A little vignette from the 1950s
The world has changed since Evie and I were first thrown together back in the summer of 1954.
My Father was in the diplomatic service and served the hon Charles Bainbridge as administrator to the District Commissioner in the Kumbala district in the disputed territories of Africa. Disputed in the sense of impending independence.
But I knew little of this. My life revolved around school, where I boarded from the age of seven, initially near Sevenoaks and later near Windsor in England.
I spent my holidays with Aunt Frieda and Uncle Charles in Folkestone except for the long summer break when Father and Mother came home for a fort-nights annual leave. Flying home to regale me with tales of Lions and Tigers, which I found tedious while failing to even notice whether they flew in a York or DC4 or Constellation. “Oh it was an aeroplane!” Mother insisted as if I might think they flew on the Queen Mary.
But in 1954 it was decided I was mature enough to fly to Africa for the summer break, I would fly out by Comet, the bad news being it would be an RAF Comet with no pressurisation, and unbeknown to me the flight was really arranged to suit the hon Charles Bainbridge’s spoiled daughter Evaline May who had insisted she should be allowed to spend time on the veld.
I disliked her on first sight, she sneered at everything, “Oh you’re Daddy’s man’s boy aren’t you?” she said when we were introduced, and then she just dismissed me and wandered away.
It never occurred to me that she was any great beauty, yes she was slim, dark haired, long legged almost as tall as I in her fashionable high heels and knee length skirt. I later learned she was only a month younger than I, but while I was obsessed with cycling and athletics and the aeroplanes I saw daily flying in and out of Heathrow airport, she was far more mature than I and her interests were more basic as I was shortly to discover.
We flew not from Heathrow but from RAF Brize Norton, and the excitement of jet flight had paled even as we crossed France so I settled down to read, and I took almost no notice of Eve except it did seem curious the amount of attention the dark skinned steward paid her on the final leg of the flight.
He alone of the passengers and crew made her face light up in a dazzling smile quite unlike the scowl she reserved for me.
The last few hundred miles we flew in an Avro Anson, an obsolete twin engined light aircraft with eight seats and I said not a single word to Eve throughout, not that that would have been easy with the racket its two tiny radial engines kicked up as they struggled to keep the aircraft aloft with the heat and high altitude robbing it’s already meagre power.
There was quite a reception committee as we landed, Eve’s parents, the hon Charles and his wife Lavinia took precedence, as indeed did Eve while I was left to quietly dismount and seek out my parents who seemed as annoyed at my presence as I was at being dragged from England to be with them.
My family and I took a definite second or was it third place in the reception held in the “Ball Room” at the District Commissioner’s residence that evening.
The top table was reserved for the Bainbridges and the Tribal Elders while we sat with the lower orders but above the native staff as protocol demanded.
The “Residence” was one of only a hand full of two storey buildings in the Village. The Ball room was a great barn of a red brick walled iron roofed monstrosity draped for the occasion with what looked like a collection of oversized hearth rugs which had its own entrance off the dusty village high street. Or was it a town,? A community of what seemed to be a thousand or more residents with a market and a colonial store and garrison building.
Half way through the meal the hon Charles stood to make a brief speech, brief, that is, by his standards.
“Gentlemen, and Ladies,” he began, oddly to my ears, “Welcome,” I switched off around then and let him drone on, then he said something which made mother shudder.
“Disgusting!” she hissed.
Charles stopped, distracted, “Ah, yes,” he exclaimed, “Yes as I said tomorrow we celebrate fertility, in the old tribal way, but Ladies and Gentlemen,” he got it the other way round this time, “Now in accordance with the transitional agreement we shall ensure that the partnerships shall be recorded and will.”
“Barbaric!” Mother muttered, “Savages!” I just wished she would shut up, the food wasn’t too bad, a bit exotic but the “beef” was very palatable.
I noticed the way Eveie smiled at the natives, especially when the fertility was mentioned, had I been more astute and worldly wise I would have recognised her smiles as lust rather than excessive politeness, but actually I was too bored to notice.
The reception just fizzled out around eleven and we went home.
“Barbaric,” mother said, “Henry you should have insisted!” she demanded of father.
“But Joyce it’s a tradition.” he replied limply.
“What is?” I asked.
“Fertility, go to bed Geoffrey!” Mother insisted, and so the next day straight after the noon siesta I accompanied Mother and Father to the “Racecourse” as they laughingly called the reasonably flat piece of grassland with dilapidated wooden fences and a dilapidated wooden stand just outside the village.
I shuffled along totally bored, and barely noticed the young girls lined up beyond the white painted section of wooden rails that denoted the “Finishing straight.” Bare breasted young girls who had come of age in the last year or so, their black skins glistening in the harsh afternoon light, dressed in stout shoes with simple skirts to protect their modesty.
I couldn’t say I was hugely interested in them and I was even less interested in the young local men penned behind a token rope at the other side of the track each wearing stout boots and shorts or were they loin cloths.
“What do you think of that young Geoffrey?” the hon Chares asked me, I hadn’t even seen him until he spoke, but I suddenly found Charles and his wife and Eveie right beside me.
“I suppose we must respect their traditions,” I muttered, “Sir!”
“Well we couldn’t stamp it out so we formalised it!” he said. “It’s a wonderful spectacle. The girls get a head start and they run and the men chase them. The fastest men can choose their mates, but now it is agreed that that counts as marriage do you see?” he asked almost proudly as if it was his idea.
“Oh Mummy look!” Eveie suddenly exclaimed.
I looked, a native youth displayed the fact it was indeed a loin cloth as his erection strained.
“Eve, don’t be disgusting!” her mother replied.
“It’s not fair,” she complained.
“You must remember your position, Evaline, please!” her mother continued,
“But he is so beautiful, mummy don’t you just want to melt into his arms?” Eveie asked.
“No Evie, one set of rules for blacks one for whites isn’t that right Charles!” she asked.
“Ah, yes we have different standards, Eve,” Charles said.
“Standards Daddy, what about rules?” Eve asked.
“Well of course we couldn’t enshrine it in the legislation,” Charles admitted.
“So I could join the other girls?” Eve said with her eyes nearly popping out of her head, “Have the boys chasing after me?”
“Eve, stop this you stupid girl!” her mother replied.
“Why should I,” Eve demanded, “You dismissed Tanbou because he kissed me. I am of age Mummy, I don’t have to do as you say.”
“Eve don’t be ridiculous.” her mother shouted.
“Evaline, now stop this nonsense!” Charles added, but Eve was already striding towards the girls pen.
“Charles do something?” his wife cried while my mother tried to keep a straight face.
“What, she’ll come to her senses when she realises she has to be bare breasted.” Charles insisted, but she didn’t, she spoke to chief Imbuku who seemed perplexed, and then she slapped his face.
Mr Kariba stepped forward and assured her the tribal custom required bared breasts and this delicious smile crept across her lips, and she began to unbutton her blouse.
“Hall for gods sake do something!” Charles Bainbridge cried, “She’s become unhinged,” but it was just raging hormones that ruled Evaline’s thoughts and all she could think about was a strong black lover as she peeled her blouse off .
“What sir?” Dad asked as he stared at Eve as she stripped,
“Send Geoffrey after her,” Charles insisted, as Eve unclipped her brassiere, “Now thats an order there’s a thousand pounds if he claims her and keeps the blacks off her.”
“You heard the Commissioner Geoffrey,” My Dad insisted, as Eve hung her brassiere and blouse on the fence rail, “You’re of age go on.”
Everyone was staring at Eve, she loved the attention, flaunting her admittedly modest breasts for everyone to see but it was her incongruous pale flesh amongst the bronzed Africans which drew stares no her beauty. “Oh for heavens sake!” I insisted, “So I just have to outrun these tribesmen and claim Eve?” I asked, “Just like that?”
“Language Geoffrey, now,” Mother butted in.
“Yes,” said Charles, “Just put one of those strap thingies around her neck, Mr Makuba will find you one.”
“Well go on Geoffrey,” Mother butted in, and so I wandered off across to the enclosure.
I wasn’t expecting the ribald cat calls as they realised I was to take part as I wandered across to the enclosure.
I spoke to Mr Makuba, “Ah, collar” he said, “Is like engagement, have to make fuck to make married.”
“Right,” I agreed, as he wrote Hall, on a card and inserted it in a perspex window in what was more or less a dog collar, and handed it to me. “Where’s the release?”
“Oh no,” he insisted, “You not release, you choose right girl right off, Need special tool.”
I turned round to see Eveie was standing in her short underskirt, having discarded her skirt and then before I knew the girls were running, not particularly fast I must admit, a great tide or wobbling black breasts and flashes of brilliant white smiles against red lips and black faces a they vied to attract a mate.
I waited with the rest of the men, boys my own age actually, all bronzed and fit and muscle-bound, and then Mr Makuba made a downward jab of his right hand and we were away, running easily. The girls had maybe a hundred yard head start, although some were in no hurry. One girl just lunged at a lusty chap beside me and he just swept her up in his arms and yanked her skirt down as her fastened his collar around her neck.
Evie seemed confused, I had a horrible feeling that I was probably the only chap interested in her so treating it as a cross between a cross country run and a rugger match I made a bid for the front, that’s when Eve really panicked as she saw me, and she showed the other girls a clean pair of heels as she began to sprint.
I tore after her pacing myself, she ran delightfully, like a Gazelle, bounding through the grass and I realised I was indeed the only man interested in her, I felt so sorry for her briefly but then I remembered my duty and raced on.
It took a mile or so but I caught her, she rebuffed me to begin with, but I was too strong, and I gripped her tightly and slipped the collar around her neck and began to bring her back.
“You idiot!” she squealed, “I want a strong black lover!”
“I just want an easy life,” I suggested, but as we retraced our steps the path was strewn with couples fornicating energetically.
“That could be me!” she wailed, as we passed a well endowed black chap energetically pleasuring his full breasted wide hipped mate, with rapid jabbing strokes..
“Well he could be me,” I said, “When you come to think of it.”
“I can’t it turns my stomach!” she said, “The thought of you.”
“Look Eve, your father sent me all right,” I explained.
“Really?” she asked, she did look rather delicious standing there, I put my arms around her waist, and reached up to cup her bared breasts, “Stop it.” she commanded.
“Ok,” I agreed and released her and we walked slowly back to where Mr Makuba took Eve’s name from her wrist band and mine from the collar and entered them in his ledger.
Eve went to collect her blouse and brassiere, but before she could put them on Makua cautioned her, “You must ask you husband’s permission” he ordered, “And I understand you ran the furthest, so you shall have the special place in the celebrations.”
“It’s ok,” I agreed, but when she saw the way the men leered at her breasts, she changed her mind.
“Tell mummy you won’t let me,” she whispered.
“Ok,” I agreed.
Her mother rushed across, “Well done Hall, very well done, now Evaline get back to the house.”
“No!” said Eve, “I’m Mrs Hall now I do as I like!”
“Ah not quite Eve,” I explained, “We haven’t formalised anything yet.”
“And I should hope not!” Mrs Bainbridge exclaimed, my daughter conjoining with the likes of you doesn’t bear thinking about.”
“Go home Eve,” I ordered.
“Then I’ll find a man who does want me!” she announced.
I sat a moment, “Am I really not good enough for that self opinionated selfish brat?” I asked Mrs Bainbridge.
“No dear, no offence.” she replied but we followed Evie and sure enough she soon had a following of bronzed muscle bound men.
They were assembling a large bed by the stands, prior to the orgy which followed the fertility ceremony, “The swiftest warrior and his mate make their love plain to the world,” Mrs Bainbridge explained.
“That was us,” I admitted. and Mrs Bainbridge went white and fainted. I grabbed her and held her clear of the ground I smelt her perfume, felt her breath on my neck and deep in my trousers there were stirrings.
Charles himself came to see what was afoot, “Evie and I ran furthest.” I explained.
“Then you’ll have to perform, I can’t risk a diplomatic incident!” Charles announced in considerable annoyance , “You idiot!”
Someone must have explained to Eve, because she turned and tried to run but a dozen grinning muscle bound black tribesmen pulled her back, “Trouble is everyone can make love to the winning maid and the winning boy can make love to any bride for the whole evening.”
“Oh, gosh, and if I don’t do anything?” I asked.
“They begin earlier.” Charles said, “Be gentle with her and not a word when you get back to England.”
“Charles!” Mrs Bainbridge exclaimed “Please No!” but it was no good, I had my duty and when Eve realised she would have to let any other young man who had taken part in the fertility celebrations make love to her she was like a cat who got the cream.
It was all very cold and clinical when we ascended the steps and Eve pulled her skirt up under her breasts and lay down on her back, so I could make love to her. “Get on with it!” she snapped “I want a real bronzed native lover.”
I felt her sex with my fingers, “Stop it, get it over with,” she urged so with little more ado I let her aim my manhood at her and pushed firmly, she gasped, and then I slid right into her lovely warm wet and yet tight little vagina.
It really was rather super although the tribesmen leering were rather upsetting, and then she started moaning, well complaining really, “Geoffrey, please get on with it can’t you.”
I looked down at her, she looked, well, common, used, soiled, and rather sad somehow but certainly it was by no means unpleasant as I gently rocked and pleasured her, except she wanted more. She wanted a bronzed well muscled tribesman,”Hurry up!” she hissed, and she reminded me of a prostitute with a queue outside her door.
However her latest intrusion into my thoughts caused a reaction as my balls crinkled and suddenly I felt the white hot stream of cum boiling and shooting into her like super – heated steam, “Geoffrey, yuck” she exclaimed, “Now go away and let me have a proper man!”
I climbed off her, someone handed me a cloth and I wiped myself, and then I was shown the recently “married” dark skinned girls awaiting me, I made a decision and went down the line hugged and kissed each one and wished her luck, they all seemed delighted, relieved probably and then it was all over and I was able to watch the queue of men waiting to use her stepping up to the stage one after the other, their energy surprised me as they pounded into her with furiously bobbling backsides, rather a contrast to my own performance I fancied, but that, I assumed, was what she wanted.
Eventually I wandered back home, read a copy of “The Aeroplane” and then went to bed.
I woke with the dawn, I felt rather pleasant really, the world didn’t seem such a bad place suddenly, and after pleasantly dozing I took breakfast with father and mother, nothing was said to me about Evie which rather surprised me.
I went for a walk and got admiring gazes from a number of very well endowed bronzed maidens, and when I got back Mr Bairbridge was waiting for me, “Oh, and is Evie not with you,” he asked.
“No, probably in the long house,” I explained.
“Well go and get her!” he insisted, “She has been out all night, her mother is beside herself with worry.”
Well one has to do ones duty, so I set off to the long house, “She is cold like poking a crocodile,” a swarthy dark chap exclaimed to his friend as they left the long house.
I stepped inside, an older chap was clearly taking money as the blacks queued up to have sex with my wife.
“I say,” I said politely.
“Hey,” he replied, “This is out of bounds!”
“That technically at least, is my wife, I explained, as I spotted a completely exhausted Evie now lying naked in the dirt being penetrated by a dark chap while another chap waited for him to finish.
“Ok, we bear that in mind, now go.” he suggested.
“No!” I refused.
“Then I throw you out,” he said menacingly.
“All right!” I agreed, “But I want her back by seven o’clock, agreed?” I went back and explained to Mrs Baimbridge what was happening.
“My poor sweet innocent Evaline!” she protested, I felt she was about twenty four hours out of date with that comment.
I took a turn around the race course, I took Tea alone, and finally I went back for Evie just before seven, “I’ve come for Evie,” I explained.
“Tomorrow perhaps,” the same back chappie exclaimed.
“No, we said seven,” I suggested.
“Then take her,” he suggested as he blocked my path.
“Oh if I must,” I agreed, “Stand aide.”
“No,” he said squaring up to me, so I hit him, uppercut to the Jaw, oh I hated boxing at school but it didn’t stop me knowing the various punches.
He looked more shocked than annoyed, he grinned and then collapsed in a heap.
“Evaline Hall, Diner is ready, I announced as I waited for her lover to finish, fortunately the next man in line had seen my lucky hit on his friend’s jaw and deferred to me. Finding she was far too exhausted to stand, so unsure as to the whereabouts of her clothes I scooped her up in my arms and carried her away naked.
She absolutely reeked of sweat, not her own, filthy unwashed black sweat and leaking from her were filthy black’s emissions which somewhat to my surprise was every bit as creamy white as my own.
I carried her to my fathers bungalow, “Oh my giddy aunt,” Mother exclaimed as I brought her in. “We cannot let the Brabbingers see her like this!”
“And why not mother, if she wishes to be an unpaid prostitute,” I said and Mother slapped my face.
“Geoffrey, you must remember your station.” She insisted.
“Oh wonderful!” I agreed, “I get ordered to marry the selfish little bitch and.”
Mother slapped my face again. “Just go Geoffrey this is woman’s work!” she insisted.
Evie didn’t appear for dinner, but the Brabbingers came over afterwards, “Oh my lord Evaline!”
her mother gasped when she saw her sitting in the parlour wrapped in mother’s bathrobe, the mother just looked horror struck, “How are you?” she asked.
“Torn Mummy, Oh Mummy I’ve been such a fool!” she gasped, I stood to leave.
“Where do you think you’re going, Mr Hall?” Mr Brabbinger accused, “This is very largely your fault.”
“Mine?” I asked, “How did it become my fault?”
“Too slow off the mark laddy, it took you for ever to catch her.” he accused.
“It wasn’t my idea to chase her,” I replied.
“Geoffrey Language , how dare you talk back like that,” My father jumped in, “Go to your room!”
“Stay there!” Brabbinger ordered.
I wished they would make up their minds. “This native thingy, all you have to do is stand in the market place and shout.” Brabbinger explained “I Geoffrey Stephen Hall divorce you Evaline May Camelia Frogmore Brabbinger.”
“Frogmore?” I asked.
“Great Aunt Matilda Frogmore Haines insisted,” Evie’s mother explained.
“What if she’s pregnant?” my mother asked.
A shockwave seemed to rocket around the room.
“Better hope it’s Geoffrey’s” father added somewhat unhelpfully.
“Why don’t you decide and tell me in the morning,” I suggested, “I’m going to my room.”
I stood up and as I did so I saw Evie stand up to follow me.
“And where are you going?” her father demanded.
“With my husband.” she said mischievously.
“Sit down,” her father ordered, and we both sat down again.
“Dammit she might have a blackamore!” Brabbinger suddenly realised, “Dammit woman why can’t you control that girl!”
“Did you bring Evie any clothes,” I asked, “Because I think she needs a good nights sleep after last night and today.”
“Today?” her mother asked.
“Constant stream of blacks fornicating with her,” I said and my mother silenced me with a slap.
“Mother!” I complained, “They had her naked in the long shed, you know the rules, a whole day,there can’t be a black chap under fifty that hasn’t had her!”
Evie was crying, she looked so sad sitting on the couch that I sat beside her and put a protective arm around her.
“Evaline!” her mother demanded, “Is this true.”
“Yes” she said, “They kept jabbing me, all rough skinned and smelly not like Geoffrey,” she said, “It was horrible!” she added, “I can’t get a black baby can I Mummy?” she asked naively.
Brabbinger looked sheepish, “Ah coffee coloured,” he admitted remembering the horde he had himself fathered over the years.
“Mother, can’t you lend Evie a dress and shoes so she can go home?” I asked.
“Yes dear,” she agreed and scuttled away.
“It’s the blacks,” Brabbinger continued, “Once they have a taste for white women,” he left the sentiment hanging in the air.
“And the women once they get a taste for blacks!” I added making sure mother was well away in case I got another slap.
“They’re horrible,” Evie suddenly burst into tears again, “They’re all rough skinned and they stink and their things are bony and hurt me when they keep jabbing and.”
“It’s all right Evie,” I told her, “Imagine how lovely they thought you were all smooth and soft and clean, at least at first.”
Evie slapped me, I slapped her back, the bathrobe flopped open exposing her breasts, so I pulled it closed for her.
“They will probably dream of me for ever,” she suddenly announced expressing her thoughts.
“I will, ” I agreed.
“Why on earth did you take so long?” Evie asked, “You know, to do me?”
“Mrs Hancox likes me to.” I said, “Oops”
“Your House mother at school?” Mummy asked, as she returned with clothes.
“Sorry mummy.” I agreed.
“Didn’t happen in my day,” Brabbinger admitted, “Upper sixth always buggered the lower sixth in my day.”
I went to my room, read a copy of “The Aeroplane,” then turned out the oil lamp and went to bed
It was just before dawn around six a.m. I was dozing in my bed staring at the ceiling when there was a knock on the window, Eve was standing there wearing a Safari suit “Can I come in,” she asked.
I opened the window, “What do you want?” I asked.
“Somewhere to sleep?” she suggested, “Husband.”
As it happened my bed was a one and a half size, not really a double, but plenty of room.
“Be quiet,” I insisted, and she climbed through.
“Thank you,” she said and peeled off her jacket and shorts before she climbed in next to me, “Geoffrey,” she said, “I’ve been a fool!”
“Tell me something I don’t know!” I exclaimed, “My god all those black men, who do you think will marry you now!”
“Geoffrey,” she said, “You did, silly,”
“That was before all those black men” I reminded her.
“Geoffrey you know when you were doing it?” she said, “Do you always take so long only the black men just sort of do it for a bit and squirt but you took for ever Geoffrey.”
“It depends,” I agreed, “On you.”
“Oh, Geoffrey,” she said, “Will you show me again?”
“I think we’re only supposed to do it if we are in love.” I explained, but her fingers were around my manhood and it was stiffening menacingly.
“Oh all right!” I agreed as if it was a chore, and I rolled over on top of her and peeled her knickers down so she could guide me inside her.
“Oh Geoffrey!” she gasped, as I slid into her in the semi-darkness, “Oh doesn’t that feel good?”
“Oh yes,” I agreed, “Very good indeed!”
“Better than Mrs Hancox?” she asked.
“I’ll tell you after a few more times,” I promised.
“Your skin is so smooth,” she insisted, as she ran her hands over my shoulders “So lovely compared to those rough skinned black men.”
“Hush,” I told her, but suddenly a shaft of light shot across the room.
“Geoffrey you must come and help search,” Dad exclaimed as he opened my door, “Evaline hasn’t been home and Mr Bainbridge wants a, Oh!” he gasped as he saw us making love.
“She’s safe Dad,” I reassured him.
“Bloody hell lad its only a Tribal ritual.” Dad said, “You’re not really married!”.
“She’s safe that’s the main thing.” I told him, and he scuttled away.
We faced mother and father at breakfast, “Disgusting!” mother said, “Get yourself home girl and hope you’re not pregnant!” which was a stupid comment even by her standards.
“Well Miriam, what if one of those Blackamores has impregnated her?” My father asked.
“I’m married to Geoffrey,” Eve stated flatly, “And there’s an end to it.”
The Bainbridges came around a few minutes later.
“Exactly what is Geoffrey supposed to now Mr Bainbridge sir?” my Dad said, “My Geoffrey did his duty, he will stand by her no matter what, won’t you Geoffrey.
“Oh yes sir!” I agreed, “Love cherish,”
“Honour obey?” Evie suggested with a smile.
“I think you are supposed to obey Evie,” her mother explained.
“Well we’ll see what nature decides.” My mother announced, “What are you two going to do today,” she asked accepting we were now a couple.
“Ah,” said Mrs Brabbinger, “I recommend black coffee and a cold bath.”
We walked all round the village, she blushed crimson virtually every time she saw a black man, and then we walked out by the racecourse.
“You caught me here,” she said, “I tried so hard to out run you.”
“I’m more long distance than a sprinter.” I agreed.
“All the others made love when the man caught the girl.” she said.
“It’s too rocky,” I explained.
“Oh I don’t know.” she said as she eased her shorts and panties down, well it would have been impolite to refuse.
We went our separate ways back in England for four months or so until she started showing then we had to explain we were married which upset both universities, and then nine months on I was waiting outside the bedroom at her aunts house with her parents.
A cry rang out, “It’s a boy!” the midwife announced.
“But what colour?” Evie’s mother demanded to the midwife’s consternation.
“Its pink; white of course.” the midwife exclaimed.
“Oh Mr Hall congratulations,” Mrs Brabbinger exclaimed and she hugged me to the utter consternation of the midwife.
“Blacks raped her,” I exclaimed.
“Oh no blacks can’t get nice white girls pregnant,” Mrs Brabbinger said with more conviction than knowledge, “Everybody knows that!”
The End