Lagos S.A.L.T

1.

A robust, averaged height girl ran down the stairs, screaming joyfully. Her short skirt was hitched around her belly button, exposing a view that wasn’t child-friendly.

“Tunji, leave me alone oo!” She said, running into the living room. It was 2p.m. and the hot Lagos sun was an uninvited house guest, multiplying the temperature of the room.

Her assailant ran in after her. Oscillating from laughing and being out of breath, she fell backwards on the sofa.

“Who said you could leave the bedroom?” Tunji asked. Tunji was tall and skinny, with Will Smith ears and beady eyes. His friends often said his eyes made him look like an area boy, but the females found him very attractive.

“Answer me now, before I enter you like Holy Spirit!” Tunji said, moving closer to his dishabilled interest.

Her eyes gleamed passionately. “I’m waiting,” she purred.

“Ha, Tope!” Tunji said. “See ashewo!”

Tope laughed. She attempted to cool herself down by repeatedly flicking her wrist near her face. She looked around the small room, taking in the family pictures of Tunji’s uncle, the ceiling fan and the odd interior design: the brown walls, the blood red carpet and the green ‘70s looking furniture.

“Tunji, don’t you guys have a generator?”

“Of course! But, we don’t use it until 8p.m.”

“Okay. No problem.”

Tunji walked over to the windows and pushed both of them open. “Why, do you use your gen anyhow?”

“Our gen runs for days. If it needs to.”

“Hmm!” He shouted, hitting the top of his clenched fist with the bottom of his other one. “Ema dami duro, yeah emi omo babalowo!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tope said, smiling proudly.

“Chai!” Tunji exclaimed. “For real, it’s hot in here.” Beads of sweat appeared across his forehead.

“Come here,” Tope said meekly, the tone of her voice giving away what was going through her head at that exact moment.

“Why?” He asked, as he moved towards her.

She waited until he was hovering over her. “Take off your shirt.”

“Hmm,” He sounded out, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a smile, before obeying her command. He threw his t-shirt onto the carpet.

Tope grabbed the top of his jeans and sent both the denim and his boxers to the carpet with an impressive tug. His member, pre-empting this situation, rose to the occasion magnificently. Tope’s slight gasp and the widening of her eyes were all that needed to be said about that part of his anatomy.

She looked up at him, eyes glassy as if in some reverie. “You’re fine, sha.”

He shrugged. “We thank God.”

“Ode. Have you been to Switzerland?”

He shook his head. “No, but I’ve been to London. Twice, even.”

“Switzerland is much different. Much nicer. I’m going to Geneva next month to see my mum for a few days, but I’ll be staying in a hotel, because my step dad is a big fool. If you want, you can come.”

“Heyyyyyyyy!” He screamed, and began to dance on the spot, not bothered by his nakedness. “I’ll need a visa, shey?”

“Local champion! Is there anywhere outside Africa that you can travel to without a visa? Unless you have a European passport.”

“I know, I know, I’m just confirming. I’m a traveller.”

“Yes, you travelled from the village.”

“Your papa!”

Tope’s shrieks of laughter were punctured by the tinnish shrill of Tunji’s mobile phone. He bent down to reach into his jeans, pulling out the ringing device. Straightening up, he looked at his phone with uncertainty; NUMBER WITHHELD flashed across the screen. Tunji pondered for a second and decided to take a chance.

“Hello?” He said into the phone.

“Hey, Tunji,” answered a female voice. A familiar female voice, obviously, as Tunji reacted to her voice by contorting his face to look like he’d swigged half a bottle of agbo.

“Hey. Shalewa,” he gruffed. “What happened to your number?” He looked down at Tope and rolled his eyes. She smiled a knowing smile back at him.

“Oh, nothing,” Shalewa said in the sweetest voice, before giggling guiltily.

“Okay,” Tunji said flatly.

“So, how you dey?” Shalewa asked. “How mumsie, popsie, Uncle T...dem, dem?”

“Fine. Everyone is fine.”

“That’s good.”

Silence. Tunji sighed and looked down at Tope’s heaving cleavage as she played around with her Blackberry.

“I can’t wait for uni to restart,” Shalewa blurted out finally. “I’ve been so bored, I read my law textbooks every day, can you imagine?”

“Hmmm,” Tunji offered.

Tope decided she’d had enough of waiting; clutching Tunji’s rear end with both hands, she moved her face towards him until she had merged with his pelvic area, much to his delight. The gentle sound of his breath leaving his mouth permeated the hot, sticky air of the living room.

“Are you okay?” Shalewa asked.

“Yes...Yes, I’m just...preparing my food.”

“Ehn hehn? Okay...”

More silence. Tunji didn’t mind this time.

“So,” Shalewa began, “are we still on a break?”