Well I'm in the den writing this down after the middle weekend of my holidays to try to pay back a strange debt I owe to White Shadow's Stories.
We had accepted to housesit for our aunt and uncle during the summer break - a leafy two-acre place an hour away from our hometown. I must say that I was looking forward to a good break, taking it easy and having a swim in the pool. They'd asked us to mow the lawn and feed the animals, but apart from that, it was just a fortnight to do whatever we wanted, away from it all.
My sister and I both go to college in different states. We both flew in on the same day, and met up at a café in the afternoon before taking the bus out to the house. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. I was pleased to see her, and I could tell that she was happy to see me. Always got on all right with my sister - she's really easy to talk to and good fun to go out with.
Shana seemed on pretty good form - smiling and laughing as we talked about the last term and how things were shaping up. She'd just moved house and was looking to have a better year ahead...the last six months had been a bit tense as the studies cranked up a gear.
"Thank God this holiday has finally arrived! Things are mostly good - can't complain, but I really need a bit of a rest," she laughed - and shaking a finger at me said, "You be nice to me, you hear?!"
She talks a lot with her hands. Waves them around. Cool.
I must say that she was looking fine. Whew! When it's hot like it is here, you go swimming. Best way to cool off, and puts you in dynamite shape. Shana must have done her fair share.
We came to the end of our drinks, and decided to grab the next bus. I paid the tab in spite of her protests and we were en route. The bus was about a block away and we were both a bit sweaty by the time we rolled our cases up to the counter at the shelter. Shana got the tickets and we stuffed our suitcases under the bus.
I hopped on the bus to keep some seats and she went into the station to grab a bottle of water.
She appeared in half a minute and smiled and said, "Is this seat spare sir?"
I said, "No, piss off and find your own seat," and she laughed and sat down, squashing me into the window. I took the opportunity to tickle her off me and as the bus pulled away from the curb we both slumped into our seats a little out of breath - from the tickling.
That was Friday night, first night of the holidays. The bus stop is about quarter of an hour away from the house. It was still hot, hot, hot. We found the key, stashed our stuff in our rooms, said hello to the dogs and walked them down to the shops. My arms were sore by the time we got all the shopping back to the house: beer, wine, videos, good bread and a whole weeks worth of food. I mowed the lawn whilst she cooked dinner. Just like an old couple.
Dinner was great. She takes her time and really likes food. We had marinated chicken with mushrooms and salad. Light enough to beat the heat, but very tasty. We knocked back a beer or two during dinner and then watched Airplane. What a classic! Just cracked us up. The tension in my shoulders was finally easing and I felt pretty good about everything. The beer and the talk just kept flowing and as usual we got along like a house on fire. Shana knows how to listen and how to talk. Somehow you just find yourself talking about the things that really matter most and she talks up a storm when she gets going. Before we knew it, sun had started its rounds. We hit the hay and slept like logs.
There were bits and flashes of her in my dreams that night, images of her smiling and moving. I guess that I'd almost had a bit of a crush on her for a while...Well, I know it's almost a cliché...the only girl you see around when you're a kid is your sister. But she is just so cool to spend time with that it's more than the normal 'only female around the house' syndrome.
The next day was rainy and I didn't get up until after three. At least it was finally cooling down. She'd already been up for an hour or so, sitting with some coffee and toast, reading a magazine.
"Yo, stranger," she said, "did you sleep well?" I was still a bit unsteady on my feet and just nodded and yawned. "Coffee?" she asked and I smiled.
I bowed down before the cup like a disciple and she laughed and said, "Ommm" like a Buddhist. Gotta love her. Now it's one thing to think about someone when you're in your bedroom with the curtains drawn, but another thing altogether to realize that you're still pretty keen in broad daylight and she's right there in front of you. It's hard to ignore those blue, smiling eyes and those full red lips. There she goes, tossing that dark hair around and teasing you that your mowing is artistic, rather than straight.
"More toast?"
"Yes please."
That was Saturday. Talking, drinking, eating, watching videos and a foot massage each. We did some washing and called the folks to let them know that everything was working nicely. Dinner was fabulous again. Some wine was drunk and so were we.
After dinner Shana decided to take a bath to loosen up her shoulders and neck. On her way from her room to the bathroom, dressed in a towel, she asked if my hands were feeling strong.
I said, "They're drunk, like the rest of me...Why, do you want a shoulder massage?"
"Um...yes" she said, "but I was really going to ask you to undo this bath oil bottle. How about both?"
So whilst I undid the bath oil bottle, she put a chair in front of me, turned it around and sat with her back to me, knees wide and her arms folded on the chairback in front of her. I warmed some oil with my hands, spread it over her neck and shoulders and started gently and slowly kneading her muscles. Her skin was smooth and soft. The bath oil was sandalwood scented.
"A bit lower and a bit to the right," she demanded. "I'm a bit knotty..."
"Nutty?" I laughed. "Shana, the towel's a bit high, I can't really reach your spine."
She said, "Hang on," and loosened the towel a bit. As I slid both thumbs down along the sides of her spine she bowed forward and "Ommmed" again...and as we both laughed, the towel fell down...she didn't skip a beat, just moved her beautiful long hair to cover her breasts. I massaged until I'd covered her scalp, neck, shoulders and lower back. She had her eyes shut and was the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen. Her back is amazing. My hands were in heaven. We finished up and Shana took her bath at about twelve o'clock. I went into my uncle's den and switched on the computer - meaning to type some emails to friends. I got a bit distracted, read some stories and then crashed out.
No dream interpreter is needed to tell me what my dreams meant that night. I was massaging her back just as before. The towel fell down, just as before, exposing her back and hips. All through the massage she asked me to move this way and that way with little noises of assent when it was right. Harder, softer, up and down. Excellent.
She straightened up and rotated her shoulders slowly. Then moved her right arm across her body awkwardly to pick up her wine glass.
"Ouch! I must have strained a muscle when I tried to open the jar" she said.
"Aren't you lucky that I'm here?" I asked. "Firstly I open the jar...then massage the wounded woman to heal her injuries. Where is it sore?"
