*** Warning: This is a long story, with a plot that slowly builds up. The actual sex happens towards the end. If long stories aren't your thing, then please beware.



*** This story is fiction and all characters are of legal age (18 years of age or older).



- Chapter 1 -



"I'll see you in twenty minutes." Zoe hung up the phone and, mop in hand, looked at the kitchen floor of her flat. Half of the tiles were sparkling white, while the other half had a dull, dusty look to them. She dipped the mop back in the bucket and began untying her apron.



"Peter! Peter! Come over here!" she yelled out turning her head towards the living room where the television was making excessive noise.



Several moments later, Peter shuffled into the kitchen barefoot.



"Careful honey! The floor is still wet over there," warned Zoe and she watched Peter nearly slip on the damp tiles. "Peter, I need to drop by the office and have a quick chat with Doug. I'm going to have to ask you to finish mopping the rest of this."



Peter glanced at the floor and quickly estimated the size of work. "Oh, um... but I'm watching my show, mom." He had a hint of begging in his tone.



"Peter, you've been watching TV all day, while I've been cleaning the house. You could have, at least, asked me if I needed help. It's one show after another for you, isn't it?"



Peter didn't feel like being chastised, thus he nodded solemnly and reached for the mop.



"At least put some shoes on," instructed Zoe pushing past her son on the way out of the kitchen. "The floor better not get dirtier either. Oh, and when you finish with the floor, could you wipe down the counters too? Thanks, son!"



Peter scowled -- his relaxing afternoon was turning into a pile of chores.



As Peter shuffled off to get some shoes, Zoe hurried down the hall into her room. She changed into more suitable clothes and looked out the window. Gray clouds were covering the sky and it was anybody's guess at the chance of rain. She decided to arm herself with an umbrella, just in case.



On the way out, Zoe peeked into the kitchen where Peter was keenly working the mop over a row of tiles. She smiled -- Peter did good work once he warmed up to it. With that thought, she marched out of the door.



The office of the local branch of the European Humanitarian Association, or EHA, was located in the heart of the city. As Zoe walked down the familiar street, she scanned the clouds for any immediate threat of rain. With a flick of her wrist she opened the umbrella and positioned it above her. At this pace she would reach the office in about fifteen minutes, and the sooner the better, since the early fall chill was beginning to make its way under her thin, gray coat.



While walking, Zoe was wondering what it was Doug, her boss, wanted to talk to her about.



"I want to talk to you about this in person, if you don't mind," he said to her on the phone. He wouldn't even tell her what this was about. Zoe loved surprises, so she didn't press him further.



When she reached the office, she folded the umbrella realizing that rain never fell.



"Hi Mary!" she greeted the receptionist at the front desk.



"Hello Zoe. Didn't know you'd be coming in today."



"I wasn't planning on it, but Doug wanted to chat about something."



"Ah! He's in his office."



Zoe nodded, took off her coat and hung it up on the wooden coat rack. She took a deep breath, turned the nob on Doug's office door and peeked her head in.



"Hi Doug. May I come in?"



"Of course, my dear! Did you get rained on?"



"No, you can say I got lucky. It looks terrible outside."



"I know. I shouldn't have asked you to come down here. I keep forgetting that you don't own an automobile."



"And I keep telling you that not everyone is as privileged as you," said Zoe with a playful cock of her head.



"I know darling, but when you get to be my age you forget things." Doug paused and stared out of the window, watching the wind whip the fallen leaves into a restless dance.



Zoe looked at the old man and almost felt bad that she made him bring up his age. Doug was in his early seventies but still too stubborn to retire. He's been with the EHA for over forty years and claimed that there was no one competent enough to succeed him. It was a fact. Doug was a great boss, he was understanding, reasonable and knew more than anyone about the affairs of the Association. He was just one of the many reasons why Zoe loved her job.



"Doug? What was it you wanted to talk to me?" Zoe spoke up when it seemed that Doug had forgotten about her.



"Oh dear, I almost forgot." Doug turned around and smiled warmly. "Zoe, you might have heard me talk about a certain affair in Africa for quite some time."



Zoe nodded.



"This morning the confirmation finally came back from the headquarters." Doug walked over to his big, wooden desk and rummaged through some documents. "Here is the official project description," he handed several documents to Zoe and continued: "There's a limited-contact tribe in Zimbabwe that needs our organization's help." He paused and looked at Zoe, who was trying to skim the contents of the documents. "Since you are my most trusted agent, I thought that I would present the opportunity to you first," he finished.



Zoe's eyes shifted from the documents to Doug. She had a faint smile on her face that was growing fast. Of course, she knew about this assignment. It has been the talk of the office for quite some time. Ever since she learned about it, Zoe's been hoping that it would go through.



"Oh Doug, this is wonderful! You know that this is what I love to do. Thank you so much!"



Doug couldn't help but grin like a fool. "I know Zoe, but I wanted to see that face when I gave you the news myself. Just imagine a year in the African jungle, bonding with the indigenous people. How I wish I was young again, so I can take this job myself."



"I've been telling you for years -- retire and move to Africa. That way you can always be where your heart is."



"I know. I should, but that old hag of a wife of mine won't move anywhere for all the diamonds on Earth. But enough about that. I'm sure you're very excited and I've got some phone calls to make. That's all I needed you for." Doug winked. "Go on! Go home and read over the briefings."



Zoe thanked Doug five more times and then practically flew out of the office. She headed straight to the cafe around the corner and, once she had her latte, she settled into a booth to read over the details of the assignment.



This was the assignment Zoe had been waiting for. Sure, it was nice to help third-world countries from behind a desk but it was nothing like a hands-on experience. Twice since college, Zoe got a chance for such work -- once in Peru for a few months and once in West Africa. Such assignments usually consisted of living among a tribe or a community and teaching them modern skills like preserving food, fighting off disease, and basic education. Of course, every time she ended up learning a lot herself.



The air was warm and stuffy inside the cafe. Zoe removed her coat and unbuttoned her sweater. "A whole year in Zimbabwe with a limited-contact tribe," she thought. "This will be wonderful. I could teach them so much."



The assignment was to begin in a month. Zoe sipped her latte as she was trying to think of all the things that needed to get done before the trip. And, of course, there was Peter. Zoe could ask Aunt Ella to let him stay with her for a while. She smiled. She could already hear Peter protesting in terror. He just loved Aunt Ella so much!



Peter was just about to finish his studies and Zoe could see if he wanted to come with her. Sure, it was for a whole year, but it wasn't that unusual in her line of work. Often times employees took their whole families with them on such assignments. However, it was up to Peter to decide whether he was willing to come or not.



While thinking about such things Zoe noticed a young man looking at her from a nearby table at the cafe.



What the man saw was an uptight-looking woman hunched over some papers. She appeared to be in her mid thirties, but her skin was pale and smooth, which made it difficult to judge her true age. Her dirty-blond hair was neatly tucked behind her ears and her brown eyes quickly flicked back and forth along the pages. She wasn't especially attractive. Her simple clothes and lack of make-up denoted that she didn't care much about looks. Yet there was something about her. She seemed to have that sort of classy, ageless look to her. The man's eyes wondered lower and he saw the unbuttoned sweater. He caught a quick glimpse of a cleavage that promised ample breasts beneath.



Zoe watched his eyes and realized that they have trailed below her neck. She looked down and saw that her sweater was unbuttoned a little too much, and showed a little more than she had intended. She pulled her sweater shut and looked back at the man, who was once again reading his newspaper.



Zoe buttoned her sweater up and returned to her reading. She didn't show it, but she secretly enjoyed the stranger's glance. She rarely received much attention from men. She blamed it on the rainy weather -- she could never wear the clothes that showed off her best features. In truth, Zoe was a modest woman and she never felt the need to expose more flesh then necessary.



Zoe thought back to the times when she used to wear nothing but summer swimwear and visit the beach often with her friends. That was another time, another place and she was much younger then. Being a single, working mother was a busy life, and vacations were rare and in between. However, she finally felt like all her hard work was about to be paid off.



"This assignment will be the greatest thing that has happened to me in a while," Zoe though. "Warm weather and sun will do me good. God knows I need a good tan."



After leaving the cafe Zoe headed home to break the news to Peter. She reached her flat and knocked loudly on the wooden door. After a few brief moments, the lock turned and Peter opened the door.



"Hi honey!" Zoe announced stepping through the door.



"Back so soon?" mumbled Peter with sarcastic enthusiasm.



"Don't you look happy to see me. Did you clean the floor and the counters?"



"Yes mom," answered Peter returning to his seat in front of the television.



Zoe took off her coat and shoes and walked over to inspect his work. Everything looked satisfactory and she decided that she would cook something special tonight. After all, Peter would have to make a big decision soon.



Once the chicken, the mashed potatoes and the salad were prepared, Zoe set the dining room table. She was a vegetarian herself. It was her way of keeping in shape and in good health. However, Peter enjoyed a good piece of meat and Zoe didn't feel right to force her habits onto her son. Though still scrawny and not quite as tall as boys his age, Peter was growing up to be a real man. The fact that he never cleaned up his pubic hairs in the bathroom and left incriminating, crusty socks under his bed, was somewhat frustrating, but Zoe figured it was only part of his male nature.



Peter didn't seem to have any real friends. Big part of that was because they've moved several times in the past five years. It fell to Zoe to fill in as his best friend as much as she could. They usually talked freely about all kinds of stuff, except when it came to girls. Every time Zoe tried to bring up girls, Peter would quickly change the subject or end the conversation.



"Peter, dinner is ready!"



Peter showed up in a flash -- he was always hungry.



"Mmm, it smells great." Peter came up to Zoe and gave her a light kiss on the cheek, as was customary in their home. Peter piled on some chicken and potatoes on his plate and sat down.



"Get some salad too," Zoe instructed.



"Mom, I don't like salad."



"I know, but you need to eat it to get all the vitamins."



Peter frowned, but he knew he should comply. He forked over the minimal amount of salad to keep his mom happy and proceeded to devour the chicken.



Zoe fixed her own plate and sat down in a chair opposite her son.



"Peter, I wanted to talk to you about something," she began.



Peter made an acknowledging noise while chewing on a mouthful of chicken.



"It's about my work. I've been offered an assignment in Africa. Zimbabwe to be precise."



Peter stared at his mom, still chewing, not quite understanding.



"It's a year long assignment."



Peter slowly finished chewing and swallowed.



"I was thinking you could come with me," Zoe countinued.



"To Africa?" asked Peter thoughtfully. "For a year?"



"Why not? You're almost done with your studies."



"Africa is far," said Peter scratching the back of his head. "Do they have TV there?"



"Listen, if you don't want to go, that's fine. I'll talk to Aunt Ella. I'm sure she'll be happy to have you stay with her..."



"Uh!" grunted Peter, scowling. "Right. So, what would I do in Africa?"



"For one, you can finally see what my job is really about," Zoe smiled. "We will live with a local tribe that has limited contact with the outside world. You'll get some sun and fresh air, learn how to live outdoors, mingle with the natives, make some friends. Who knows, maybe you'll like it and follow in my footsteps one day?"



"Friends?" Peter seemed suddenly interested.



"Yes. I'm sure there will be boys your age there. Don't worry, you'll fit right in. Tribal people love foreigners. To them you'll be the most interesting, most traveled and most educated person they know. Think of all the stuff you can tell them about!"



Zoe watched her son's reaction and knew that he was intrigued.



Peter nodded his head thoughtfully for a while. "When would we leave?"



"The trip is in a month. Does that mean you're coming?"



"It sure beats staying with Aunt Ella," said Peter and skewered another piece of chicken with his fork. He felt a rising excitement in his chest. He always wanted to make more friends, but people in the city always seemed so unfriendly, so judgemental. Even when Peter hung out with the guys in his neighbor, he felt like they didn't really accept him and made fun of him behind his back. In Africa, it would be different. People were simpler there. They didn't care who had the latest gadget or who was attending some important event. No, in Africa none of these mundane things mattered. It would be a fresh start for him. It would help him escape this lethargic life.



***



The month passed in a flash. With so much to do before leaving, Zoe had little time to think about anything else. Doug had arranged for her flat to be rented by his niece and offered to handle all of the visa and travel paperwork.



By now, Peter had fully accepted the reality that he was going to live somewhere in Africa for the next year. After the initial conversation with his mother, the excitement of the trip settled quickly and was followed by a feeling of anxiety. The reality of living outdoors, with no modern conveniences like running water, refrigerators and TV seemed a little too much to give up all at once. He even considered backing out, but he knew that his other option was Aunt Ella.



Peter also realized that his mother would need his support more than anything. Thus, he decided to make the best of his time preparing for their new life. He began researching as much as he could about Zimbabwe. The vast jungles were both intriguing and terrifying -- with their exotic and dangerous wild life.



On the night before the flight, Zoe and Peter were having dinner together, as usual. Their large backpacks were stuffed with all of the immediate necessities that could be brought, for they decided to only bring a backpack each, since they would have to carry their bags through the jungle. As they ate their last home cooked meal of the year, Zoe kept quizzing Peter about his packing job.



"Did you bring three pairs of shorts?"



"Yes mom."



"How about a raincoat?"



"Yes."



"Sandals?"



"Mom, we already went over the checklist twice. Must you ask me all this again?"



"I'm sorry sweetie, I'm just very nervous."



"Me too, but let's just try to relax and enjoy this dinner."



"You're right. I'll try to relax, though I don't think I can eat any more. I need to go double check and make sure I brought enough shirts."



Zoe pushed her chair back and left the kitchen.



Peter sighed, shook his head and resumed eating. He couldn't quite grasp the reality that tomorrow he was flying to Africa. He tried to keep himself calm and pretend that tomorrow would be just like any other day. He finished dinner, cleaned up the dishes and decided to take a shower.



"This is my last normal, warm shower. I wonder how I will wash myself there?" Peter stood under the warm stream of water. His hand had found its way to his manhood and was slowly tugging at it. He looked down and watched himself growing hard. He ran his palm over his enlarged tip and began slowly stroking his shaft. He closed his eyes and conjured up an image of a scantily clad woman that he saw earlier on TV. The woman was walking towards him, gently swaying her hips.



Sudden knock on the door snapped him out of his fantasy.



"Peter!"



"Yes?" Peter sounded annoyed.



"Did you pack the sunscreen lotion? I can't find it anywhere."



"Yes. It's in the front pocket of my pack."



"Can you please check on it and make sure that it's there?"



Peter sighed. His mother always was a worrywart. It was only expected that she was acting this way before such a big journey.



"Let me finish showering and then I'll check!" Peter hollered. And then to himself he thought: "No more showers, no more of 'pocket pool'."



- Chapter 2 -



The flight was direct to Harare, where they planned to catch a bus to a small village. Hours went by fast as Zoe watched the on-board television and read her book. When they finally landed and exited the plane Zoe quickly realized how warmly she was overdressed. From the air conditioned interior of the plane she hadn't quite anticipated the heat that hit her square in the face. Almost immediately, she began to sweat. She wore safari shorts and a white button-up shirt with a light sweater over it. She knew she had to lose the sweater as soon as possible. Peter followed her out groggily -- he slept throughout most of the flight. He blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to adjust to the unexpectedly bright sun.



It was arranged for them to meet with a co-worker of Zoe's. Nakibo was an agent of EHA, who worked remotely in Zimbabwe and other countries throughout Africa. When they reached the airport lobby, Peter followed his mom towards a tall black man.



"Good day Mrs. Hawkins!" said the tall man with a thick African accent.



"You must be Nakibo," guessed Zoe.



"Yes, that is I. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person."



"Likewise. It's funny that we've worked together for all these years and never met face to face."



"I would say it is most amazing that we can work together, yet be so far away from each other," said Nakibo. He noticed Peter coming to stand by his mom and addressed him: "Hello, you must be Peter. My name is Nakibo."



Nakibo extended his right hand towards Peter.



Peter shook it and gave the stranger a courteous smile.



Nakibo continued: "I have arranged for the bus to arrive in an hour. Perhaps, you and your son would like to have some refreshments before we continue our journey?"



"That would be great," answered Zoe taking her sweater off. "I'm starving."



"Follow me," said Nakibo, leading the way. "There is a small place where we can get some good food and drink."



Zoe and Peter followed Nakibo to a small shack which appeared to serve as a cafe. The cafe wasn't very busy, even though it was located right outside of the airport terminal and seemed to be the only such place around. As Peter entered, he saw three black men sitting around one of the tables conversing in private.

