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‘You no likeout naked’ as he called it ‘You vex wit’ me?’ She had already noticed the redness in his eyes

‘Jagwa, how many times I will tell you not to shao naked in de street!’

She soin’ to say But speak true, dis be naked?’ she pouted, holding the fli round and round ‘Dis be naked?’ She reached for a powder puff and began to powder her face ‘You don’ know de fashion, Freddie’

‘You know de fashion, das why deoin’ to a lecture, not dance We goin’ to a lecture in de British Council’ Freddie shut his eyes tight the way he always did when irritated

‘Ah knoha’s wrong wit’ you, Freddie, man You too jealous! You never like de men to look at you woman body Don’ worry! All dose ot brain and soul Dem will not want to sleep your woan wiping the, obstinate, this live bright thing that had been aglow only one o

Freddie came and held her hands and wiped away her tears and she felt soothed

‘Make you trust oin’ to run aith any irls dress like dis nowadays Is de fashion We live in Africa where de sun dey shine every time; even sun use to shine when de rain fall So we mus’ show our skin and let de sun-shine kiss our body Is nothin’ bad in de sun kissin’ you woland …’

She saw that Freddie was not listening He was looking through aat the setting sun beyond the big banana leaves and palm fronds The yellowness lit in silhouette the tall trees and corrugated roofs ‘When ah go to Englan’, eh?’ he sneered ‘You jus’ wan’ to laugh me Poor teacher like ive me scholarship—’

‘Nothin’ is impossible, Freddie! You land By de help of God, you o

You better pass o and co, too You knohat you doin’ You serious with you work Yes! Governive you, den we edder to sen’ you’

‘I jus’ tryin’ by myself, das all If God help me—’

‘Godas I love you, Freddie,’ she whispered

She wanted Freddie because of his youth He was good-looking and she knew the girls loved hi aland, returned a lawyer, drove a big car, and then shunned her? No! He was too genuine a os’ boys, the ‘fast’ ones

‘When you go, Freddie, proet we here! Person like rowin’ old, I want me own-man …’