Onitsha (East of the Niger River) - January, 1896
Katherine woke up to the thump, thump sound of metal striking wood. She stretched and smiled. Chidebem had kept his word as he usually did. He had promised to start cutting the tree early this morning, so that he could finish before breakfast...
The sound of the machete striking the tree had stopped for a while, and then resumed with more vigor. Suddenly, Katherine felt an irresistible urge to see Chidebem at work. She had a vague idea at the back of her mind that she wanted to see his beautiful graceful form at work, and rose from the bed. She looked through the slats of the woodwork towards the direction of the sound; and sure enough, he was there, his right arm rising and falling steadily in a graceful arc as he swung his heavy machete repeatedly against the tree. His torso was covered with sweat, and it glistened in the post-dawn light, even at this distance.
She watched him work, her eager eyes feasting on his body and its movements. The broad shoulders, wide back and slim hips, the compact and tight buttocks, molded closely by his tight-fitting shorts. Then, as he turned to focus on another side of the tree, her eyes narrowed and she sucked in her breath as she gazed at his front. The compact, well-developed chest muscles, the flat, ribbed abdomen, the muscled thighs. His shorts had become damp with his sweat and hugged his crotch very closely. Katherine blinked and stared at the bulge there, her mouth slightly open. He cut such a breathtakingly masculine figure that she could not draw her gaze away. Therefore, she stood and stared at him, her mouth slightly open, her eyes narrowed with the intensity of her gaze.
Slowly, she felt a soft delicious languor steal over her, a feeling of weakness and being boneless that had her clutching at the window frame. Her breathing had deepened as her heartbeat quickened. Despite the coolness of the early morning harmattan air, her body felt damp. It was as if she was coming down with a fever and she felt a trickle of sweat run down the valley between her breasts.
She pressed her dress between her breasts to soak away the sweat and gasped. Her breasts felt ultra sensitive and her nipples were turgid. The rub of her nightdress across her nipples had sent a frisson of excitement through her body and she felt her secret places liquefying.
She knew that she ought to leave the window but she could not. Some elemental force kept her rooted there, staring at the boy cutting the tree. Then she heard Nana's voice calling out a greeting to Chidebem and the spell she seemed to be under was broken. She felt her legs trembling as she stumbled back to the bed. She tried in vain to control the trembling of her body, her shallow breathing, the pounding of her heart.
Then like someone sleepwalking, she sat up and unbuttoned the front of her nightdress. Her breasts were flushed and crimson in color. Her nipples were turgid and looked very big as she stared down at them. Slowly, she lifted her hands and cupped the underside of her breasts gently, feeling their weight. They felt heavier than usual and the feel of her palms on her damp, sensitized flesh made her heart beat even faster. She squeezed her breasts and gasped at the pleasure she felt.
An involuntary cry escaped her as she took her nipples between her thumbs and forefingers. Her nipples felt so big, but they got even bigger and harder as she rolled them between her fingers. Soon, her legs began to move restlessly on the bed, as the sensations created by the rolling of her nipples pooled between them. She had become very moist down there and felt the moisture seeping down to the crack of her anus. She crossed her legs together and squeezed, moaning at the hazy pleasure the action gave her. She felt her legs trembling as she squeezed harder, her moans getting louder. The pressure on her breasts had increased as she squeezed, her nipples pressed almost painfully between her fingers.
The sensations coursing through her body increased until she felt an almost frantic need for release. She lifted her buttocks off the bed as she hurriedly pulled her dress up to her waist. Her fingers snaked through the lush bush of hair at her pubis and she gasped as it touched her moist nether lips. She cried out as her middle finger flicked across her engorged clitoris, feeling a thousand sparks of fire ignite her womanhood. She slipped two fingers into her vagina and moaned at the feel. Then she thrust them in and out vigorously as her thumb rubbed a terrible heat into her clitoris. A heat that threatened to overwhelm her soon with its intensity.
Her right hand and its fingers squeezed and pressed her breasts and nipples, while her left hand worked furiously at her lower body. Her hand moved rapidly from one breast to the other as the sensations washing over her increased in intensity. The sound of her moans and the squelching sound made by the fingers in her wet womanhood filled the room as her scent filled her nostrils.
Her pleasured cries got louder as she reached the crescendo. Then, all too soon, she was seized by powerful spasms as her orgasm roared through her. The feelings were overwhelming as they rippled through her again and again; and she had no control over the involuntary sobbing cries that echoed her intense release.
She was lying back on the bed, panting and struggling to recover her breath, when she heard an urgent knock on her bedroom door. For a moment she was still, completely disoriented. Then she jerked up as if touched by a hot iron, hastily rearranging her dress. She was unable to find her voice before she heard William's concerned tones.
"Kathy, are you alright? I heard you crying out."
"Yes...I am. I...I had a bad dream...I guess, but I'm alright, really..." Her voice sounded shaky even to her own ears, but then that was to be expected from someone who had just woken up from a nightmare. She felt like someone dragged back forcefully from a distant place in space.
"Are you sure? Do you need any help?" His voice was still concerned.
"No... I'm fine, really. But...what kind of help are you talking about? To hold me and tell me that it was just a dream?" she asked with an unsteady laugh, trying for a light, bantering tone of voice.
"Like I used to do when you were little? Nay, I think not." His own laughter was rich with amusement. "I just wanted to make sure you're alright." There was a brief pause, and then he continued, "I want to take John fishing. We normally have better luck earlier in the morning, like now. We'll be back before breakfast."
C
HIDEBEM sat between two thick branches of the big mango tree-his favorite hideaway-reading a book. The tree was by the river and he loved to sit on this comfortable branch and read, or just let his mind roam widely with thoughts. The fresh scent of the air, the steady rhythm of the flowing water, the cool breeze on his face, and the melodious chirping of the wild birds, all combined to lift his spirit and sooth his soul. Many a troubled thought had been eased away by sitting atop this branch.
As his mind drifted to some pleasant reverie, he heard Katherine scream. He sat up quickly, searching for her location. He could not see her from where he was, but he could guess at the general direction the scream had come from. He closed and placed the book carefully where the branch met the trunk of the tree, then looked towards the ground, preparing to climb down quickly. Then he heard the cry again, louder this time and full of fear. John! Though he could not see them, he felt the cold hands of fear clutch at his heart. Katherine must be screaming that way because John was in danger!
He abandoned the thought of climbing down the tree and crawled quickly towards the edge of the thick branch instead. He hung in the air for a moment, suspended by his two hands gripped around the tree branch. Then he leapt forward and downward, landing in the river with a loud splash. He landed in shallow water; and in moments, was scrambling up the riverbank. Then he was racing fast in the direction of the screams, as a third cry rent the air.
He rounded a corner of bushes and there they were. John was running towards him with Katherine in pursuit, calling out to him anxiously. He heard John's laughter and saw him waving something long and slender in his hand. A snake! His heart skipped a beat and he accelerated as he dashed towards the little boy. Then he broke his run and fell down on his knees, overtaken by mirth.
