It gets better with time, it gets better with time, this is what she would say, as we laid side by side on her master bed, both of us naked after having had sex. My mother suspected that I was perhaps seeing some girl, but little did she knew that I would seeing her best friend and so I did all that I could to hide it from her.
I would usually come home straight after school and do what was expected of me and after that excuse myself and wouldn't return until somewhere around eleven in the evening. At first no questions were asked about my whereabouts and why should there be I asked myself, after leaving her house on a high and clothed with certain confidence. My school grades were not suffering and I was helping around the house as part of my daily routine and so I figured, if I continue playing the obedient son to both Mam and Dad no suspicion would surface.
We had no appointments whatsoever with each other, because she said that I could drop by any time I wanted and that was fine with me, however coming to her was not the problem, but leaving my house to go to her was now my most concern, because I was running out of both excuses and things to say. One day in other to see her, I came up with a lame excuse that one of my friends was sick and that I needed to go see him, not knowing that this very friend would be at my house, inquiring about me shortly after I had left to go pay him a visit. And so when I returned, my father who heard and recognized my foot steps down the hallway, asked about my friend and I said he was recovering well enough and that he sends his regards, he didn't intrude any further.
I celebrated my birthday on the eleventh of march 1972 and there was a huge party at our house, both friends and family gathered with presents in hand for the birthday boy who was turning fifteen. Among those present was my secret lover, whom my mother knew as her friend and who was also known to everyone as auntie. During the birthday party amidst the laughter, cheers and wishing wells, my father asked if my girlfriend was coming over and I said I had no girlfriend and he said come on son, I know you are seeing somebody and so why don't you tell me about her? I said that I was not seeing anyone in particluar and told him to bug off.
Later on that evening, after the party madness had subsided and a certain sense of normalcy seems to have returned, I took off without telling anyone where I was off to and as soon as I got to her place there she stood waiting, like she knew. She asked me how surprised was I to see her at the party and also how I felt about the presents and which particular present did I like the most and I replied her and said, I liked hers the most, which made her smile.
Right after that, she took my hand and led me to her bedroom, where we had a sexual intercourse. I was fifteen and she was much older than me, but this felt fine. Never did it cross my teenage mind that this might be considered strange, because I had witness older men having relationships with much younger girls their age and I mean girls who where not yet women and girls who were even young enough to be their daughters and society just looked on unconcerned. And so one way or the other I felt justified.
My father was and is still a man of few words, he is also a man who takes pride in all of his children, he would often tell us how much he loved each and everyone of us, he spoke the truth and encouraged each and everyone of his children to be truthful, honest and forthright and so I guessed he must have felt really disappointed, when he discovered that I was not being honest with him about the person who was taking all of my precious time.
And so he called me to himself one day when mother was not around and sat me down, son he said, I know about you and auntie and don't you lie to me son, look he said, I have been following you around for awhile now and at first I thought you only went up there to help her cook and clean, but then I saw a different change in you, the kind of change which men who have had an experience with women could only see and that is when and how I knew. My father looked at me in a very investigative manner and said son, do you know how old that woman is and do you know what would happen, when people found out about the two of you?
My only reply was father, is there an age to love, which he replied and said....................................