Chapter Ten
Jessica
We stood in the center of the rustic village, turning around to take it all in—this is where we would be living for the next two weeks. I glanced at Tommy and found him looking back at me with a frown. I couldn’t blame him because it definitely wasn’t a posh hotel. But I also was excited to get my hands dirty and to give back.
I watched Sister Janice remove her habit, revealing a sweaty imprint created by the rubber banding of the aesthetically unpleasing head-wear she forced on herself. She was unbecoming and looked more like a stork than a woman. Not that it mattered. As a nun, she was only dressed to impress the Lord and no one else.
“The staff cleaned the center bungalow for Sister Janice and Jessica. Mr. Jacobs, you and your son will be staying in the bungalow directly opposite. They are the only two facilities on the grounds that have running water,” said Father Anton, who was standing in front of the group next to a large circular well, its wooden components decimated by termites.
“Thank you for your kind hospitality, Father Anton,” Mr. Jacobs responded before looking in my direction with his hauntingly beautiful eyes. He smiled. I smiled back and then dropped my attention to the dirt ground beneath my feet because I was very aware of the two sisters and Father Anton. The last thing I wanted was for them to realize I was lusting after Grey Jacobs. Well, and his son too, for that matter.
“You may head to your rooms. We will be eating dinner in the commons in about an hour. Freshen up and be there in forty-five minutes for prayer,” said Father Anton.
I looked at Mr. Jacobs one more time before we each went our separate ways. He, meanwhile, began kicking the soccer ball across the village grounds, as the children stuck to him like glue. Part of me was relieved he didn’t make eye contact with me again, even though my inner urges tempted me to sneak another peek.
“See you, Jess,” Tommy said as he smiled down at me before starting for his bungalow. I just smiled up at him in response.
“Jessica, are you coming?” asked a somewhat perturbed Sister Janice as she faced me and I realized she’d been talking to me the whole time I’d been zoning out on Mr. Jacobs. “Your head seems to be in the clouds.”
“I’m fine, it’s just... it’s just the humidity. It’s making me feel lightheaded,” I answered, coming up with an excuse for my behavior as quickly as I could.
“Well, let’s go inside and freshen up before dinner,” she commanded, in a motherly tone. “I need to rest for a spell. I still feel nauseous.”
We retreated toward our bungalow. Father Anton, Sister Carmen, and the other volunteers left for their rooms, as they chatted theology and who would be chosen to lead prayer at dinnertime.
Our bungalow was not very roomy. There was a partition with a washroom to the left as soon as one walked through the flimsy wooden door. Two twin-sized beds were pushed up against the farthest wall in the musty cabana. The floor wasn’t tiled or even cemented. In fact, it was the same continuous dirt from outside, but with less grass.
“Water,” I exclaimed, as I spotted a few water bottles sitting on top of a white dresser made of old, flaky wood. Snatching one of the bottles, I quickly downed half of it as Sister Janice gave me a cold stare.
“We are here for two weeks. Moderation, Jessica, moderation...” she lightly scolded.
“You’re right,” I said even though I was starting to think two weeks with her was going to feel like two years. I glanced down at myself and noticed how sweaty I was, a thin film of dirt covering my clothing and skin. “Do you mind if I shower?” I asked.
“Yes, but please hurry. I need to shower too, and dinner will creep up on us soon,” she said, while unpacking her few belongings onto her bed.
“I will, I promise,” I said, while grabbing my little toiletries purse from inside my bag.
As I walked behind the partition, I snuck a quick peek toward Sister Janice as I quickly pulled out my disposable pink razor, something which I was sure Sister Janice would deem as unnecessary. But my prickly legs were calling and there was no way I was going to ignore them, especially not with Mr. Jacobs and Tommy so close by.
Using a towel, I covered the side opening that led to the pitiful and rusted shower head, which hung over a dark nook within the bungalow. I began shaving my legs as I glanced through the gap in the towel to make sure Sister Janice was still busying herself. She was. I gently pressed down on the head of the razor as I worked my way up my thigh and finally my pussy area. I felt compelled to shave that portion of my body, something I’d started doing ever since Mr. Jacobs had shaved me in his bathroom. I thought of him now as I did it. I didn’t think dirty thoughts, forcing myself to abstain from flashes of erotic imagery. And it wasn’t that difficult a task, considering Sister Janice was just on the other side of the wall.
“How long does it take to wash yourself?” Sister Janice’s nagging voice persisted. “Why are you taking so long?”
I raised my head over the top of the partition and made eye contact with her as I felt myself starting to lose my temper. Good Lord, but this woman was a pain. “Sister, please be patient. You’ve been stressed since we arrived and you’re stressing me out!”
Sister Janice let out a rigid groan. “You daydream too much, Jessica. And it’s not something that’s going to help you here,” she muttered to herself, while folding one of her drab, brown dresses that looked like all the drab, brown dresses in her travel bag.
I hurried the last few swipes of the razor and managed to cut myself on the outer edges of my vulva. “Ow,” I yelped as I cursed her for making me hurry.
Sister Janice quickly scampered toward the shower and peered over the partition. I immediately hid the razor in my hand, feeling the sting as the blade cut into my palm. Blood streamed through my closed fist and down my upturned arm.
“What in heavens just happened to you?” Sister Janice emphatically asked, with both hands on her hips.
“Something bit me,” I said the first thing that came into my head as I feigned a worried look. Even though it was silly, maybe, I wanted to avoid the lecture I’d receive if Sister Janice knew what I was really doing—that I’d been shaving my pussy.
“Something bit you?” Sister Janice howled, sounding scared out of her mind. “Whatever it was, is it still in there with you? Is it a snake?” Then I heard her muttering a prayer.
“Sister, please, just hand me the towel,” I answered, sounding exasperated because I was. “Or please, just find me a Band-Aid or something.”
Flustered, Sister Janice left the bungalow, which was just as well because she was driving me crazy. As she bolted through the door, I opened my hand and stared at a three-inch long, superficial cut across the palm of my hand. It was thinly sliced enough to bleed, but fortunately, extremely manageable. I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around my body as I plodded into the main room. Noticing one of Sister Janice’s brown stockings lying on the bed, I went for it, tightly wrapping it around my hand. I quickly tossed the cursed razor into my bag and took out a set of clean clothes.
“Jessica, are you all right?” asked a familiar voice.
I turned around to find Mr. Jacobs’ athletic build silhouetted against the blinding, late afternoon sun as he stood in the doorway to our bungalow. The breath caught in my throat as soon as I realized I was basically naked, save for the towel wrapped around me. As a result, my pussy instantly started to throb.
Sister Janice came running in behind him and placed her hand over his eyes as she snapped at me, “Jessica, put some clothes on!”
Mr. Jacobs’ contagious grin illuminated the bungalow’s third-world décor as I grabbed my clothing and returned to the shower because it was the only way I could hide myself.
“It’s okay, I didn’t see anything,” he said, laughing like a schoolboy. Little did Sister Janice know that he’d already seen my everything and then some!
I quickly put on one of my long skirts while still managing to keep the towel around my waist. Then I hurriedly put on my bra and a plain, white, polyester-blend shirt, pulling it down with my good hand. “I’m decent,” I said as I stepped away from the shower and Mr. Jacobs turned around. He eyed me appreciatively.
“What bit you?” he asked, as he walked toward me. He then took my hand and as soon as he touched me, I felt goosebumps crop up and down my arms. He opened my hand, unwrapping Sister Janice’s stocking, as he examined the cut on my palm with a furrowed brow of sincere concern. “An animal did this to you?” he asked, in a perplexed tone as he smiled down at me, knowing full well that no animal would have been capable of making such a clean cut.
I shrugged my shoulders and looked up into his eyes, as he continued to stare down at my palm. His large hands carefully gripped my thin wrist. My skin tingled at the behest of his warm touch. “I think I’ll be okay,” I said as I gulped down the sudden need to feel his lips on mine and his tongue on other delicate parts of my body.
Mr. Jacobs gave me a playfully suspicious raise of the eyebrow as Sister Janice continued to prattle on in the background. “Was this from a razor?” he whispered to me, to which I just nodded. He smiled as he pulled out a wad of gauze and some tape. I wasn’t sure where he’d gotten it but I also didn’t bother to ask. Instead, I watched him as he wrapped the cut with the bandage and then secured it in place with the tape. “Were you shaving your cunt for me?” he continued as my eyes went wide and I glanced behind him to make sure Sister Janice was still occupied. She was. I glanced back at him and simply nodded. “Good, little girl,” he whispered back. “I intend to inspect it with my tongue later.” I felt shock rifle through me as he turned to Sister Janice. “I think she’ll be okay.”
“What bit her?” asked Sister Janice. “And can you make sure it isn’t still in the shower?” She looked terrified but I couldn’t really say my attention was on her. Instead, I was panting over Mr. Jacobs’ words and the fact that I wanted nothing more than his tongue inspection on my pussy. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, though, I inwardly reprimanded myself. I had to stay strong and I had to tell Mr. Jacobs that none of that could continue to go on between the two of us. I made the decision to tell him as soon as we were alone again.
Mr. Jacobs turned toward me and gave me a playful smirk. “A mantis?”
I slowly nodded and grinned, realizing he was saving me. “Yes, it was a mantis.”
“Are they poisonous?” asked Sister Janice as she stared at us with gaping, wide eyes. “And are they big? Do they have teeth?”
“No, they aren’t poisonous,” Mr. Jacobs responded, as he maintained eye contact with me before glancing back at her and smiling reassuringly.
With the gracefulness of a large, muscular cat, he released my hand and lumbered toward the door, his footsteps deliberate and silent. The calf muscles on his legs strained and released like fleshy pistons as he planted his steps on the caked ground. Before exiting the bungalow, he gave me one last look and said, “I’ll see you both at dinner in ten minutes.” Then he faced me. “Jessica, be more careful, will you?”
As soon as he was absorbed by sunlight, Sister Janice gave me a half grin. “He’s a lot of man, isn’t he?”
“What?” I asked, completely stunned by her question. Hadn’t she been scared to death of insects just a second ago? And, furthermore, as a nun, wasn’t she not supposed to notice that sort of thing?
“You know...” she said, cheeks blushing. “His build... it’s just… manly.”
I giggled because I didn’t know what else to say. Sister Janice giggled as well.