She went out and he heard the sound of the car. It was one of the long ones, driven by a chauffeur. He remembered seeing it as he came in, but had not really associated it with Jagwa. She was indeed Jagwa, he had to admit. His jealousy had accomplished nothing. She was still Jagwa. But was it natural, he asked himself, for all women to uphold their innocence – even Jagwa? What would she do if he caught her red-handed in bed with a man? He wanted to know that one. Half his mind told him she would still deny; and he had a feeling that she would convince him it was a misunderstanding.
Jagua did not come back home that evening.
Freddie was sitting at his desk the following afternoon writing, when he heard a knock at the door. It was Nancy. She looked sweet in a simple white dress with a black belt in the middle. Her complexion glowed with youthful good looks; her eyes were dark and eager. She had a parcel in her hands and she hesitated at the door.
Freddie smiled at her. ‘Come in, Nancy. You always come when my mood is bad. Don’ be afraid. Jagua not at home.’ He placed the back of his hand over his mouth and whispered, noting the sparkling eyes. ‘She done gone out with three men since yesterday afternoon and she never return. You know what she tell me? “I come back jus’ now,” she say. “What I goin’ to waste time for? I got plenty to do in de house!” Ha, ha, Nancy? You ever beat dat one? Jagua got plenty to do in de house and she go ’way with three men in long car since yesterday an’ she don’ come back to dat house. Come in, Nancy, I feelin’ very low …’
She looked at him with tenderness. ‘You talk like you drunk, Freddie!’ She came and took his head in her hands. ‘You feelin’ hurt? Dem wound your vanity. Dem show you you got no power and no control over de woman you call your own!’ She sighed. ‘Sometime I sure dat you really love dis Jagua woman.’
‘Sometime. But also he kin be dat I got into de habit of Jagua, an’ I kin not shake off de habit. She weaken me too much.’
‘Das wat I suspect, Freddie. De woman done give you love medicine, an’ you drink de medicine in some
sweet soup.’
Freddie looked at her with fear in his eyes. ‘Love medicine – but why Jagua go worry for make love medicine for me?’
Nancy put her parcel on the table and looked about the room. It was very disorderly and the only available sitting space was the bed. To Freddie’s delight, she sat on it.
‘Woman like Jagua, who been in dis business a long time, dem get plenty power. Dem practise witchcraft. Dem spen’ all dem money with the medicine man to make dem juju so dat man kin like dem. Jagua know dat her medicine done catch you, so she don’ worry at all.’
Freddie felt hopeless. There could be some truth in what Nancy was saying. If not, why could he not shake Jagua off? She was not a respectable woman, for all her attractiveness. He knew that. He knew also that she was subject to caprices and impulses. Just as she had lavished much money on his study course in England, so also could she suddenly decide on something quite unexpected and he would be left floating.
He turned his attention to Nancy. ‘Sorry about de room, Nancy. Everythin’ tupsy turvy. I packin’. God know de truth. As soon as I enter de boat, ah will be a happy man. No one kin trouble me. Anythin’ Jagwa like, she kin do. Is when I see all dis nonsense with me own eye; das when it pain my brain too much.’
‘Is all right, Freddie.’ She put her hands between her knees, swinging her legs playfully. ‘I soon go, Freddie. Mama sen’ me come to know how you packin’.’
‘To me … You mean dat?’
‘Why you actin’ surprised, Freddie? You tink she don’ know about you and me? I already tell her.’ She pointed at the parcel on the table. ‘She say give you dat parcel.’ Her eyes shone.
Freddie went over and took the parcel. It carried a London address. He looked at her with a question in his eyes.
‘Is home food,’ Nancy explained. ‘Home food – gari, pepper, okro. Is for our cousin. He livin’ in London and studyin’ engineering. Say to him Mama sen’ her love and Nancy joinin’ him soon. You know, those boys in London, them use to feel homesick and when de news from home come like dis, it kin make dem heart strong enough to put dem head for de work.’ She tensed her brow and her eyes. Her seriousness interested him.
‘I mus’ see dat it reach him safe, Nancy. Unless I don’ go again!’ He smiled. ‘As you know, not me sendin’ myself.’ He looked at her more closely and felt a twinge of remorse. ‘I never offer you nothin’. What you will drink, Nancy? Ah kin sen’ Sam to buy you some cold coke.’
‘For me? … No Freddie. I mus’ go now.’
He held her hands. He saw the flush come to her face. Instinctively her eyes went to the door. He sat beside her on the bed and took her wrist and laid it in his hand, examining the long and shapely fingers. She turned her face towards him, and, though he could read the cautionary message, he kissed her and her eyelids slid down and the soft eyelashes fluttered against his cheek. The anger was melting away and the world had become sweet with Nancy Oll and her fine skin and bewitching fragrance.
He felt the gentle push and the gentler voice. ‘You come again, Freddie. You always wantin’ dat. Anytime you see me always you wantin’ dat one. Is all you like me for, Freddie?’
He slid his fingers along her bare shoulder and into her blouse. There was nothing else he could have done. The blouse was cut to be slipped away. She did not even wear a brassiere and her breast was dancing in his hand.
‘De door open, Freddie.’ She was hissing now.
He squeezed her again, then went to the door and bolted it. ‘Don’ fear, Nancy. Nobody fit enter now.’
‘But is too hot now, Freddie. Is too hot for doin’ anythin’. True. Let it be anodder time.’
‘Yes, dear.’ He had taken her in his arms and was squeezing her close. Through the drumming in his ears, he heard the last lonely cry of Nancy the girl reaching out for help she must know would never come from the wolfing Freddie. ‘Freddie, Freddie – Oh! … I beg you, make we keep it till anodder time. If you love me, Freddie … But I not goin’ to run. Is for you Freddie. I not goin’ to give it to anodder man, while I love you.’
The drumming had become a roar. The fingers were trembling around the buttons, the intricate knots which showered the clothes she had on. He caught his breath. Her superbly tanned and shapely young body stood revealed. He could not help leaning back for a moment and devouring the slim shoulders, full breasts with the long nipples. He kissed them now and they reared into a gooseflesh with a sharp intake of her breath.
‘Gently, Freddie, you will rumple me clothes. Me Mama will know what you done.’ She wriggled out of her frock and chemise. Her waist was so slim and her belly so flat that he laid his palm on it to believe what he saw. She had small buttocks unusual for a Nigerian-bred girl, but they were silky smooth with an eel-like electricness that sent shivers of madness through him.
He took that slim waist and marvelled at it and pressed her to him and was entwined in her teenage athleticness. The heat and sweat, the odour of mating, fused them both in a reeling bout of insatiable lust. She was crying too loud for his comfort.