Citation de MegGomar
“Hello?” she called, wiping her forehead. “Is anyone around?”
Footsteps came down the corridor; then Elizabeth appeared, hazy behind
the green mesh of the mosquito net. She was wearing shorts and a singlet,
as tall as she’d ever been. Juju stood with a polite smile as Elizabeth
unlatched the door.
“Good afternoon,” she said, wincing a little at how formal she sounded.
“I’m Aunty Maja’s daughter?”
Elizabeth stared at her for a moment, her face blank, and Juju stared
right back. She remembered Elizabeth’s face, but back then Elizabeth had
been a lanky, dark-skinned child with threaded hair and puffy dresses. Now
she had shaved off her hair, and Juju felt herself staring at all that skin, from
her scalp to her arms and legs, even the smooth cleavage that the singlet
couldn’t quite cover. She wasn’t wearing a bra. Juju blushed.
“Oh, Aunty Maja,” Elizabeth finally said, after a forever of staring
silence. Her voice was deep and sweet. “You’re Juju. Come in.” She moved
aside to make space and Juju tried to walk through the doorway, but it was
impossible to do so without brushing against Elizabeth, who didn’t move.
She just smiled and looked down as Juju squeezed past. “It’s nice to meet
you,” she said, and Juju wondered if she heard a trace of amusement in her
voice.
“You, too,” she said.
Elizabeth latched the door again and led them into the kitchen. “Do you
want something to drink?”
Her question seemed to come from a great distance. Juju had been
watching her legs, the smooth bulge of her calves, the soft places behind her
knees, barely paying attention to what she was saying. She had been
looking at girls that way, with an interest in the texture of their flesh, for
some time, but she was always afraid that they’d catch her and see into her
head, into the places even Juju was a little scared of seeing. So she avoided
Elizabeth’s eyes, in case Elizabeth saw how much she wanted to put her
mouth on the back of her neck. She looked up, down, over at the kitchen
tiles, anywhere but directly at this tall and beautiful girl. Later, once they
were together, Elizabeth told her it was the most adorable thing she’d ever
seen. Juju had expected to collect the guavas and leave, but somehow she
was answering yes to the glass of water and then they were talking and it
was a few hours before she finally left with the fruit.
The next time they’d met, Elizabeth had come to Juju’s house, bringing
jam jars for Maja, who insisted that Juju invite her into her room, thinking
they would become friends.
Elizabeth kissed Juju for the first time that day, quickly, on her way out.
“You don’t need to be so afraid,” she’d said. “I like you, too.”
And that was it, that was how Juju got a girlfriend.
Footsteps came down the corridor; then Elizabeth appeared, hazy behind
the green mesh of the mosquito net. She was wearing shorts and a singlet,
as tall as she’d ever been. Juju stood with a polite smile as Elizabeth
unlatched the door.
“Good afternoon,” she said, wincing a little at how formal she sounded.
“I’m Aunty Maja’s daughter?”
Elizabeth stared at her for a moment, her face blank, and Juju stared
right back. She remembered Elizabeth’s face, but back then Elizabeth had
been a lanky, dark-skinned child with threaded hair and puffy dresses. Now
she had shaved off her hair, and Juju felt herself staring at all that skin, from
her scalp to her arms and legs, even the smooth cleavage that the singlet
couldn’t quite cover. She wasn’t wearing a bra. Juju blushed.
“Oh, Aunty Maja,” Elizabeth finally said, after a forever of staring
silence. Her voice was deep and sweet. “You’re Juju. Come in.” She moved
aside to make space and Juju tried to walk through the doorway, but it was
impossible to do so without brushing against Elizabeth, who didn’t move.
She just smiled and looked down as Juju squeezed past. “It’s nice to meet
you,” she said, and Juju wondered if she heard a trace of amusement in her
voice.
“You, too,” she said.
Elizabeth latched the door again and led them into the kitchen. “Do you
want something to drink?”
Her question seemed to come from a great distance. Juju had been
watching her legs, the smooth bulge of her calves, the soft places behind her
knees, barely paying attention to what she was saying. She had been
looking at girls that way, with an interest in the texture of their flesh, for
some time, but she was always afraid that they’d catch her and see into her
head, into the places even Juju was a little scared of seeing. So she avoided
Elizabeth’s eyes, in case Elizabeth saw how much she wanted to put her
mouth on the back of her neck. She looked up, down, over at the kitchen
tiles, anywhere but directly at this tall and beautiful girl. Later, once they
were together, Elizabeth told her it was the most adorable thing she’d ever
seen. Juju had expected to collect the guavas and leave, but somehow she
was answering yes to the glass of water and then they were talking and it
was a few hours before she finally left with the fruit.
The next time they’d met, Elizabeth had come to Juju’s house, bringing
jam jars for Maja, who insisted that Juju invite her into her room, thinking
they would become friends.
Elizabeth kissed Juju for the first time that day, quickly, on her way out.
“You don’t need to be so afraid,” she’d said. “I like you, too.”
And that was it, that was how Juju got a girlfriend.
