Dry Turn

“free yourself.’ I whispered to her ear. “feel it, enjoy it.” I added as she opened her eyes that had been shut all these while and stared at me. then she nodded. 

I continued the tease, this time, extending my hands to the inside of her laps. I took my time, stroking the inside of her laps as I teased her nippples with my tongue. 

I squeezed, teased and fondled all parts of her soft body, but the maximum response I could get where small wimps.  This seems not to be working! Let's try something else. I reached for my drawers and got my condom. She opened her eyes and saw me trying to wear the condom.  

“Are we in the last step already?” she asked. “Yea, you’re a fast learner.” I answered and she smiled as I put on the condom.

The sex was dry and unfulfilling; at least to me.  She just lay like a log of wood as I thrust in and out of her. It was a one-sided run, as I tried hard to get her satisfied. She was as silent as the dead of the night, shut her eyes, threw her face to one side of the bed like she was avoiding the look of a naked body on top of her. 

I only noticed when she climaxed because she held on my bed sheet, pulling it across her face like she was trying hard to suppress the moan that wants to escape from her mouth, and then her veegee muscles did the rest. It was an involuntary action she couldn’t control as her body jolted in spasm and I felt strong muscles grip and squeeze my dkk on the process. 

it was the only sweet sensation I felt during the sex period as I came on the process. She backed me, faced the wall and slept off. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. I have taken the first step, I believe I will get there. She must be delivered from this wicked spirit of rigidity towards sex!  I said to myself.

________________ 

The next morning , we assembled at the local govt headquarters for a brief meeting with our L.I before we would go for our cds. My angel and I came late for the meeting.   

The meeting was held in front of the nysc office at the headquarters, most of the corpers where already seated as the L.I addressed them. 

We walked into the headquarters, attracting the attention of almost all the corpers seated. Inasmuch as last night’s sex was dry and boring, it somehow managed to warm my angel’s heart towards me.  

She held my hand as we walked into the venue, not minding the eager eyes staring at us. I knew what was going on in the minds of some; they would be wondering if Esther was aware I was hiv positive. I knew chifawu would be somewhere staring at us also, but I wasn’t bordered. 

Esther was the only one who knew of the recent turn in events. Although, she had previously informed me that she had told her friends who were serving with her at the same school of health. 

She claimed she told them just to despise the lab that did the previous test. The seats were all occupied, there was just one left, so I opted to carry Esther on my laps as I sat and she agreed. 

We listened as the L.I deliberated about how corp members were absenting from cds and insist that it must stop. He said the zonal inspector who was  incharge of the zone will come any day from the upper week for a head to head count and every one must be present or stand the risk of an extension of service. 

Extension of service was one of the worse things that can happen to a corper. Punishment for being absent from any activity was met with an extension of service without pay. 

After his talk, we held a small meeting with the c.l.o in which he informed us of the mandatory contribution for the passing out ceremony of the batch ahead of us. 

We were to pay for their get together, dinner and a possible gift for the L.I.  After the meeting, I was seated at a corner, talking with my angel when chifawu came to me. She said she needed to speak with me. 

I exchanged glances with Esther, then excused myself to speak with chifawu. “How has it been?” She asked and I couldn't respond but stare at her. I had a gut feeling she didn't call me for pleasantries, and I wasn't going to humor her by responding to her light talks. 

“I'm really sorry for all that happened. Fear got the better side of me, I panicked, that's why I acted the way I did.” She said. “I have a feeling you didn't call me out here to make apologies, so let's skip that and go straight into the main reason. You can come back with your apologies later.” I said and waited as she made faces like she wasn't sure how to put it.  

I was still sure she thinks I'm hiv positive, I've learnt that bad news travels faster than good news, and people tend to spread the former better. “You told the principal you are not coming back to the school?” She finally said and I nodded, waiting to hear what it has to do with anything. “Why?” She asked. 

“What exactly do you want?” I was trying so hard to keep my cool. “Someone is waiting for me over there.” I said, pointing in the direction of my angel. “I want you to come back to the school.” She said.  “The principal wants you back, so does the students.” She said. “Please.” She added like an after thought. 

Is that what this was all about! Her wanting me back to the school. But why? Why was she sounding desperate? It must have taken some time to muster enough courage before asking me this. 

“I will give you the same reply I gave to your principal.” I said calmly. “I'm not coming back, I don't want to spread hiv to you and the students. So you guys should let me be!” I said and walked out on her. I should be feeling better after telling her off, but I wasn't. I felt angry! A combination of hatred and anger engulfed me. She stirred up a dead bitterness I had buried deep inside me. 

I thought I had lost that bitterness, but it was obvious I had only succeeded in burying it in a shallow grave inside my heart. My little encounter with her did expose that bitterness deep inside me. It was obvious I needed to get past this bitterness, strive and anger I felt for her. I either have to dig the hole deeper and bury it so that it can't be exhumed, or bring it out in the open, deal with it once and let it go.

_________________________________

In the weeks that followed, chifawu kept calling me on the phone and sending text messages. I picked her call once, but had to end it when she started talking about forgiveness and returning to the school. The principal tried calling me once, but I ignored the call. In one of such weeks, after we had assembled at the headquarters for our monthly clearance, I saw chifawu speaking with my angel. 

Later, both of them came up to me. She insisted that its very urgent and I need to sit down and hear her out. I sat and waited for her to start her usual talk. Just as I thought, she started all over again, this time around, with a subtle plea, while my angel stared at me with the same plea in her eyes. “Please, you need to come back to the school. 

I know I've wronged you, Esther already pointed that out, there is no amount of apology that will be enough, but please, you have to come back to the students.” Now this sounded strange. She isn't just apologizing for me to forgive, she was seriously asking me to return to the school. “Why are you keen on my returning to your school?” I had to ask. She waited for some minutes before answering. 

“The students! They are tormenting me because of you!” She went further to narrate how the students were making her stay miserable at the school. They were aware she confronted me at the lab that day, same day the principal invited me to his office, and same day I stopped coming to the school. They connected the dots, and concluded she had made the principal send me out just because I was helping them out in other subjects. 

It got worse when the ss1 students couldn't find their new further maths teacher and was told that the the ss3 english teacher had made the principal sack him. They termed her jealous and decided to take it personal on her. “I would have endured it if it was just the insults and side talks, but things are gradually getting out of hand.