LIKE WILDFIRE.

I watched her sleep. We hadn’t used protection, but Timi was not just some random chic, she was innocent and sweet and I had been seeing her for seven months…

Besides, she was just too clean for me to bother about condoms, a girl like her needed to be felt without any restrictions.

“Stop staring Ebi,” she said, slowly opening her eyes at me.

I laughed, “I thought you were sleeping.”

“I’m trying to” she nestled, pressing her body against mine.

She pulled her tongue out and stroked it over my left nipple, biting softly.

“You shouldn’t do that” I warned in a half-serious tone “you don’t want to get me started, again”

She laughed and looked up at me with lust-filled eyes, “I wouldn’t mind” she declared and went to work on my right nipple.

“Ti..mi…”

“Sssshhh,” she hushed me with a finger to my mouth. Her lips kissed my chest, my sides, all the way down to my thighs, running her fingers lightly over me as she went.

Her tongue found me, stroked me sensually before taking me in her mouth, the whole length.

I groaned in pleasure and let myself relax.

I gathered her hair with both hands and nudged her on as she caused warm sensations to stream through my veins, down to my toes.

 

*****
“Ebi, where have you been?” My wife queried as I came up behind her.

Ignoring her question, I kissed her neck and wrapped my hands around her waist.

“Hmmn smells good,” I commented, taking in the aroma of her cooking.

“I wanted you to buy chicken and salad items on your way back,” she went on, “but your number was switched off.”

“I’m sorry babe. I was on the queue trying to buy fuel, my battery died in the process.”

“Eiya, doh. This fuel situation no wan end!” she relaxed into my embrace and resumed stirring the sauce that sat boiling on the gas stove.

“Ei tire person. You know what? Let me rush and go and buy it now, abi ei don pass?”

“No, you still can… I will just cook the meat separately and steam it.”

“Cool, where are the boys?”

“Sleeping, but I will soon wake them up for dinner.”

“Okay.” I placed a kiss on her cheek “let me rush and go buy it.”

I spanked her bum as I made to leave the kitchen, she giggled and shook her head at me.

 

*******
“Babes how far na?” Zainab murmured a greeting, collapsing into her bed.

“I dey. See as you tire.”

Zainab hissed exhaustingly, “These lectures dey tire person sometimes. Who you dey chat with wey you just dey smile like that?”

“My boo.” She rolled her eyes excitedly.

“Which boo?”

“Which other one you know? Ebi na!”

“Oh!” hissed Zainab, “Is somebody’s husband you are calling your boo”

She made a face at her roommate, “You don start ooo”

“Why I no go start. But Timi on a more serious note, I hope you guys use protection?”

“What do you think?” she smirked, hands still busy on her phone.

“No nahhhh babes,” Zainab suddenly sounded energetic; she shifted to the edge of her bed, “Don’t tell me you plan to infect this guy too.”

“That is if he is not already infected.”

“Babes!!! For how long will you let these innocent guys suffer for something another guy did to you? At least consider the man children na, or him wife sef…”

Timi looked up from her phone to stare daggers at Zainab, “As you see me so ehn? I no know wetin be pity again o. So na me good to get HIV at 23 abi? All I did was love Mac, and give him my virginity, yet he repaid me with a virus. Abeg abeg abeg abeg,” she grudgingly wiggled her palm at Zainab, “no just preach to me this hot afternoon, I no just wan remember old things.”

Obviously angry, she whisked her body to face the wall and continued punching at her phone.

Zainab exhaled defeatedly. She didn’t know who she felt more sorry for; her lost friend or the married man with a family.

“Timi you sha need to fear God o”

“Na so!” Timi clicked her tongue.

****
My wife was rewarding me with one of those happy grins she gives after a satisfying lovemaking session. “Ebi, this morning’s own was just the best!”

“Abi” I proudly laughed.

“You too much jor” She hit me playfully. We laughed and she got up from the bed and walked towards the bedroom while I remained supine, deciding to get in the shower after her.

“Babe o,” she began, minutes later as she walked out of the bathroom, all naked and soft. I admired her beautiful imperfections…

I had managed to stay faithful until Timi, aaargh Timi! My mind went to her, such a beautiful innocent girl! She was so naughty yet naive, I couldn’t get over her and that fair flawless skin of hers that glowed like the sun itself.
I made a mental note to see her later that evening.

“Ebi are you listening?!” My wife tapped me out of my thoughts.

“Sure babe, I’m sorry. My mind drifted. You were saying?”

She pulled down the corners of her lips at me then moved to the dresser.

“I’m sorry na” I apologized, smiling guiltily.

“I will be going to the hospital for my routine check-up, you might have to pick the boys from school,” she said forgivingly.

“Babe, you and these your checkups,” I pulled my weight off the bed and walked to the dresser where she sat creaming her body. “I’ve told you before, you are fine.

You got a clean bill of health last year, and this year you are still going again”. I placed my hands on her shoulders, massaging lightly.

She closed her eyes, obviously enjoying the touch. “I still have to go, it’s just routine checks. I trust you but you know it’s something I do every year. Besides, it’s an all-round checkup”

“Not a problem love, I will be here when you still come back and show me the positive results.”

I pecked her cheek and walked away to the bathroom.

****
I left work in a hurry, speeding to get back home.

My wife had called, she sounded upset over the phone and that got me concerned.

Could something have gone wrong at the doctors? Or did she get a bad call from home? I wondered.

I couldn’t figure out what it was but I was worried and drove cutting traffic to get home to my wife.

I parked the car outside the gate, ignored the gate man’s greetings, and dashed through the living room, making my way frantically to our bedroom.

I was met with my wife’s shuddering body, sitting at the edge of the bed with a sheet of paper dangling between her fingers, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks.

“Baby!” I was alarmed.

I couched down in front of her but when she wouldn’t speak to me, I took the paper from her hands, and there in black and white was an HIV+ result and a positive pregnancy test staring me back in the face.

I was shocked.

My gaze moved from the paper to my wife then back at the paper and finally rested on her.

She stared back at me with a look I had not seen in our ten years of marriage; it was full of anger, hate, and disgust. I couldn’t feel my knees at this point. My legs gave way and I let my butt collapse to the floor.

She sprung to her feet as if suddenly gathering strength, “How could you Ebi?” Her lips quivered. “How could you?” she repeated rhetorically.

My mind instantly went to Timi. She was the only girl I’d been with asides from my wife.

But how could it be? Timi looked too healthy for this.

My head ached. I felt heat surge through my body, “Baby,” I mumbled, trying to take hold of her hands, “this could have come from anywhere…”

I felt a smack across my face, “Don’t you dare Ebi, don’t you dare!!” she was stooping over me, pointing an accusing finger, shakily at my face.

I looked up at her pleadingly.

She opened her mouth to speak but words failed her this time.

Frustrated, she made a dash for the bathroom, banged the door after herself, and loudly began to wail.

I couldn’t move from where I was sitting. I was confused and in total shock.

I cried.

I cried for letting my wife down, for letting our family down. I cried for our unborn child whom I had denied the privilege of sucking at its mother’s breasts, and I cried for myself, for a disease I obviously had too.

The tears cascaded quietly but painfully.

Who said men shouldn’t cry?

My phone began to ring, again. It had rung twice before and now I reluctantly pulled it out of my pocket.

It was Timi.

With exasperated aggression, I flung the phone against the wall and watched as it shattered to the floor.

I pulled myself up on my feet and launched towards the bathroom door, to my wife.

I was going to try and fix it all.

THE END.