The water under the bridge was just deep enough, Mike reckoned he had about 6 inches under the hull. Once under, they moved into deep water again and Mike said to Nann. "Let's head for that small beach." As the bows touche bottom, Mike got out of the canoe, then helped Nann out, then the two of them dragged the canoe up the beach so that it would not float away. It was very warm on the sand, so Mike took the large beach towel he kept in his waterproof bag and laid it on the sand. Then also from behind the bach seat, he took the beach bag that Nann had bought and handed it to her. Nann opened the bag and produced a box of sandwiches a flask of coffee and some homemade cakes, putting them in the middle of the towel, the two sat crossed legged opposite each other, and enjoyed a very nice lunch. Nann had done it all herself, corned beef and lettuce sandwiches, and small fairy cakes with buttercream inside. After his lunch, Mike was full, he lay down on the towel and closed his eyes. Breathing a sigh of total contentment, he said."Nann that was wonderful, you really do know the way to a man's heart." He heard Nann putting the leftovers bach into the beach bag, then felt her lie alongside him. Putting his arm under her shoulder, he gently closed the gap between them, he could feel her thigh next to his own, then she turned on her side so that she was looking at him. Mike felt her gently blowing a cool breeze onto his face, then her fingers running over his chest. Mike's voice had broken the previous year at Christmas time, and over the months, he had begun to notice very fine hairs growing around his chest area. Mike's dad was very hairy, once back in England, some boy had been very cheeky and called it a feather duster, and now Mike was taking on the family trait. As Nann ran her fingers over his chest and through the hair, Mike thought, he had better get that problem over once and for all. "Nann." He asked. "Do you like a hairy chest." Nann leaned over him and kissed his mouth, then running her fingers from his neck to the top of his trunks, she whispered. "I love this hairy chest." "And what if it gets any hairier," Mike asked Nann kissed his lips again. "You daft thing," she said, "I don't care how hairy it gets, it's the man inside that counts, and that's you."
They talked for ages about silly things, things that could destroy a romance, like looking at other women or men, or talking to other woman and men, showing there partner up in front of others, like friends and family, and always it came out the same, they both thought alike. As Mike said, "every man will look at other women, it's when you go and talk to her the trouble begins." They also agreed that to talk to male and female friends was perfectly alright, but flirting was a big no no, last but not least was showing your partner up in front of friends and family, they both agreed that this was taboo, and that would and should stick together in all things. Nann then asked about if children were involved. "Like say their children, the child asks mum who says no, then asks dad who says yes." Mike looked at Nann and said."That would never happen in our home because I." he said. "Would say to our child, let's see what mummy has to say on this or that subject, and I would then talk it out with you, and we would come to an amicable agreement which would suit both mother and father but not always the child.
Mike looked at his watch, it was 16-30, "Better make a move love." Mike said, Nann was comfortable now, and would have stayed there all night if allowed, but Mike said. "There's always tomorrow." Nann got up and picked up the towel and folded it up and put it in Mike's canvass bag, putting that and her beach bag behind the seat, they dragged the canoe to the water's edge. With the bows floating on the water, Nann got into the front seat, then with Mike pushing them into deeper water, he climbed onto the stern of the canoe and into his seat. Mike and Nann paddled slowly and leisurely back to Msida creek, as they passed H.M.S.Forth, Nann could see her mum and dad watching from the balcony. Mike looked at his watch 17-30 on the nail. "Well." Mike said, "we've done it again." "Done what," Nann asked. "Got you home at the allotted time. " Mike said. "I do need to impress your father, I don't think he likes me very much, if at all." As they came to the steps, Roger was there to take the bowline, as Mike held on to the steps, Nann got out of the canoe and Mike handed her the beach bag " Evening Mr Taylor." Mike called out. "back safe and sound yet again." Mr Taylor didn't say a word, just scowled and helped his daughter up the steps, having thrown the bow line back to Mike, Mike watched Nann climb to the roadway, at the top she turned and as Mike reversed away from the steps Nann blew him a kiss and waved goodbye.
In Pieta, Mike's dad also saw Mike coming up the creek, and by the time Mike was at the boathouse, his dad was waiting on the slipway. Mike got out of the canoe and with his dad's help they put it in the boathouse and onto it's rests, there was no water in the canoe whatsoever, and as Mike picked up his gear, he patted her. "Well done mate," he said to himself. "You played your part well, and didn't let me down." He put the tarpaulin over the cockpit and together with his father walked home.
Mike's mother made macaroni cheese for there evening meal, and as they all sat around the table talking, Nann was not mentioned at all, in fact, the only thing that came into the conversation was family matters. After the meal, Mike and his dad sat on the balcony and watched the locals going about there daily lives.
The Easter holidays were soon over, Mike and Nann had been together every day, mostly out in the canoe, and the romance was blossoming. They spent there days on the small beach by the road bridge at Manoel Island and there they talked long and hard about there future together. As for kelvin, when asked if he wanted to use the canoe, he said that he was bored with paddling to the same old places all the time, and was quite happy to spend his days fishing with his fishermen friends, as he said."I'm selling my catch to them, and making a small fortune." He also felt, that his private life was going in a different direction, his friend with the boat was giving his life real meaning, and he now felt that the canoe, and the fact that Mike was enjoying female company, only got in the way, he, as he said, was not into girls, all that holding hands and kissing, plus the fact you had to spend money on them, was not his idea of fun. He had no wish to waste his hard earned money on the female side of the human race, he had better things to do with his money. It was bad enough having to buy his mother birthday and Christmas presents, let alone a girl he may only go out with for a short time. As he said at the table one night." Why buy the sweetshop, when all you want is a stick of rock."
The first day back at school under summer routine was fantastic when Mike got on the bus, he saw Nann and sat alongside her, she squeezed his hand as her sign of love. Mike looked at her in her new summer uniform and smiled, she was wearing a button down dress, a yellow belt, and on her feet, a pair of brown sandals, his eyes stopped at her knees, with the last button some four inches from the bottom of the dress, Mike could see a good part of her knee and leg, Then his mind went into overdrive, wait, you idiot his brain was saying, you already know what this girl looks like, you have seen her legs, from top to her toes, so stop imagining what you think you see. Taking a deep breath, he put his mind to other things.
At school, Mrs Pike was full of the joys of spring, their first lesson was English, and Mrs Pike wanted the class to write an essay on their holiday. Mike had to think about what to say, and not to go too far. By the end of the lesson, he had finished three sides of two sheets of A4 paper.
School for Mike was now much better. During the holiday Mr Ward and the headmaster had gone back to England, the headmaster had been sent to the naval training ship H.M.S. St Vincent as one of the school teachers and Mr Ward had gone to a college in the midlands. The new headmaster was again a naval officer but had been a serving officer in the fleet. It also transpired, that no caning could be carried out, without a medical person present over two strokes of the cane. Teachers were permitted to use the ruler for class punishment, but only on the palm of the hand, not on the knuckles. Mrs Pike had a large plimsoll she called Albert, and all the boys and girls in the class knew, that when Albert wanted to meet you, your rear, ended up with a large red patch on it, but no bruising, just pain for a few minutes. Mike was one of the lucky ones, he never met Albert close up, only from a distance, in fact Mike was never punished in Tal Handaq again, maybe he had learned his lesson, or maybe the school was worried that Mike would again take a beating like a man, and blood would be spilt again. Whatever it was, Mike kept his nose clean and got on with his school work. He now loved school, almost as much as he loved the new girl in his life. School was good for him, as was Nann.
As the days and weeks passed, Nann and Mike were looking forwards to birthdays and the summer holidays. Mike was also told, that because of his age, he would finish school in the August. He had already decided on his future, Mrs Pike and the new headmaster had arranged for Mike to take the entrance exam for the Royal Navy at school during the last week. If he passed, his father had arranged for Mike to go to Manoel Island for three mornings a week until he returned to England to be taught the basics of naval discipline and naval routines. He would be paid £1 10shilling from the chiefs fund, whatever that was, but for Mike, it was a dream come true.
Every afternoon Mike and Nann were together, either shopping or out in the canoe, the more there parents saw them together, the more they realised that |Mike and Nann were becoming an item, and when they were seen kissing or holding hands, the less they worried, because for some reason, they knew, the love these two people had for each other, was the same love they showed there own partner.
Chapter Eight
Mike's birthday in June was a school day, so it was to be no day off. At the breakfast table as Mike sat down, he was confronted with a small pile of cards, there were cards from his mother and father, his brother, his aunties and uncles in England, and then there was one from Grace and Roger Taylor. The last card in the pile was larger than the rest, and when Mike opened it, with his family looking on, Mike saw that it was from Nann. It was covered in hearts and kisses, and under I love you Nann, were the words in tiny handwriting, I have two presents for you, can you wait a little longer. On the bus that morning Mike sat next to Nann and thanked her for the card, Nann squeezed his hand and whispered. "That's ok, happy birthday sweetheart."
After school, Mike and Nann took the canoe out, heading for there little beach, they dragged the canoe onto the sand and turned it onto its side, then using the two paddles as legs to hold it in place, Mike took his large beach towel that he always carried and placed it over the paddles, making a sort of tent, then using Nann's towel to lay on, they had a place where the two of them could lie without being seen by prying eyes. It was a hot day, so Nann and Mike made their way into the water to cool off. After a while Nann said."Let's go and rest, I've got food and drink in the bag, but mummy made it, so hope it's too your liking. Back under the towel Mike and Nann lay on their sides facing each other. "Do you realise," Nann said. "You haven't kissed me today. Mike leaned in towards her and kissed her mouth. "Sorry love," Mike said I tend to get carried away, and when we are in the canoe, it's kind of difficult to kiss and paddle at the same time." He leaned towards her again and placing his arm around her neck he gently pulled her into him, and they held the kiss for some time.
After their meal, Mike lay on the towel, Nann put away the empty packets, she whispered in his ear. "Michael my darling I want to give you a special present, today is your birthday and I would like to give you the only present I can, accept it with my love. Mike had his eyes closed, but said, "Ok love. what is it," on the towel, he felt Nann moving, felt fingers on his trunks? "Don't move my darling." Nann said, "just stay as you are." Mike felt him being held between soft gentle fingers, Mike opened his eyes and looked down, Nann had her head on his chest and her fingers were doing crazy things to him. It was t5hen that Mike felt this wonderful sensation, and Nann was causing it. The last time he came anywhere near this, was the dream he had after the school play with May, but this was much better. Nann looked up into his eyes, then lay alongside him again, she was still holding him in her fingers she kissed him."Did you enjoy that my love, my birthday present to you?" As the two of them lay side by side on the towel, Nann was talking. "I can't wait for the next three weeks to pass," she said to him, Mike smiled. "Why is that," he asked, Nann was still holding him and gave a squeeze, Mike yelped and Nann let go."you rotter," she said. "You know very well what I'm on about Michael Palmer." Mike pulled her into him and kissed her, as she relaxed in his arms he removed the straps from her costume, pulling down so that her bust was visible to him he leaned down and kissed both breasts, one after the other, then taking the right one he again kissed it then gently sucked on the tip then using his teeth he started to nip the area, Nann had her arms around Mike's neck, she was holding him down, her breathing became erratic, and as she held his head to her bust, she let out an almost silent scream. Mike heard it and stopped what he was doing, looking into her face he saw Nann with the end of the towel in her mouth biting down hard. After a while she seemed to be back to normal, Mike looked at her face. "Did I hurt you love," he asked. "No no sweetheart, what you did didn't hurt, in fact,it was rather wonderful, I loved it. Do you mind, I need to cool off." getting up and pulling her bathing costume up again Nann made her way to the water. Mike watched her go and wondered, no worried, had he done something wrong, or silly.
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