by S. A. Glenn
“I do have a birthmark next to my privates,” he shared, looking at Katherine, not concerned about Sara’s added enigma, only with Katherine’s happiness.
Katherine laughed hard at Samuel’s straightforward confession, spraying a bit of wine from her mouth.
“That’s more than I needed to know.” Sara stood, covering her ears. “I’m going to leave you two alone now. You’ve both got serious issues!” With a quick grin, Sara cleared the table, and hurried away.
Matters between Samuel and Katherine were indeed out of the ordinary. What was or were the source or sources of these facts? For Samuel, it must have been the mystic mushrooms he had eaten, giving him his foresight; but how was it that Katherine was capable of seemingly surmising Samuel’s secrets; had she ingested these mushrooms once upon a time? Or was she clairvoyant? What other information would she be able to uproot from Samuel?
Samuel and Katherine found themselves outside drinking wine and visiting with Ruff. The air was balmy as the sun set, allowing the evening star to display its brilliant radiance within the western sky.
“This is my dog Ruff… Ruff, meet Katherine.”
“How do you do, Ruff?” she asked, squatting to put her hand under his chin.
Ruff raised his foot and placed it into her hand.
“He is darling, Samuel.” She shook Ruff’s paw.
Ruff waged his tail, devoured her face with wet kisses, tipping her over. Breathtakingly filled with his affection, she sat in the dirt, laughing with hysterics.
“Ruff! Relax, boy. You’re gettin’ her dress all messy ’n’ stuff!”
Ruff lay down next to her, his head in her lap, allowing her to stroke his velvety golden coat.
“It is okay. It will wash,” she assured Samuel with a calm and good-natured voice. “Come, Samuel, sit down with your back to mine… prop me up.”
He noticed her vinous bloodshot eyes and her demeanor that was poised due to intoxication. As he rested against her, she held her glass, wanting a refill. But she couldn’t seem to hold it still for him to pour it.
“Oh, good heavens!” She leaned her head against his. “May I please just have the bottle? I clearly cannot stop moving.”
“Here you are, my good lady.” He reached around her with the bottle.
“Thank you, my good man.” She gulped down three drinks then handed it back.
He chugged his share, set the bottle between his legs, and gazed up at the multitude of stars appearing in the darkening sky. “Your middle name’s ‘Marie’? Katherine Marie… what a beautiful name.”
“Thank you. Marie is French. It means: God’s mother’s name,” she replied, barely able to keep her eye-lids open. She reached around Samuel and felt for the bottle. “What is your middle name, Samuel?”
He placed the bottle into her grasp, nervous about explaining that she already knew it. “It’s…” he let his words linger.
She finished another drink, begged with a slurring pout. “Come on, Sam. Please, wha’ is it? Are you em-barst ’bout it? You kin… kin tell meeeee,” she wined. “I won’ laugh er tell anyone… I prrromise!” She crossed her heart, hiccupping. She ran her fingers through her hair and blew onto her forehead. “It sure’s warm out here!” she said.
He couldn’t resist her precious request. Downing two shots of wine, he then inhaled deep and exhaled. “My full name’s Samuel Lee Simms.” He held his breath, waiting for her inquiries—not a peep from her. He thought she was contemplating how to answer, stalling for the words. The silence was unbearable as he wondered what her thoughts were—she was taking too long to respond. He wondered if she just didn’t hear him. It must be that, he believed. He wasn’t able to tolerate the agony of isolation any longer. “Katherine… Did you hear me?” he asked.
Not a word came from her lips, only heavy breathing. He turned to her, called out her name. Nothing. He pulled away; she fell into his lap, passed out and drunk. He realized her condition, relieved that she was not pondering horrible things about him. He was stunned that someone could drink so little and lose consciousness. He lifted the sleeping beauty into his arms and carried her to her room. Lying her down atop her bed, he covered her with the afghan at the foot of it. He gently moved the hair covering her face, gazed at her soft lips, imagining what it would be like to touch his lips to hers. But being a gentleman, he only took her hand and kissed it good night, feeling the evening was a success. Almost forgetting about his present for her, he hustled to his room, collected the statue of Ruff, then returned to her and placed it onto her nightstand, bidding her pleasant dreams.
CHAPTER 8
Promptly the next morning Katherine awakened to the crow of a rooster; that was a change from the clock tower in New York City that had awakened her with its beckoning tolls. Her fluttering eyes gave sight to the tiny carving of Ruff. She grasped it, kissed it with a place in her heart for the gesture. Giving out a big yawn, she stretched.
She lay in bed momentarily, trying to remember how she got there, but the memory eluded her. A glimpse of last night entered her mind, recalling Samuel and herself lounging around, sharing wine, talking, enjoying the refreshing evening air—then she abruptly peeked under the cover, wondering if she was still clothed, hoping she did not have fun with Samuel and could not remember it. Content with what she found, she sat up, draped her satiny-skinned legs over the edge of the bed. A slight throbbing to her head had her woozy and sluggish. She made her way to the ebony wardrobe and opened its hard heavy doors. Fingering through her outfits, she picked out her light blue satin day suit she had bought with the money she had earned from freelancing as a hairdresser. She unbuttoned her bodice, allowing last night’s dress to drop to the floor. Stepping out of her attire, bearing her white silk petticoat, she slipped into her clean dress and fastened it up. After brushing her hair, she hurried over to Samuel’s door with ambition, wanting to thank him for the cute gift.
Samuel was alert and had been up since before dawn, allowing Katherine ample time to recuperate from her fun-filled night. Dressed, he stood, gazing out his window. He thought about last night and how Katherine had bought out a new and exciting purpose to his lonely life. He had never felt this way before—at least he didn’t think he had; it seemed like he knew this incredible sensation somehow—he just couldn’t put his finger on it. But what he did know was that the sentiment was most welcomed and yearned for.
Katherine waited at his door, her ear to it, listening for signs of activity but heard nothing. She knocked. “Are you up?” she asked.
“Yes, I am. Please come in.”
She entered with happiness upon her face. “I wanted to thank you for the tiny Ruff you gave me.” She shrugged her shoulders with delight. “Where did you come across a likeness cast of Ruff? It even has the same blond streak down its back like his.”
“I made it myself. It wasn’t no trouble or nothin’,” he modestly explained.
“You carved this yourself? Painted it also?”
He shook his head yes, smiling at the joy it had bought her, his heart filling with warmth.
“It is incredible! Beautiful! Thank you, so much. Nobody has ever made anything like this for me, Samuel. How sweet!” She drew near him and pecked him on the cheek, her smile lighting up the room.
“I’ll hafta do more things like this for ya, seein’ how happy it done made ya ’n’ all. Wouldn’t wantcha goin’ ’round mopin’ all day long.”
Her face became flustered as she scratched her head, her voice soft and sincere. “Samuel, how did I get to bed last night? I cannot, for the life of me, remember.”
“You were out cold, drunk too much. You fell into my lap. Never seen nobody pass out so darned easy,” he smirked.
“Okay… I get it: I cannot handle my liquor. But how did I get to my bed?!” she asked again.
“I picked ya up, carried ya in
my arms.”
“Oh! Did you take indecent liberties with me during my vulnerability?” She had a crafty look.
“What does that mean?”
“Did you peek under my dress?”
“Good gad!” he stated, shocked at her proposal. “I’d never do that… At least not in the condition you were in,” he smirked again.
“I would not have minded if you did.” She stared out the window with a serious face, twisting her hair around her finger.
He took her hand. “Come on, you naughty girl. Let’s go get breakfast.”
At the kitchen table, Samuel, Sara, and Katherine enjoyed a plentiful meal. All were thrilled about Katherine being home. Sara and her daughter discussed Katherine’s job opportunity while Samuel listened attentively.
Sara poured warm sirup over her flapjacks, melting the butter as the sticky substance ran down the sides. She cut into the deliciousness with her knife, sectioning out pieces. “So, Katherine,” she said, jabbing her fork into her food, “are you still pursuing your goal of being a teacher?”
“I am indeed, Mother. I cannot wait until I start teaching. It has been a lifetime dream of mine to work with children. I adore them! I have a passion to boost their cleverness, sending them away into the world with a greater ability to comprehend it and all its marvels.” She crunched down onto a crispy piece of bacon; her eyes gleamed as she smiled at her mother then Samuel.
Samuel was astounded by Katherine’s intellect and how well she spoke. Her heart seemed to crave to elevate impressionable innocent children. And who better to trust one’s child with education than with her: a caring impassioned thinker. He was quite aroused by all of this.
“You’re gonna be a teacher!” He grinned and stuffed sausage into his mouth. “Maybe you can learn me a thing or two.”
“For starters, since you have mentioned it, you can unlearn to speak with your mouth full—you just got sausage in my eye!” she quipped as she removed the speck with the corner of her napkin, bearing an appreciatively correctional smile.
Samuel didn’t take offence to her beneficial advice, though he was slightly rattled by it: he desired a special individual to keep him in check when he had done something inappropriate, guiding him with an affectionate viewpoint. He lowered his head, looked up at Katherine, chewed, swallowed, and emptied his mouth. “Please, forgive me, Katherine. Thank you for your gentle decency. I’ll remember to not speak with food in my mouth.”
Katherine finished eating, dabbed the corners of her mouth, folded her napkin and set it aside. “I am going over to the schoolhouse and apply for a job. Would you like to escort me over there, Samuel? A person never knows what dangers are lurking. I may need your protection.” She sounded like a damsel in distress.
“Don’t mind if I do. Wouldn’t want a lady in danger on my account,” he said to play along.
Samuel and Katherine approached the pleasingly old-fashioned, white painted schoolhouse with its bell tower rising high above the entrance, the institute being much smaller than where Katherine had attended schooling in The Big Apple. Samuel held the heavy oak door open for her. She led them inside to the first door to the left, peeked in and found twelve empty desks. Venturing across the way, they discovered another room which was empty. As they walked down the quiet and narrow hallway, their footsteps echoed. At the end of the building Samuel peered into the third classroom, still finding no one. Katherine opened the last door and located three children sitting at their desks scribbling as a pretty middle-aged woman stood at the chalkboard writing arithmetic problems in white chalk.
Katherine edged her head into the classroom and knocked. “Excuse me,” she said.
“Please, come in,” replied the slender woman as she looked over her shoulder.
“My name is Katherine Jones. Sorry to bother you, but I am here to inquire about a job.” Katherine and Samuel walked over to the woman.
“I am Emily Cromwell. How do you do?”
“Fine, thank you. This is Samuel Lee,” Katherine said.
“Hello, sir. Please, call me Emily.”
“Emily, ma’am.” Samuel removed his hat with a nod.
Emily gave them a big smile as she sat down at one of the desks and motioned for Katherine and Samuel to do the same.
“I just arrived in Wrangler late yesterday, Emily. I have been living in New York, but now I am hopefully here to stay. I graduated the twelfth grade, and I am seeking a teaching career. My credentials are excellent. I obtained straight A’s throughout schooling. Here are my transcripts.” She handed them over to Emily.
“Let me see.” Emily looked over the records. Handing them back, she leaned closer to Katherine and lowered her voice. “Well, today is your lucky day, Katherine. For the next six weeks, Thursdays thru Saturdays, these three are in need of tutoring from eight until noon. I was hoping to find someone to take my place, but no one qualified enough applied—until now. I need a break to visit my folks out west in Idaho. This is perfect timing. I have not seen my parents for years.”
“I would love to help out, Emily.” Katherine placed her hands together as though a prayer had been answered. “What must I do to start?”
“I’ve got an exam for you to take. It will take about three hours. You may take it now if you wish.”
Katherine was thrilled. She covered her mouth to make sure screams of joy did not escape. She turned to Samuel, eyes wide open with promise. “Yes! I can take it now.”
“Wonderful! Follow me across the hallway; you will take the exam there.”
Samuel draped his arm over Katherine’s shoulders and tilted his head toward her. “I’ll wait for you outside. I’m sure you’re gonna do real good, so I don’t needa tell you good luck.”
“Thank you. That means a lot.” She showed a nervous smile.
Katherine entered the adjacent room and sat at the teacher’s desk. Emily handed her the exam containing 253 questions. Emily marked down the beginning time of the test then had Katherine start.
Katherine took a deep breath and pictured a field of wildflowers to clear her mind. She opened the booklet comprised of twelve pages of complex material relating to science, history, writing, and arithmetic. She took a pen and dipped it into the inkwell. She read the first question and knew the correct answer.
Two hours, fifty-one minutes later, she sat down her pen, closed the exam with completion. She said a quick prayer, asking for a blessing. She breathed deep to calm herself of the tension accumulated over the hours. After standing and stretching, she left the quiet room and entered the classroom across the way, hearing rambunctious kids ready to go home. Katherine noticed the glorious American flag hanging over Emily’s head as she laid the exam on top of her desk. “Pardon me, Emily. I am done.”
“Already?” Emily took her attention away from the papers she was grading and looked at the clock. She flipped through the pages to make sure all the questions were answered. “Great! How do you think you did?”
“I believe I did very well. It was just tiresome because of its length.”
“It is a tedious exam. I took the same test five years ago. I missed six questions. I will go over the exam later and have the results Monday morning. Come by here around seven-thirty and we’ll go from there, okay?”
“Okay. And thank you for your time, Emily. It was nice meeting you. I hope I get a chance to work here.”
“I am sure you did fine on the exam. I believe you will get that chance.” She smiled, waving Katherine toward the door. “Now, go on. Get out of here and enjoy the weather. Do not worry about anything. Have a nice weekend.”
“I will, Emily. You also… Good-bye.”
“Au revoir, Katherine.”
Katherine tried composing herself as she left, but she ended up hustling through the hallway to tell Samuel and her mother the outlook of what may la
y ahead.
Samuel was standing under an enormous oak, smoking. Katherine ran down the steps as though there were a fire inside and stood next to him, nearly knocking him over as she jumped into his arms. “I think I will get the job! I will not know until Monday, though. I am full of exhilaration and energy. Let us go tell Mother what is going on then go somewhere. Anywhere, I do not care. I just need to be outside.” She twirled around once and looked Samuel dead in the eye with vibrancy.
“Come on, let’s go!” He took her hand, hurrying her away with him. “I got a perfect place to take you!”
Katherine informed her mother of the encouraging news, then changed into a walking skirt per Samuel’s request. Ruff led them upstream to the garden on the hill that was crowded with delectable ready-to-eat fruit.
“Look what I found, Katherine. Somebody planted all this a long time ago.”
“Oh my god, Samuel!”
“What’s wrong Katherine? Don’t you like it?”
“I just cannot believe you bought me here! I planted all of this except for the mint—I was seven years old. I forgot about it, that’s all.”
“I planted the mint—but I found your garden?”
“Yeah!” She indulged in raspberries. “Oh, look, Samuel” She dropped a few berries from her hand as she walked to a bush with clusters of red berries. “It is the sumac I planted. I use the covering of the berries to preserve the perfect blackness and splendor of my hair. Come, Samuel. Help me gather a bunch. Do you have something to put them in?”
He closed his eye as though he were thinking. “Ummm—yeah!” He took off his shirt and placed it onto the ground; they then made a huge mound of the berries on top of it.
“Let us put raspberries along with them. I will make an extract to wash my hair. I love the way it makes my hair smell.”
“So do I.”
“Thank you.”
Both of them were kneeling as they finished picking berries. She stood and reached to help him up. He took hold of her soft warm berry-stained hand. But as she pulled him up, she let go, giving him a playfully ornery grin. He landed hard on his rear.