Enchantment

"I don't believe it is right for me." Lisa said.

Sara glanced at her sister. They were walking home. Their last class was a sex education class. The teacher went into so much detail emphasising - it was a Catholic high school with traditional family values - how important it was for a young lady or young man to make the right decision not to have sex before marriage.

"Of all people," Sara said quietly as she glanced about, "and you were an altar girl."

"I heard it said that in American one in four girls aged 14 has a sexually transmitted disease." Lisa explained.

"They are sick, everyone knows that." Sara replied, "and it’s not the smart girls, it’s the dummies."

"Maybe," Lisa smiled, "I know mum and dad were....virgins...when they first made love....and it feels nice, the thought, but I don't know." Lisa shook her head. "I don't think its right for me."

The two smiled as a group of boys passed them, going the opposite way. They could feel the eyes of the boys turning, and Sara knew it was Lisa in particular they were looking at.

"Yes, well," she said, "you can pick and choose you know, no shortage of admirers."

"Sometimes I wish I did not have this blond hair and my sky blue eyes." Lisa glanced behind in a shy way.

"Want to swap?" Sara glanced behind, "but I am confident about my looks, I quite like them. It’s not just your hair and eyes. You have a lovely smile, a nice flow, and you are nice....you can't help yourself...you are always nice."

"I am not!" Lisa snapped.

"Wait for me!" They heard a voice across the street. It was Elisha. She decided not to choose the sex education class and instead was in a class doing needlework.

"How was it?" Elisha asked.

"Lisa thinks its not right for her to remain...celibate...until marriage." Sara explained.

"I don't blame you. The thought crossed my head." Elisha said.

Sara took steps forward and turned, walking backwards, "hold on...is that true?...am I the old-fashioned one?"

"No," Elisha shook her head, "you are just you. And where is Harla?" She looked about.

"She was walking home with a friend, mum said it was all right." Lisa explained and turned around, wondering if she could see Harla and her friend.

"Male or female friend?" Sara asked, "never know with Harla."

"I don't know,” Lisa replied then laughed and nodded, "that's true...the way boys are always after her."

"It would be a girl," Elisha said, "Harla is not interested in boys at her age...she also finds them a pest, so many so often want to sit with her, talk to her, play with her, tell her stories."

"What does she have, I wonder?" Sara mused.

"Mum's perfect legs, that's what," Elisha laughed, "and then there is that endearing charm of hers, those dark big eyes that can speak on their own, and that so cute way she nods, or that matter of fact way she says things that make you smile. In that way she is like dad."

The three girls laughed and turned the corner. As they did they saw Harla on the path near their house waving good-bye to another girl her age. Harla adjusted the knapsack on her back, turned, spotted her sisters, and waited.

"My teacher said she may be on strike tomorrow." Harla said as her sisters came closer.

"Mine too," Elisha said, "but I bet you mine and yours will choose not to strike...the ones that tell you upfront, they are the ones less likely to."

"What strike?" Sara asked.

(end of extract)