... don't say that."
"Honestly." I say and sit up. "What do you do for fun?"
"I listen to music, just like you." he says looking in my eyes. "I watch a lot of movies... I'm really good with computers too."
"Pfft... Ok"
"I work out a lot too." He adds. "But I started just about seven months ago and I love to swim."
"That explains the figure" I say scanning him with my eyes while smiling and he smiles back. "You do have a great body."
"Thanks" He answers shyly. It's true though, his body is too good for a nineteen year old. Most guys I've seen who have such a good build are at least twenty two.
"I used to be really chubby when I was younger" he remarks
I laugh out loud but then close my mouth with my hand when I remember that we are trespassing on somebody's property.
"I can imagine.''
"No you can't" he says and we both laugh.
"My aunt, she's an amazing cook. Like... you really can't resist her food. I just couldn't help it."
"For how long did you live with her?"
"Soon you'll tell me I ask a lot of questions" he raises a brow at me.
"OK... sorry" I say raising my hands in the air.
"My life isn't the most exciting, but it isn't that bad either."
"You say that only because you haven't done things that are actually exciting. I bet scaling this fence is the craziest thing you've ever done" I say with a teasing smirk. "Have you even ever had a girlfriend?"
"Of course I have" he frowns.
"Don't get angry." I laugh. "I just know you church people don't date too early. We had a church girl at my school and she only believed in courtship. I bet your aunt would kill you if she found out."
"You have no idea. It is actually frowned upon in our church but I don't pay too much mind to it. " he says with a chuckle while looking down at his fingers.
"Oh... Rebel huh?" I tease and he smiles. "So you've actually kissed a girl before"
"Now... now you're just being mean. I'm practically nineteen. Of course I have." he laughs along with me.
"Don't blame me" I defend, laughing harder. "How many?"
"There was Melanie and then Efiya, and now I'm with Ara "
"Lucky Ara. What's she like?"
"She's short actually, but slightly taller than you." He states.
"I know I'm short" I say rolling my eyes. "You really don't need to remind me"
"Sorry" he laughs.
"It's OK. I've learned to live with it" I shrug.
"She's fair skinned and really pretty and she's so gentle."
"OK, OK. We get it..." I cut in rolling my eyes again. "Now to the important stuff. Does she have a big ass or big boobs"
"Why would you even ask me that?"
"Well why not? Are you an ass guy or a boobs guy?" He just laughs and rubs his plays with his thumbs. I guess he does that when he's nervous.
"What? Church guys aren't interested in all that? Do you guys care only about the heart?"
"The looks definitely matter too" He laughs.
"So... are you an ass guy or a boob guy?"
Are you an ass guy or a boob guy?🌝
Plus what's your opinion on tattoos?
Don't forget to vote!