Afternoons With My Niece Part 1 (The Bond)
I was sitting at my desk working through some papers. The door burst open and what seemed like whirling dervish came through, plonked a bag on the floor, and threw herself on the sofa. “Oh uncle, it’s so stressful, I am going to fail, I just know it.” The whirling dervish was my niece. In her final year of school, wanting to study at university, and facing all the stresses of exams, study and university entrance. “Take it easy now, just relax and unwind for a minute. I will get you a drink. Hot or cold?” “Can I have cold followed by hot? I need to cool down, and then a cup of chai would be perfect.” She stretched out on the sofa, her legs stretched out in front of her, her arms lay listlessly at her side. She was in her school uniform, blue tartan skirt, white shirt and a tie that hung loosely around her neck. “Here, some iced water first, then chai.” “Oh thank you, uncle, I don’t know what I’d do without you. You are a lifesaver.” I returned to the kitchen and made the chai. “And how about you uncle, how are you?” she called from the lounge. I carried the chai to the small table between the sofa and the chair. “Yes, good here. I have been working on the itinerary for the visiting group from Malaysia. Now relax and tell me how my niece is going to fail her exams and end up sweeping the railway stations at night for a living.” She proceeded to give me a rundown on all her studies, exams, the stresses and her worries about not being good enough to get into university. Even as she spoke I could feel the stress drain out of her. Her face became much more animated, her eyes started to light up, and she was much more relaxed. She called in on me every Wednesday after school for a drink and a debrief. I looked forward very much to her company, even if it always started off with her woes about her studies. “And then it’s the boys, uncle. The boys in my class are so immature.” “Yes, it’s a well-known fact that females mature much earlier than males, that’s ok. It’s not as if you are going to marry any of them!” ‘Yuck uncle, that’s a horrible thought! But even the older ones, when I go out with friends, the boys we see from university or working, they are so immature. They boast about themselves, try and make themselves popular to impress us. OMG, if they only know how much I despise them.” “Well, there’s plenty of time for boys, for now, concentrate on your studies.” “Yeah, my friend from school, Anaya. She has a boyfriend now and she is falling behind. I would never let that happen to me!” “Yes, your mother, my sister, she was 27 when she had you and she had her degree and a job in the research hospital.” “That’s what I want, to do Biomed and work in research. Ooh but the maths and chemistry, I will never get there.” She held a cushion over her face and moaned into it. I sat beside her and put my arm around her. She nestled her head into my shoulder and moaned again. “Just take each day as it comes. Deal with what you have in front of you and the rest will take care of itself.” She relaxed against me for a few minutes. I felt her breathing becoming steady. The softness of her body against mine was thrilling. I felt my stomach churning. “Thank you uncle, you’re always so good to me. I always feel better when I come here. I must go now, Mommy will be waiting and wondering.” I kissed her cheek and she kissed mine, she hugged me, then turned to collect her things. I have to admit I was aroused, the cuddle with her, the kisses exchanged, the sight of her young body in her uniform was exciting. By the time she waved goodbye from the path, I was half hard in my trousers. A week later the entrance was not so dramatic. She was still in her PE uniform of shorts and a polo shirt, and track shoes on her feet, and she sat gingerly on the sofa. “Oohhh my legs, I am so stiff Uncle, I had to run 3 k.” “That’s not so far, at your age it should be easy!” “Ha! That’s easy for you to say, you didn’t have to do it!” “Just relax, I will get you a drink, cold one I presume?” “Yeah thanks, uncle, with ice if that’s ok.” She gulped the drink down, then wiped her mouth and looked at me. “Uncle, can I use your shower please, I am all sweaty.” “Sure, you know where it is. I will get you some towels.” I heard her singing from the shower, tunelessly but that didn’t seem to bother her. She returned to the lounge with a towel wrapped around her, and another she was using to dry her hair. “That’s so much better, thank you so much.” With her head down and the towel was over her face as she dried. I was able to take in her figure in the towel that came down halfway between her thigh and knee. She wasn’t svelte, but she certainly didn’t carry too much weight. Her legs were strong and shapely, her breasts full and curved, her tummy flat but she wasn’t thin. Her figure appealed to me, a certain girlishness about her, but the curves of a woman too. She sat on the sofa with the second towel around her head. I passed her the chai. “So, how has the week been?” “Oh well, the usual stress, but I had a trial exam in maths last Friday, and I passed really well.” She sat with her back to the end of the sofa, and her bare feet resting against my thigh. I patted her foot. “See, I keep telling you, take each day as it comes. It will all fall into place for you if you keep up with your studies.” “Yeah, I have worked hard this week, up till after 11 on Sunday and Monday.” We sipped our chai in silence, she sighed a few times. I sensed her tension. “Uncle, could you do me a favor, could you massage my feet please? I hurt my ankle on the run.” “Yes, of course.” She rested her feet on my thigh, and I gently massaged her feet. “Wait, I’ll be back.