The bed

 Duniya woke up on the largest bed she had ever slept on. An empress size bed to match the empresses on the bed. 

It was more than her dream could have conjured. The unknown woman and Kyakyawa sharing a bed. 

It was a huge divan like bed, lower than traditional beds with a seamless firm mattress. Duniya could vouch for the seamlessness of the mattress. She had spent the early hours of the morning rolling around the humongous bed by herself. She had been restless and unfulfilled and curious. 

Who was the unknown woman and why was Kyakyawa staying with her. Or was she? 

She had been driven to a modest house in one of the  up and coming areas of the city. With its mixture of shanty town homes, modern flats and maisonettes and grand statement making concrete monstrosities of the nouveau riche. 

The inside was a beautiful jewel case, taste and a discerning eye punctuated every facet. From the bidet to this magnificent room. 

To wake up with the familiar yet distant smell of Kyakyawa on the sheets to the most heady scent of the unknown woman. That woman. Duniya felt she was in heaven. She was greedy to own, to have, to consume both at the same time or individually. 

She needed a life, but until then, "live in the present" a mantra from her yogi app she was going to enjoy. 

They had been sitting,  the two women before Duniya fell asleep last night. On the lushly carpeted floor, reclining on cushions and speaking in the hush voices of co conspirators and intimate friends. 

The traditional incense in clay pots and coal smoking delicately in swirls round the room. Surrounded by sliver tea sets and an African version of the Spanish tapas. With sub saharan string music playing in the background. Duniya had not wanted to fall asleep. Just being in the environment had been a heady mix. 

I see your Duniya has woken up, Kyakyawa's friend spoke loudly enough. Duniya turned as Kyakyawa smiled right into her very soul it felt to her.  

Hello. 

She reached out and rubbed the worry line between her brow. 

Hello?  Who are you telling Hello today?  She was teasing. It was nice to know Kyakyawa was a morning person it seemed. 

What time is it? Duniya asked. 

Why? Do you have to be somewhere Kyakyawa's friend asked or be someone?

 Sorry, what is your name again. Duniya decided she didn't care if she was rude. The woman was irking her. 

My name? Is this what the world has come to? You sleep in my bed and then ask my name? 

Duniya refused to be cowered. I'm sorry Hajiya she said politely I am not a morning person. 

I can see that the unknown woman said. Call me Tsokana. 

Hajia Tsokana? What is your last name? 

Tsokana didn't answer but leaned into Kyakyawa. And said, sort out your problem. She stretched further above Duniya's prone form to reach for a silver bell by the bedside and as it chimed the tips of her bust every slightly brushed Duniya's. 

She felt like she was on fire. A different sort of fire. Not unpleasant. Tsokana looked into her eyes and Duniya knew she had done it on purpose. 

She looked for Kyakyawa guiltily but found Kyakyawa lying on her back away in her thoughts. Duniya rose to elbows and crawled over to Kyakyawa. She felt she could crawl right under her skin and be content. If only Kyakyawa would let her. 

Leave Hajiya to her musings, Tsokana said with a straight face. Tell me what you need and I will give it to you. 

Duniya was shocked. Surely she had misheard her. In front of her friend or did Kyakyawa not even care about her or them or this or whatever this was. 

I want you fingers in me and your mouth on my breasts Duniya said in a dare. Almost wishing for it. To make Kyakyawa care or because she was attracted to Tsokana, this irritatingly confident woman. 

Don't you want to brush you teeth first, she heard Kyakyawa say as if from far away. Was she laughing at her. Did she think she would not do it? 

Was she just a toy thing for these women to play with? 

Duniya turned on her back and looked straight into Tsokana's face. Are you all talk? 

Before she could taunt some more she felt a hand on her leg, under the long night dresse she had been given last night. She was suffocating in feelings. Her skin was on fire and she was wanting. The hand slowly crept up her leg there was nothing there to stop it going to where it had been dared to reach. 

Duniya knew if she closed her thighs, the hand would stop. There was danger here but not of the physical violent type. The danger was is going to places she was sure she would never want to leave. 

The blood that had rushed away from her body to the centre of her heat rushed right back to her left boob as she felt reanimated alive.

Stop she said. She hadn't meant to say that, to say stop. And just like nothing had happened it stopped. She was lying on the bed breathing hard. Trying to recapture the feeling. Wanting what she had asked to stop to start again. 

A knock on the bedroom door, enter one of the voices on the bed said. A well dressed major domo entered. 

"Hajiya, akwai sako", he said in a high pitch voice. 

Daa ma! replied Tsokana. As she got off the bed.