My parents assured him they were glad he was here, so he could take over the things I had been doing badly. Pa agreed. That was it.
“Ma, I have never talked back to you in my life, but that changes right now. I have done my best to take care of the crops, the animals, the house, the provisions, and you and Pa. Stop bad-mouthing me. I’ve heard not one word of thanks from either of you. Pa, you’ve been too crippled to get out of bed many days, yet you walk right out and help Cousin Freddy with his bag.
“Ma, you’ve been too sick tired or crippled to get up and even make yourself a cup of tea. You basically ran out the door to greet Cousin Freddy. With Dillon doing the outside work, I’ve had a full-time job, spending every day waiting on both of you, taking care of the house, and trying to care for your infirmities. With Dillon gone, I took on his full-time job as well.
“You have done nothing but criticize the fact that I can’t get two full-time jobs done at the same time and now you’re bad-mouthing me. I tell you what. Now that Cousin Freddy is here, he can take over both jobs and I’ll go help Cousin Eldridge out, since he’s as old as you two are.” I took off my shoes, proceeded upstairs, and packed a bag.
When I came downstairs, my parents were looking at me with some fear in their eyes. Good, as far as I was concerned. Cousin Freddy, instead of upbraiding and criticizing me, looked at me with something resembling respect. He asked me to wait before leaving, and come into the kitchen with him.
Freddy pulled a bottle of wine from the cupboard, and poured us both glasses. “Carl, I remember the mouse you were, easy to torment and take advantage of. When I got here, I decided to push you, and see how far I could get. You’re not a mouse any more, and it seems your folks have been pushing you for the same reason. You’re obviously done being pushed around.” He laid his hand on mine, then with the other hand brushed my cheek gently.
“Please stay. I can’t promise that things with Aunt Harriet and Uncle Jacob will change completely, but they should get better now that you’ve put them on notice about what you’ve been going through.”
“If you stay, I think we’ll get along quite well.” He smiled and extended his hand. We shook, and he stood up, leaned across the table, and kissed me gently on the mouth. I had no idea how to respond. Gesturing at the table, he said “Clean that up.” I guess I can’t expect him to change too much, too quickly.
I led him upstairs and showed him to his room. Then I got clean sheets and made up his bed. I left him to put away his things, and dropped my bag in my room. When I came out, Freddy was standing at my doorway, and gave me the shock of my life. He took my face in both hands, and kissed me hard on the mouth. His tongue was licking at my lips, so I opened my mouth and used my tongue on him, also.
“I’ve got to take care of the animals and the vegetable garden, Freddy. I’m enjoying this, but we have to be careful that Ma and Dad don’t catch us. OK?” He nodded, and returned to his room.
This was a turn of events I never expected. I got the sheep back in their enclosure, fed the chickens and herded them into their small enclosure, then groomed the horse again and fed him. I fed BC, then did some weeding in the garden.
It was approaching night when I finished. I went into the kitchen, where my parents were talking to Freddy. He was dressed in a T-shirt too small, stretched over his chest, and jeans that were molded to his butt and his crotch. I took a good look, and then started making dinner.
Ma had made a cake, the first one in years, and brought it into the kitchen from the pantry. I prepared the chicken, put it in the oven, and then chopped up vegetables to make a salad. I sliced some bread, and put that and butter from the icebox on the table.
“I saw you getting water from a faucet at the sink. I thought houses with indoor water had to have electricity.” Freddy lived in a city in Ohio, where almost every house had indoor plumbing and electricity.
I went to reply, but Dad beat me to it. “When we moved in, I was good at plumbing. Me and a neighbor built windmills for our properties, and we use those to pump water to a holding tank above the kitchen. We let gravity deliver the water to the sink and the bathing room.” Dad was proud of his accomplishment, as he should be.
“Have you tried using it to generate electricity, also?” Freddy’s idea wasn’t bad, there was just one problem.
“Good idea, but then we only have electricity when the wind is blowing. A man in Council Bluffs has a wood-powered dynamo so his house has electricity, but a separate dynamo is required for each house. I read that London uses a different way to generate electricity, something called an alternator. That can power many houses and streetlights.
“Even if cities in the U.S. start doing the same thing, nobody’s ever going to generate electricity close enough to us to benefit. So, it’s candles, lanterns, and horsepower for maybe another century or so.” Dad was staring at me in awe.
“Where in tarnation did you learn that?”
“Council Bluffs newspaper. I read it every time I go there.”
I brought the meat and salad to the table, and thanked Ma for making a cake. She just nodded her head, and started eating. I got another big shock, when Dad said, “Thank you, Carl, for not only providing the food for this meal, but preparing it also. You’re a good man.”
Before I could say anything, Ma shook her head. “It’s the least he can do, you know. Everybody’s got to pitch in and help.” I wondered what help Ma had been for the last ten years. That’s how long I’d been waiting on her and Dad, keeping up the house, taking care of their infirmities, and helping Dillon with the chores.
“He’s a good man, and a thank you every now and then for all he does might be nice.” Ma just ignored Dad.
“So, Freddy, how is your family.” At least Ma could talk to him in a friendly manner.
“Everyone’s well, thank you. By the way, what time do you folks go to bed at night?” He was looking at me, and licking his lips. I think I know what he’s really asking.
“Uncle Jacob and I usually go to bed around eight. I don’t know what time Carl goes to bed, he usually stays up half the night reading or otherwise wasting time. I swear, if Jacob wasn’t such a light sleeper, Carl would never get out of bed because he wasted time instead of sleeping.” It couldn’t possibly be that, with getting up early in the morning and working non-stop until hours after they went to bed, I was always tired.
Since Ma was monopolizing the conversation, Freddy kept talking to him. “OK if I get a bath tonight?” Ma nodded. “And what time is breakfast tomorrow? Maybe around nine?”
I sputtered, and Ma ignored me. By nine I had often been awake and working for four hours, and then made breakfast for her and Dad.
“We like to eat breakfast at nine, but some days Carl is just lazy and doesn’t get it on the table until nine-thirty. So, nine it is, but you better pray that Carl doesn’t get lazy, and you’re sitting here doing nothing for half an hour.”
I stood up and walked to the stairs. “Get back here, young man, and remember your manners.”
I looked at Ma as though she had lost her mind. “Dad, please explain to her that I’m finished with being bad-mouthed. And, that by nine, with doing Dillon’s job in addition to mine, I’ve been up for maybe four hours, working all the time, then break to come in and fix breakfast for you two. Also, perhaps you can explain to her that I work eighteen hours solid most days, and get at most six hours of sleep.”
Ma tried to interrupt, but I wouldn’t let her. “If you ever again call me lazy, or tell me I’m tired because I stay up half the night wasting time, then I’ll meet your expectations.” I turned on my heel, and went toward my bedroom.
“You are the most uppity and ungrateful child, you …” That was all Ma got out.
“Harriet, shut up.” I had never heard Dad speak sharply to her.
“Jacob, you’re spoiling that boy. He needs …”
Dad spoke not in a sharp tone, but an angry one. “That boy is Carl, our son. And, Carl needs some ap
preciation for what he does around here, not your god-damned nitpicking and complaining. Now, shut up.”
Ma wouldn’t let it go. “Stop taking the Lord’s name in vain. You will be damned to hell if you keep it up.”
I had stopped on the stairs, never having overheard my parents argue. It got real interesting from there.
“Jacob, bring me back my plate … Now what am I going to eat that you’ve thrown my food away …. Where are you going?” Ma was furious.
“You get back here right now, and tell Carl to come back, apologize, make me another dinner, and then clear the table. I’m talking to you, don’t ignore me.”
Dad replied, the first time I’d heard anger in his voice since a wildcat mauled BC while defending the sheep. “You’re not talking to me, because I’ve told you to shut up. Make your own god-damned food, clear the table and do the dishes. Carl’s too lazy to work, so it’s up to you. Like you said, we all have to chip in.”
“Well, I never,” was all Ma said.
“That’s right, Harriet, you never. You never do anything, you never stop complaining, you never stop demanding that Carl wait on you hand and foot, and you never thank him for anything.
“I have never struck you in thirty-nine years of marriage, but I’m beginning to reconsider that. Now, make yourself some fucking food, clear the fucking table, and wash the fucking dishes, or you will regret it.”
I heard Dad stomp out to the living room, and sit in his chair. I could hear Ma crying, then trying to get Freddy to condemn both me and Dad. When he wouldn’t, I could hear sounds of dishes being cleared, and then water running.
Freddy came upstairs and into my room. “I’m going to bathe tonight, sometime after eight. Could you show me how to use the controls in the bath?” I wiped the grin off his face with my mouth, giving him a kiss.
“Freddy, we can’t do anything until after Ma and Dad have gone to sleep. OK?” He nodded, and returned downstairs. I followed him, but went outside to check on the animals. BC had taken care of getting the sheep into their enclosure, so I closed the gate. Chickens and horse were fine.
Chapter Three
Back inside, I found Dad sitting at the kitchen table, talking with Freddy. The wine bottle was between them, their glasses half full, and a third glass had been set at a chair. “Where’s Ma?” I asked, thinking the third glass was for her. Dad pointed up, and invited me to sit.
He poured me a glass of wine, something he’d never done before. “I’m sorry you boys had to see that,” Dad said to us. In nearly-identical motions, Freddy and I both shrugged, and spread our arms outward. “That’s been coming for a long time. I love Harriet, and I know she loves you, Carl. She still thinks of you as a little boy, who is hers to order around. I’m ashamed to say, I got that way, too.”
I put my hand on Dad’s arm. “It’s OK. I know both of you love me, and I love you and Ma. I’m an adult now, and expect to be treated as one. You don’t know how happy you made me tonight when you recognized that.”
Freddy spoke up. “My Mom, your cousin Edna, died when I was thirteen. When we got home from the funeral, my Dad handed me a beer, and said ‘You’re a man now, and I intend to treat you like one.’ Of course, I spilled half the beer trying to choke it down, but he kept his word.
“Dad made me a partner in the clothing store, and treated me as an equal. I served customers, took orders, and even learned to sew. When Dad took ill, I tried running it on my own, but it was too much. Dad hired a tailor and his son to run it, and they got sixty percent of the profits. The day they took over, we got the telegram from Aunt Harriet, and here I am.”
“I remember Uncle Eldridge as a big, imposing man. Then again, I remember you,” I pointed at Freddy, “as a fat whiney little brat.” Freddy laughed. “I’m glad you’re here. I can teach you how to run a farm, and you can teach me how to be a man.”
They both laughed, and Freddy replied, “I’m not going to follow my father’s route with you, Carl. On my fifteenth birthday, he took me to a bordello, and had me pick out a girl. I was probably more scared than nervous. When we were done, she said I needed a lot of practice. I asked her if we should try it again, and she threw me out of the room.”
Dad looked at me with a curious expression. “I hear there’s a bordello in Omaha. Do you want me to take you some day?” My face must have turned red, because they both laughed at me.
“Don’t worry, son, when the time comes, you’ll figure it out.” He chuckled, and went upstairs to bed. I didn’t hear any yelling or stomping, so I guessed they made up.
Freddy and I each had another glass of wine, and I was feeling sort of light-headed. Freddy found some soap, towels and washcloths, and when we heard Dad snoring, he took me by the hand. “Ready to teach me how to run the shower?” he asked, grinning from ear to ear. Did I ever!
When I stood up, he began unbuttoning my shirt. He ran his fingertips over my chest, and my tiny nipples started getting bigger. I got his shirt off, and did the same to him. This was magical to me, but I figured it was old hat to Freddy, what with the bordello and so forth.
He kissed me on the mouth, and I opened mine to let him in. He removed my shirt, and his strong arms embraced me, rubbing my back. I liked our bare chests touching, and tried to press myself into his skin. I was already barefoot, and Freddy kicked off his shoes. He reached for my pants, and I tried to stop him. I wanted to keep our skin next to each other, and told him so.
“Give it a few seconds, and all our skin can touch,” he told me. I backed up, and he unbuttoned my pants. They fell to the floor, and I stood completely naked before him. He put my hand on his pants, and I didn’t wait to unbutton them. I yanked them down to his ankles, along with his drawers.
My penis was hard, and I saw his was, too. I remembered the time skinny-dipping with Rory, and got on my knees, wrapping my mouth around his swollen member. Freddy took in a breath, and had to re-balance himself. I moved my lips downward, and licked his crown. He, too, was leaking, and I lapped up the liquid with my tongue. Freddy was moaning, and I pulled back.
“Am I hurting you?” I asked him. He shook his head.
“Feels great. Have you done this before?” he asked.
“Just once, but the guy wasn’t very nice about it. He never did anything for me.”
Freddy pulled me up into a kiss. “We’ll fix that, now.” He knelt down, and rolled my testicles around in his hands. I felt shocks going through my body, which got stronger when he licked up the clear stuff leaking from me. When he suddenly took me all the way in, I almost fainted. I was shivering, but it wasn’t cold. In fact, I felt warm. Hot, even.
Freddy slid his mouth up and down on my pole, then one hand was rolling my testicles while the other was squeezing my backside. The hand in back made circles around my hole, then Freddy withdrew and spun me around. He licked the area around my hole, then let the tip of his tongue penetrate me. I shouted in shock, and in pleasure.
“Shhh!” he said. “You’ll wake Uncle Jacob and Aunt Harriet.” I grabbed the back of a chair, and held on for dear life. I was leaking all over the floor, and so was Freddy. He kept pushing his tongue farther and farther inside, every time sending a new, more powerful shock, through my whole body.
I stepped away, and spoke over my shoulder. “I think we need to go to the shower, now, instead of making a bigger mess on the floor to clean up.” Freddy drew his tongue back in his mouth, nodded his head, and soon we were in the shower.
I started showing him how to use the controls, and he laughed. “That’s not why I asked you.” He took over, turned on the water just a bit (it was really cold), and resumed sucking me. There was not a lot of room in the shower, and this time his hand in back was soaped up. I felt a finger go into me, just to the first joint. I jumped, and had to struggle to keep from ejaculating. The finger went in to the knuckle, and I felt pleasure like I’d never before experienced.
A second soapy finger joined the first, and he moved them back and forth, like sci
ssors. When he hit a location on one side, I moaned, so he concentrated on that one place with his finger. He massaged whatever was there, his other hand rolling my testicles, and his mouth sucking on my penis. I pushed back against his fingers, and couldn’t hold off any more.
The most amazing feeling crashed through my whole body, wave after wave of pleasure, and I filled his mouth with my semen. He stood up and kissed me, letting me have some of the warm liquid for myself. I swallowed it, and sucked on his tongue. We stood there for a few seconds, then Freddy said, “My turn.” I knelt in front of him, and he pulled me back up.
“Did you enjoy what I was doing with my fingers behind your back?” I smiled and nodded my head vigorously, letting out little sounds of pleasure. “Then, you’re really going to enjoy this.”
At some point, Freddy had placed a bottle of cooking oil just outside the bathing room, and he retrieved it. “Turn around and face the wall,” he told me. I did what he said, having no idea what was going to happen. He coated his fingers and my hole with the oil, then poured some on my hands. He guided me to his penis, and I rubbed the oil all over his hard length. I didn’t know why I was doing this, but Freddy had a lot more experience than I did.
To Love A Hitman Page 19