12. Dream of Jennifer

A SUMMER UNDER THE SUN Part 12

“The good thing,” Jennifer told Darren when his mother had stalked off, “is we break up for the summer holidays tomorrow and if you like we can spend some time together’

“I’d like that,” he whispered, “I can’t think of anything I’d like better!”

“I can,” smiled Jennifer, “something like this:" and she kissed him again.

He felt his whole body react to her closeness, where her hair brushed lightly on his face, where the softness of her bosom touched lightly against his tee-shirt and the fragrance from all of her washed over him like a gentle balm from a paradise in the skies.

“You know,” she whispered as she pulled away from him and looked at him with those eyes that he knew could see everything that was whistling around inside him, “I’ve fancied you for ages.”

He couldn’t think of a suitable reply, so this time it was his turn to kiss her, and he did. He felt her fingers as they seemingly accidentally moved over his stomach, and past it, tormenting him..

“And I can tell that you like me too,” she breathed.

“I love you…” he gasped, “more than anything. I have since I was kid.”

“Now what did we say about loving and forever?” she asked.

They remained there at the bottom of the Sagebrush garden until the day started to give way to night, and eventually they had to part. He left so reluctantly he felt like weeping, and might have shed real tears had he not been afraid of what she would think oif him for being a cry baby, and made his way down the path to their own garden gate.

His mother was in the kitchen, bustling at things that didn’t need being bustled with, and eyed him as he walked in.

‘You’re changing before my eyes, son,’ she thought, but, “so you like the girl, our Darren,” she said.

“Very much,” he mumbled.

“I’m your mother and it’s my job to set you straight, and warn you not to go off with the first bit of skirt that comes your way,” she told him, “why, if I’d got hitched to the first lad who pushed his tongue into my mouth you’d never have come along because that first lad wasn’t your dad!”

“Thanks for telling me, mum,” he muttered, “now if you don’t mind I’m going to bed. We break up from school tomorrow, and I don’t want to be late…”

“I thought you’d done with school,” she said, knowingly.

“I’ve another year to do and I want to go to uni,” he said, “and don’t you worry, I’ll find the money from somewhere.”

“I’m not worried about that, son,” she said quietly, “your dad had a life insurance, and as far as I’m concerned he meant it for your future. He always said so…”

Darren barely understood what she’d said as he went to the door intending to go upstairs to bed. He paused and looked back at her, but she was scrubbing a saucepan that didn’t need to be scrubbed.

“He was a good bloke, was dad,” he mumbled.

“You see, son, I had to kiss quite a few lads before I found the right one,” she said.

Darren found it hard to believe that his mother ever kissed anyone. As far as he knew she never even kissed the man she married, his dad, but he was too young to know more than a spattering of her life.

“Yes, mum,” he said automatically, and went to his bedroom.

Sleep didn’t come easily, not with the taste of the beautiful Jennifer on his tongue and everywhere in his mouth. She had said she’d always fancied him! And yet all he seemed to have done was spy on her and yearn to get closer. Yes, and he’d actually gone and fainted when she’d looked his way! Yet look at the way they’d kissed. There could never be anything in the past or the future to equal the wonders of her lips, her mouth, her tongue…

And then the way she’d brushed her hand lightly across his trousers.. Who would have thought, who would have believed, that any girl let alone the wonderful Jennifer would ever dream of doing that to him.

When sleep did come it was fractured with odd dreams in which Jennifer figured prominently teasing him Then, in the early hours of the morning when the world was at its darkest and his bedroom was little more than shadows, black shadows at that, it seemed that he opened his eyes and saw an even darker shadow looming up and reaching towards him. It had a square helmet on a vicious head, nd was ready to strike him with a killing blow.

“What’s that?” he yelped, and the shape that was neither man nor shadow seemed to melt away at the sound of his voice. Unaccountably, he found himself shaking with the kind of fear he’d never known before.

His bedroom door opened and his mother, who had been sleeping only lightly, came in and switched on his light.

“What is it, our Darren?” she asked anxiously.

“It must … I dreamed…” he stammered, “a shadow man, blacker than the night, going to strike me… I’m scared, mum.”

“Your father sometimes had that kind of dream,” Rona said, her voice sympathetic. “It’s probably a man thing. I tell you what, I know you’re too young for it, but just this once you can come to my bed with me if you like. No nasty demons can’t get you when I’m protecting you.”

“It’s alright, mum, it really is, I won’t dream again.”

“If you’re sure. Probably just as well. I mean, here’s you at seventeen, all manly, and an old woman like me inviting you to her bed!”

“Mum! It wouldn’t have been like that!”

“Of course it wouldn’t. I tell you what, Darren, if you’ve got to dream at all, dream of that lass you’re always snogging! Dream of Jennifer!”

“I’ll try not to dream at all, mum,” he replied, and smiled. “But if I do I’ll dream I’m being pushed out of bed by you!”

“You do that, son, you do that,” she smiled, and disappeared back into her own room, switching his light off and leaving his room blacker tan ever.

And so the room was in pitch darkness, and no shadows took the shape of a demon and came to torment him, not while he was awake and not in his sleep when Jennifer entered his dreams.

© Peter Rogerson 09.05.21

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