What it means to be deceptive

You're my fiancee, we will soon get married. Necessary marriage preparations are being made. I have started making enquiries about your tradition and marital rites," Samankwe said. "But have you bothered to ask me about how to see my parents? Many a time have I told them about you and they have been expecting your visit," Salome said abruptly.

"I love you and your love for me is undeniable, we can make this work,"
Samankwe spoke convincingly. "Yes I love you more, but..." she paused. "But what?" he cut in. She was dumbstruck. She looked at him as he began to sense so much passion and he started running his eyes all over her.

Samankwe drew close to her. She attempted to complain but he patted her to stop. Attempting to hold her lips but she withdrew from him and pushed him away. "Stop this your hypocritical holier than thou attitude," he teased. "We know all this hard-to-get act. This is the in-thing, once two grown up adults in relationship do it, it probably lit up smile and urges the guy to marriage," he said persuasively.

She was confused, her lips hanged apart. She couldn't talk but retired to deep thought, "Huh, let it not be what I am thinking. Are you sure he is not trying to fool me with marriage proposal. That he has no engagement ring is not the problem but if he had visited my parents, I will feel respected that he has honoured my family. But he keeps postponing it, and making advances at me. Let it not be a way to get at me and run away or let it not be my fears about men. I know what the resultant effect will be at last. Salome, be careful, beware of dogs. Men are like dogs, devouring with their venom deposit, once deposited, they make dialogue with their legs, abandoning their prey especially when they don't love the involved prey," she thought. 

"I'm aware of it," she nodded her head as a wise girl. She remained in this mood for so long a time. "But I can't conclude fast at this emotional point. Seeing the bulge in his trouser, this is libidinous not a sign of love," she concluded. All this while he has been tapping her with his hand to call her out of her deep thought but the situation really drained her. 

Suddenly, she stood up to go but he struggled to draw her bag back, begging her to stay that he would control himself. His promised to be disciplined and be a gentleman caught her attention. She dropped her bag reluctantly. "Please stop attempting to lure me into premarital affair. I don't like it. After marriage you will have me all to yourself," she reassured. "In your dreams," he thought grudgingly. He stared at her back and pretentiously smiled at her face, with a tenacious look, giving her all hope. 

Few minutes, he started to praise and adore her;

"You are so beautiful my love, you are so beautiful. Your soft eyes are as gentle as doves from behind. Your hair is as captivating as the flowing movement. You are to be taken to the moon someday. My love for you will never die. You are the right woman to mother my kids. I can die for you," his love interlude captivated her imagination that she began to grow soft. Those words freezed her. He saw the glow of new love written all over Salome. She felt so special. "The sweet tongue of men is so alluring that even a hard-to-get girl would not resist!" Salome soliloquised. 

He emerged a bottle of fanta drink from the refrigerator and served her which she sipped as they discussed.

He began to rejoice in his heart that he was able to reassure her that he loved her and love was in her eyes, and all over her body. His hope was that soon she would be all his—all through for a ride. Gloating for his anticipated victory. Salome fell asleep... And the rest is history.

She found herself in the bed few hours later. She unwrapped her body from the mattress. Samankwe had disappeared. She was ashamed to find out she was naked. She doubted that she was raped. Few minutes later, she dressed up quickly, and left the house in shame.

Three weeks, the result was out, she kept emptying her bowels. Vomiting all day and feeling fatigue and nauseous all the time. She didn't seem to understand until her auntie called her aside and revealed her status. What else? Who will foot her pregnancy bills, her poor parents in the village? Or her widow auntie who is struggling to survive with her two kids?

"Who is responsible, Salome?" her auntie quietly asked. The next was at Samankwe's house, in a one-room sitter apartment. "I impregnated you? You want to force a bastard child on me?  It won't work for you. Go and find the father or you don't know actually, who among them that ejected his sperm cells, in semen swim up your vagina?hohohoho! hohohoho!" he uttered impulsively and laughed, they had the door slammed in their faces by Samankwe.

Know the difference between pure love", "reassurance" and lustful/ sexual exuberance—be wise!

See also That night.

This work and more inclusive, A short story collection