Jeff leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “Tell me a story."
“I don’t know any.”
“You can’t be serious. Okay, tell me about your high school love.”
“I… I never hadany,” the frankness in her voice was unmistakable.
He adjusted his sitting position. “Okay, I will tell you one. Do you know Aesop?”
“Yes.”
“Good, he once told a story about an innocent, brilliant girl who fell in love with a criminal.”
She eyed him. “A criminal?”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean by a criminal?”
“Just keep quiet and listen, will you?”
“Okay, sir. Go on, sir,” she saluted, giggling.
“Good. When I mean a criminal, I mean the person was a social menace, always falling into trouble while this girl was as pure and as innocent as a newborn baby. In fact, it was a typical Beauty and the Beast kind of story, and everyone wondered what the girl saw in a creep like him. They tried to dissuade her from marrying the young man, but it was akin to water off a duck’s back because the girl threatened to kill herself.”
“You’re not serious,” she cried, not because she was interested, but out of curiosity.
“Everyone wanted to know why she fell for him.”
“And what did they find?” Despite her first airs, she was interested in the story.
He laughed. “Life is full of miracles and love knows no rule.”
I can’t remember such a story by Aesop.”
He hooded his eyes. “Really?”
“Yes. I… I don’t think Aesop ever told such a story.”
He laughed. “Well, you’re right. I made it up.”
“You…” her eyes lit up. “You did?”
He nodded, laughing.
“You are impossible.”
“I take that as a compliment. Seen your result yet?”
“Nope, why do you ask?”
“Nothing. Just that.... I mean, I was hoping you’d make good grades so you would be admitted to our school?”
‘So you can keep an eye on me,’ she thought, but refrained from saying so. “I hope so too.”
“And you still want to study linguistics?”
“Sure.Do you have a problem with that?”
“Well… uhm… uhm yes but… but I don’t want to sound like a pessimist.”
She sat up. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing,” he shrugged. “I just hope you wouldn’t be out of a job before you graduate.”
The skin around her eyes furrowed. “Why did you say that?”
“Computers are taking over the speech technology industry; I hope you know that already? I mean, you can speak Hausa on the phone in Kano and someone in Lagos will hear you speaking in Yoruba.”
“Oh that?” she chuckled and dismissed it with a wave of the hand.
“Don’t dismiss it like that.”
“Sorry to disappoint you. Yes, I know of the language translation software, but computers can never translate like the human mind.”
“Meaning?”
“Computers can never relate to what was said, implied or detect what was meant.” She paused and looked him straight in the eyes. “What about irony, humor, wordplay, feelings and reading between the lines? Listen, there is no such thing as word-for-word translation, and I’m not worried about being replaced by a machine because that’s not possible.”
He picked up one of the magazines lying on his reading desk and threw it at her. “Seen this?”
She frowned. “What’s that?”
“Don’t tell me you can’t read?”
She scanned the headline captioned ‘Road to Bipedalism’ and the furrow on her face deepened.
“Finally, evolutionists have been able to prove that we changed over time from ape-like creatures to human beings.”
She threw the magazine back to him. “Sorry, but I don’t believe in evolution.”
“Oh, stretch your imagination. This has nothing to do with your belief system, but scientific facts. The theory has it those early Hominidae–ape-like creatures on the human family tree, whose roots took hold over four million years ago with bipedalism evolved into us - homo sapiens.” His face was animated and his eyes keen. It is always so whenever he discusses science, evolution, biotechnology, environmental pollution, or other related topics close to his heart.
“I don’t entertain such nonsense because it’s not only a waste of time, but sheer stupidity.”
“Stupidity? How?”
“If we evolved from apes like evolutionary scientists insinuate, don’t you think we’ll evolve into something else later? Maybe, change into a kind of alien, a monster, or a specialized human being. We may even advance further in the evolutionary trend with specialized attributes, whatever.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It is simple. If evolution exists, it means we cannot stop changing or evolving just because we have attained the status of humanity since change, as a phenomenon, is a constant thing?”
“I still don’t get it.”
“Evolution, according to ‘your’ science is the ability of species to adapt or change into something they were not before - my own definitionactually. Right? Okay, why then do you think we should stop to evolve simply because we’ve attained the status of humanity? Don’t you think we’ll change into something else, probably, a tree, monster, or an alien who knows,” she let out a short, derisive laugh.
“Look Maya, sometimes you need to stretch your imagination. Not everything isabout religion. You should be rational at times.”
“Rational? How? Now listen,” she adjusted her sitting position. “You see, Evolution is like the argument that babies in the womb are not humans when we want to justify social abortion but claim they are when we condemn prenatal sex choice in favor of male babies. In addition, just like evolution, if the fetus is not a person, then what is it? A wombat, a frog, or a dog? Listen; whatever else one might call them, beings that are none-persons must be none - persons.”
“So?”
“So, species that are non-humans must be none-humans, nothing more, nothing less. An ape is an ape and not a human being. Human beings are distinct specie of their own right from creation. There is nothing like evolution. Apes are apes and human beings are human beings. There is no middle way, no ambiguity.”
He looked at her, a mischievous smile hovering over his lips. “You still don’t grasp it, do you?”
“What don’t I grasp?”
“Humanity of babies in the womb.”
“Yes, what about that?”
“When we talk about the humanity of babies in the womb, we mean they are not fully humans. They are only a potential person. You know the potentiality principle, don’t you? The growth in degrees? Yes, that’s it.”
“Okay, let me take you on there; let me assume personhood to mean the state of being a person. Nevertheless, do you think it makes sense to think of it as being present in degrees? Can you put two people side by side and say they are both persons but that one is more of a person than the other?” She looked at him hard. “Listen, Jeff, we can hardly speak of ‘half a person’. A person can only be a person, no more, no less. Personhood in the sense of the state of being a person admits to no degrees. It is a clear truth that development continues in human beings for many years, and in more ways than not, we could always be said to have potential which we have not yet realized, and if that is the truth, then doesn’t maturity fall short among children and teenagers and adults who are unable to act with maturity and in a thoughtful purpose - whatever the criteria for deciding who is, and who is not a person. If that is the case, then we are less than fully persons and if less than fully persons, we are less than fully humans. Evolution makes no sense just as the potential principle philosophy does not hold water. You guys are grabbing the wrong end of the stick. God created man in His own image after His likeness. Man is unique and did not evolve from anything.”
He shook his head. “You don’t understand. It applies only in the pre-natal state.”
“Ha-ha,” she laughed. “Only in the pre-natal stage? Now tell me, what makes you think babies in the womb are less than human beings than the rest of us? Are you telling me you weren’t a person from the moment you were conceived until when you emerged from your mother’s womb?”
“You still don’t get it. You…”
“Jeff,” she cut him short.
“Yes.”
“These things you read won’t help you. They will only get you more confused. Why don’t you use half the time you spend reading the junk you call science, reading the Bible? I think it will help.”
He was thoughtful for a moment. “I think you’re right,” he nodded. “But I can’t even bring myself to do that.”
“I don’t get it?”
“I find it boring.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” he snapped. “How… how do you expect me to know that?”
“Should I tell you why?”
“I’m listening,” he snorted.
“It’s because you don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.”
His eyes took on a feral meanness. “I knew you would say that.” He hates it whenever Italk about God and Jesus Christ. It wasn’t cool.
“Jeff.” The softness in her voice made him look up.
“Yes?”
“When are you going to give your life to Christ? You know heaven is real?”
“I heard ABSU has released the first list,” he changed the topic instead of answering her question. He does that whenever it comes to Jesus and the Bible. She still can’tfathom why he dreads the Bible and God so much.
“You haven’t answered my question. So don’t change the topic.”
“I also understand they lowered their cutoff marks, yet there’s a shortage of students.”
Despite her resolve not to fall for his gimmicks, she fell harder still. “Are you serious? I didn’t know about that.”
“I thought as much.”
“But why is there a shortage of students?”
“Poverty,” the pain in his voice was obvious.
“Poverty?” she repeated, frowning. “How? I don’t understand.”
“Many parents can’t afford the exorbitant school fees because of the economic situations in the country occasioned by the recession.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Any freshman you see in school today is a politician’s or a businessman’s daughter/son and the like.”
“Gosh,” she blew out her cheeks. The high tuition fee in the country was polarizing the gap between ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots.’ “This is dangerous.”
“Yes, it is.”
She shook her head. “This means kids from poor families with good grades and the propensity for serious academic exercises may be denied because of financial constraints while their less brilliant counterparts with no brain for serious academic exercises are given opportunities to study just because their parents could afford it.”
“That’s it,”he shrugged and shifted closer. She stiffened as their bodies touched. “So, tell me, how your day went?” he took her hand and felt her shivering. Her breath was coming in short, quick gasps.
“It …it was…” she stuttered and felt a curious sensation erupt at the pit of her stomach. “Fine.”
He picked an imaginary dust off her dress, his hand brushing against her breast. She started and shifted slightly. His closeness made her uncomfortable.“You know you’re the best thing that ever happened to me?” he whispered, nibbling at her earlobe.
She let out a nervous laugh. “Story for the gods.”
He crossed his heart. “Trust me.”
She rolled her eyes at him, her head bent at an odd angle.
“Stop lookingat me like that.”
She smirked. “Like how?”
He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “Like … like you want to be kissed.”
The smile froze and her eyes widened. She pushed his hand away and jumped to her feet. “I think I have to get going.”
He jumped to his feet too. “But why? We … you?”
“Oh, be reasonable, Jeff. I have to run errands for my mother.”
“Okay,” he reneged. He knew whenever she took that stand, she was hard to convince. He threw his hand around her waist and pulled her close. Immediately their bodies touched; she felt something like an electric surge pass through her body.She struggled against him.
“Kiss me goodbye, then.”
“You …you promised not to touch me?” she mumbled as she tried to wriggle free from his grip.
“Yes,” he brushed back astrand of hair that had fallen across her face, his hand accidentally brushing against her breast. She started. “But that didn’t include kissing, am I right?” he said as his tongue, a fiery, darting messenger of desire found her lips and muffled all protests.
“Uh,” she cried as their lips touched and a strange dizziness washed over her. The kiss might have lasted for 5 seconds, but it was her first real kiss and it felt good.
“Not too bad for a first time.”
She blushed. Everything was happening in a blur. She could still feel his lips and the burning sensation he aroused.She ran her tongue across her lips.
He narrowed his eyes. “I wish you wouldn’t do that again.”
“Do what?”
“This,” he touched her lips with his tongue. Immediately, the fire ignited and they latched onto each other again.
His hand found her breast and he gave the nipplea gentle squeeze.“Oh,” she let out a soft moan andheld the back of his head tight to keep him there. She wanted more of him, all of him. He maintained the pressure on her nipples with one hand, while the other explored all the hidden and sensory nerve endings in her young body with the careful practicality of a professional physiotherapist.
She wanted to stop him, to push him away but she could not muster up enough courage as his hand went deeper and deeper in-between her legs.He was almost ‘there’ when her conscience discovered itself and she stiffened, clamping shut her legs and trapping his hand.
“What now?” he murmured as he felt her lips going cold in his mouth.
“No, please stop it.”
“Please, Maya, just this once. Can’t you see I need you?” he cried in a croaked voice.
“Please, Jeff, no,” she struggled to wriggle free from his grip. A part of her wanted him to continue, but the other half was screaming run.
He wasn’t listeningand had gone past the line of common sense. His senses were now on his third leg. “Come on, sweetie,” he muttered. From experience he knew women say ‘no’ while acting ‘yes’.
A dark cloud passed over her face and blood rushed to her face as she remembered who she was. “Jesus!” she cried and pushed him with force. “Stop it.”
Something flashed in his brain at the mention of the name Jesus, and he heard a voice still but menacing say.
“Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm.”
He jumped to his feet, palpating terror ceasing him. The voice was so audible that he thought she must have heard it too.