This was news to me. Jean had been married for thirty years to a man who used to be an active member of the church but who now never left the house. J...an's world was shrinking and her life seemed in danger of grinding to a halt. She always seemed pleased to see me and gave me a hug whenever we met. But that was all, it seemed to me."We're going to put this right," Alannah said quietly, staring into my eyes. "Jennifer and I have devised a rite and you are going to perform it with us."At that. Like a boxer in the gym, a batter taking strokes, just keeping the machine lubed. Erm, oiled.“Well, not just that but yeah, sometimes when I’m not feeling inspired I’ll dash off something ... racy. Or mysterious, or scary. Just keeping my hand in.” I nodded at her pages. “I guess you picked up some of the racy ones?”“Oh. But I mean, the things, the people, what you write about, does all that come from like, experience?”She seemed to be struggling. I had to give her props for the guts it must. Ijeoma handed me the container of her cream " rub this on my back she commanded" I obliged by applying the cream on her back as she demanded and hurriedly ran back to the sitting room. Just as I was about to escape she shouted at me Come here! you are not done! Come rub this side. As she cautiously exposes a more detailed part of her back. I got angry and complained ' aunty u cant use me as your errand boy' I ventured to turn back to my stereo but she pulled me back and warned 'if you go, I'll. I told her I felt as if she was trying to be someone else. I convinced her to stay on her path. She jokingly said you would have made a great boyfriend. I told her its not too late. Later in the evening, I dropped her in the flat. I felt a tension between us but we just smiled and parted ways.Then I could not get her out of my mind. The next day I took her around the city. We talked about a passion and shared some sweet memories. Later we went back to her flat. Aditi was cleaning dishes after.