Katherine

by S. A. Glenn

  “Alright then.” He dusted off his hands and smiled. “If that’s the way you’re gonna do me, then be prepared.”

  “Yeah?” She slowly stepped backward. “What are you going to do about it, spank me?”

  “Well, you are askin’ for it!”

  “You will have to catch me first.” She darted off, laughing, carrying on like a frisky schoolgirl, hopping over patches of thick, green grass, making her way to the walnut tree. She raced around the trunk, peeking around it from side to side, avoiding his clutches.

  He stood opposite of her, clenching onto the bark. “You know, Katherine. Once I get a hold of you… and I will… I’m not lettin’ you go till you apologize for makin’ me fall.”

  “You think so, huh? I think you are too old and slow to catch me.”

  “I’m willin’ to bet I’m quicker than you. And when I nab you, I’m gonna put you over my knee and give you a lesson on how to respect your elders.”

  “Ooooh, scary!” She raised her brow and put out her hand, quivering it for him. “Come get me, old man!”

  He caught her off guard with her sarcasm and took hold of her wrist. “Gotcha!” He gently whipped her around into his arms.

  “Ahhh!” she squealed, squirming like a worm, but not hard enough for him to lose hold. He took her to the ground, not having to try too hard. Sitting, he draped her over his thighs, swatting her good. She kicked her legs, laughing, screaming, and wiggling about. “Okay!” she yelled.

  “Okay, what?” he demanded, giving her one last swift strike on her hinny.

  “Auwy!” she cried. “Okay. I apologize. I’m sorry for making you fall down. Ruff, save me.” Ruff tugged at Samuel’s pant leg, playfully growling. Samuel paid no attention.

  “Have you learned your lesson?” he asked.

  “Maybe.” She rubbed her buttocks. “Maybe not! You may have to teach it to me again.”

  They rested against the tree, out of breath. They stared at one another and smiled. He removed a twig from her hair, replaced it with a blue wildflower growing alone. She sat motionless and allowed him to beautify her.

  “There you go, my lady. Keep the blossom company. You make it much prettier.”

  She peered deep into his dark-blue eyes, catching a memory of a happiness long forgotten. She viewed a time when they were older, then a time when there was a little girl at her side, decorated with beads and silk ribbons of many colors. Snapping out of her vision, she returned to the present, clenched Samuel’s hand. “Thank you. That is nice of you.”

  “Are you okay, Katherine? You seemed to be thousands of miles away.”

  “Yeah, I am okay. I just felt something. Not sure what it was, but it was fabulous!” She smiled and tenderly squeezed his hand.

  Samuel stood and brought Katherine to her feet. He placed his arm around her as they gazed down into the town while the birds above them in the tree sang.

  “What a pleasant sight. Don’tcha think so, Katherine?”

  “Very delightful. But I like this hill better. It is perfectly peaceful here. There is a year’s worth of fruit and nuts. All one needs is to grow vegetables and raise livestock. What else could a person ask for?”

  “A house!” they said in unison. “Jinx!” they again harmonized, pointing at each other and laughing at their superstition of misfortune.

  “But of course there would have to be a family with a little squaw living in it,” she explained in a casual and serious behavior.

  “Why did you say: ‘Squaw’?”

  “I do not know. It just popped into my head. But you know what I mean: a child!”

  “I reckon so. Be a good place for raisin’ young’uns.”

  Katherine gazed at his beard and imagined him without it. “How long have you had this?” She tugged on it.

  “Two, maybe three years. Why do you ask?”

  “I am just wondering what your face looks like.”

  “Like any other man’s face, I s’pose.”

  “You should let me cut it off. I used to make money cutting hair, you know. I will do a good job. I will not hurt you.”

  He slowly shook his head. “No! I don’t…”

  “Why not,” she pouted. “Are you hiding from someone? Come on. Please, let me. I promise I will be gentle.” She gave him puppy-dog eyes, begging with her hands.

  “I am hiding. I’m on the run for murder!” he proclaimed.

  “Tsk! Stop it!” she smiled, and slapped his arm. “You would not hurt a fly!”

  He took a long, deep breath, exhaled in the same manner. “Okay, Katherine… You can cut it off.”

  “Really? You will let me?”

  “Yes! Tonight if you like.”

  “I cannot wait to see what you look like!”

  CHAPTER 9

  Samuel sat on an old stump behind the restaurant in the cool shade of a sycamore tree. He had also agreed to allow Katherine to clip his curly untidy hairdo, not having a haircut since Oconnestoto had hacked it off with a dull hunting knife two years ago.

  Katherine stood behind him with her fancy beauty shears in one hand and a comb in the other, removing the mess one section at a time. With every stroke of the scissors, Samuel’s face twitched with worry.

  “Relax, Samuel. I am very good at this. Do you not trust me?”

  The word ‘trust’ hit him hard. He wanted more than anything to depend on her. “Yes, I do trust you for some strange reason, Katherine.”

  “Good! I would never hurt you… with the shears or any other way, Samuel… I like you.”

  She hadn’t expected to find feelings for this guy she had just met. But something so familiar flowed from his presence. It was as if touching him ignited a powerful explosive within her memories that uncovered wonderful lost emotions. All her life Katherine hungered for someone special to make her senses tingle with excitement, and so far, Samuel had been able to do that for her.

  “I like you too, Katherine. And I would never hurt you neither, no matter what.”

  “What is this scar from on the back of your neck?” She ran her finger over it and finished his haircut.

  Feeling daring, he began to tell her what it is from. “It’s… it’s nothing,” he changed his mind, remembering what Oconnestoto had said about sharing his past. Tell no one of past, except entity who is ‘one’ with you, Oconnestoto had said. But is Katherine the one? he asked himself.

  Standing at his front, Katherine cut off clumps of his beard, getting close to his face with the scissors. She pulled out a silver straight-razor and handed it to Samuel as she whipped up shaving cream in a bowl. She covered her horsehair brush with lather and spread it generously over his face and neck.

  Samuel studied the sharpened tool, noticed how shiny and deadly it looked. He became nervous, never having anyone put a keen instrument to his throat. “Are you sure you know how to do this?” his voice cracked.

  “Of course I do. Do not worry, my dear. Have faith in me.”

  “I can trust you with my life?” He swallowed hard as he tried to show her a loyal smile, having a difficult time recovering from the pain of his yesteryear.

  “You can trust me with anything.”

  “Okay.”

  She took the razor from him, sharpened it upon the leather strop, sliding it up and down, creating an unearthly sound. One pass at a time, from his lower neck to his chin, she slowly scraped off the cream and shaved the beard to his sunless skin.

  He sat perfectly still, hardly breathing, wary as a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead to the tip of his nose, hanging on there for dear life. He looked up into the tree and concentrated on a small, round fruit hanging on a long stalk. It lessened his dread of her slicing his jugular.

  “So where are you from, Sam?”

  He remembered her e
ncouraging words about trusting her with anything, and decided a little exposure would not hurt. “From North Carolina.”

  “I would have never guessed that. You do not have an accent.”

  “My ma’s from the Dakotas. She don’t got one neither. She raised me, mostly.”

  Katherine had a caring hold of his chin as she worked her way down his cheeks. She pushed the tip of his nose up and removed his mustache in five swipes. “You are sweating. Do you not trust me, yet? I have not drawn a drop of blood… and I am done now.”

  “I trust you, Kat.” He finally believed his words.

  She wiped off the remaining cream with a cloth, then stood back to examine his naked face.

  Samuel gawked at her, wondering if she was glad she had brought his mug into view.

  “Oh my word!” she exclaimed.

  “What? What’s wrong?” He covered his face with his hands, ran them across it.

  “You’re… !” She stood in awe, covering her mouth.

  “I’m what?” He sat in torturous anticipation.

  “You’re more handsome than I imagined! Look at you.”

  “You think so?”

  “Most definitely!”

  “Thank you, Kat. I was worried you didn’t like what you seen. Heck, I haven’t seen my face in forever, not sure I’d recognize myself. But you really think I look good?”

  “I don’t think you look good… I know you look good! Don’t worry. Rest assured, you are a keeper!”

  Those amazing words of hers gave him great peace of mind. He was so happy that she was attracted to his physical aspect along with his personality. It was important to him that the magnetism between them was equal; he wanted her to be as satisfied with him as he was with her.

  Samuel lounged in his room, gazing out the window like many times before. But this adventure was different: thoughts of blessedness flooded his mind as he reminisced about Katherine and all her unusually good characteristics: her beauty beyond belief, her kindness, her understanding, her sense of humor, her ability to connect with him as though she had known him forever, her intelligence, and how comfortable she was being around him. All of these traits had his attention.

  He took hold of his whiskey bottle, poured a slug. Lighting up a cigarette as he peered out the window, he noticed that the darkness of the world outside had a light to it now, not seeming empty anymore, having a completeness. He used to gaze out, feeling that he should be somewhere else, but now he believed that his place was with Katherine. After downing his shot, he realized he didn’t need to drink this poison anymore. Replacing the cork, he now understood that Katherine filled the void in his life.

  He opened the window to draw-in the cool air and chase out the day’s heat. In his white worn-out cotton undergarments, he laid down atop the covers, feeling a soft gratifying breeze enter his room. His eyelids became heavy as he thought about the fun he and Katherine had, and the great joy she brought him. Drifting off into slumber, his mind took him through an absorbing journey.

  In his series of images during sleep, he beheld Katherine wearing a skirt made of calico, squatting in pain next to a river. The air was warm, but the water was chilly. Dark clouds rolled in as she breathed erratically, screaming without being heard. After much time passed, a baby’s head appeared from her groin. As it dropped she caught it and cut off the lifeline between the two of them with a hunting knife. Dipping the child into the water, she cleaned it, strengthening it against rickets or deformities. When she was done, she ventured home carrying it in one hand and a gourd filled with water in the other.

  Katherine laid in bed thinking about Samuel and how familiar he seemed to her. The emotions he conjured up inside of her had been released from their cage, giving her a glimpse of who she really was. She was excited about exploring Samuel’s soul, finding out who he truly was. She rolled over onto her side, holding a pillow at her bosom, falling into a fantastic dreamland.

  As she materialized, sitting next to a pond, a green frog with a beard leapt into her lap. Startled, but not afraid of the smooth-skinned amphibian, she allowed it to climb onto her hand. She brought the creature up to her face to view it up close. “Are you hungry? Would you like for me to catch a fly for you?” she asked.

  “I don’t like flies. And I don’t wish to hurt them neither,” replied the frog. “But I would like a kiss from such a caring and beautiful specimen such as yourself.”

  “But why would I want to do such a silly thing as to kiss a frog?” she giggled.

  “Because I’m trapped, and I need your assistance, my lady.” He edged closer to her, sadness in his eyes.

  “Trapped how?”

  “I need your tender touch to release me from my prison of loneliness.”

  “Oh, you poor thing. Of course I will help you.”

  She reached down with her soft, warm lips, merged with his wet, cold ones. After kissing the frog, she sat him down onto the ground and watched him erupt with laughter.

  “Thank you.” A smile emerged.

  “I thought after I kissed you, you would change.”

  “But I have!” He hopped around with delight. “I’ve felt love for the first time! I never knew life could be so wonderful!”

  Bright and early, Samuel arose, experiencing enrichment and fondness for Katherine. He dressed in a denim shirt that he had bought last year—it was faded but unsoiled and stylish. His modern hat rested upon the bedpost; he placed it atop his freshly trimmed hair. His hand flowed over his exposed face, rediscovering his new appearance. After putting on his trousers and suspenders, he fit on his leather boots then headed for the kitchen, famished. He found Sara slaving over the hot stove. Anxious for her to take a gander at his noble exterior, he stood behind her with a gallant grin and cleared his throat. “Ahem!”

  She spun around. “Oh my stars! I almost didn’t recognize you. You gave me quite a fright! My, my, look at you. You look years younger. And ever so handsome,” she admitted, cupping his face. “What made you decide to get rid of the beard?”

  “Katherine begged me to let her cut it off, ma’am. I tried resisting her, but she wouldn’t let up.”

  “Well, it’s a nice improvement, young man. She shouldnt’ve done it, though. Now she’ll have to fight off all the women flocking around you.”

  “Awww, shucks, ma’am.” His face turned red. “She won’t hafta concern herself ’bout that, ma’am. My heart’s set for her only.”

  “Oh really! I see!”

  Katherine entered with fresh eggs from the chicken coop. Silence came over all three of them as Samuel and Sara peered with grins at Katherine. She smiled back at them, sat the eggs down, narrowing her brows. “What is going on in here? What are you two up to?”

  “We were talking about you,” said Sara as she cracked the eggs into the skillet.

  “About what?” Katherine placed her hands upon her hips.

  “About the distinct love spell you’ve placed on Samuel.”

  “Mother!” Katherine tapped her foot.

  “Well, it’s true. He’s confessed it!”

  Samuel’s hung his head, peeked up at Katherine.

  “You have embarrassed him, Mother! You have put him on the spot.” She walked over to him and took his hand.

  “I’m sorry, Samuel,” Sara apologized.

  “It’s okay, ma’am. Maybe she has… I do like her an awful lot. But I know we’ve just met ’n’ all. I’ve never felt this way about anyone though. Feels kinda good… but scary!”

  Katherine hugged Samuel, kissing his lips. “I have feelings for you also. It’s like we have found each other after being lost… but I am not scared. Whatever it is between us, it is stronger than anything I have experienced.”

  “I feel I’ve just been released into a better place after you kissed my lips, Kat,” he sa
id, touching them.

  “Maybe I hold the key to your heart, Sam.”

  “Maybe…”

  “Breakfast is ready,” said Sara, bringing food to the table.

  Katherine and Samuel sat at the table. “Mother says you have not gone to church since you have been here.” She scooped scrambled eggs onto her plate. “Go with us after breakfast. I want you to meet Reverend Papanikolaou.”

  “I reckon I can do that. I just haven’t gone since pa died.”

  “I am sorry he died, Sam. Papa can help you with his death. He knows a lot about pain and suffering.”

  “I’ll give church another try. And thanks for everything. You’ve been a great friend, and then some!”

  “Not a problem. I am here for you. Will you tell me how he died?”

  “Let’s eat first. I’ll tell you all about him on the way there.”

  Upon reaching the church, Samuel gazed up at the white building with its golden doors and tapering frame. His emotions were variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that were inspired by the sacredness of it all. As they hiked up the seven wooden steps, Revered Papanikolaou greeted each person with a benevolent handshake. Samuel permitted the man of God to welcome him into his grace.

  “Hello, my good son, haven’t seen you in my parish before,” he said with sparkling eyes and a smile as he held Samuel’s hand. “I’m Reverend Papanikolaou. Everyone calls me ‘Papa’ for short. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity of sharing God’s word with you. I hope you enjoy my sermon.”

  “Thank you, Papa. I’m lookin’ forward to your lecture.” Samuel sensed his kindness and accepted his willingness to share his insight on life.

  Everyone had entered the stuffy room that was filled to its capacity. Worshipers stood in the back, fanning themselves as a boy scurried around opening windows. Two rows of twelve dark-stained oak benches lined the place. Sara, Katherine and Samuel sat in the last row to the left by the aisle. Brief whispering and a cough or two was all that was heard as everyone waited for the sermon to begin.