by C L Lassila
Adelaide had no emotional or superstitious attachment to either bibles or crosses, but for some reason the discovery made her uneasy.
“Let’s go home, Dar,” she said.
When they arrived back at the farm she immediately checked on the chickens and was relieved to find them all unharmed. The uneasiness that she was feeling, she knew, grew out of her concern for Mary and had nothing to do with any concern that the discovery of the buried items was a sign of some misfortune that would affect her personally. She hoped that over time the pain that the girl was feeling would diminish.
Two more days passed in pleasant solitude before Calix returned. Adelaide was working in the yard, chopping wood, although she had, in fact, spent more time that morning being entertained by the behavior of the chickens than she had spent working. As the weather had grown cooler, the four legged chicken had taken to spending time at Adelaide’s feet. The chicken knew that Adelaide had a pocket full of corn and she enjoyed the regular treat that Adelaide would give her. And Adelaide found it charming that the chicken would peck her pant leg when it wanted her attention. Unable to resist the bird’s entreaty, she would give it a few kernels of corn and she now regularly had the chicken following her around when she was in the yard.
Just as she was finally getting back to work, collecting the split wood to carry to the shed, Adelaide noticed Calix out on the road. She was pleased to see that he was accompanied by Ten Crows. As Calix and Ten Crows walked toward the back of the house the crows that were in the vicinity began to vocalize. Adelaide recognized the calls. They were not danger calls but were, in fact, the vocalizations that crows use to call their family members.
When the two men reached Adelaide she said to Ten Crows, “They’re welcoming you.”
“You are learning their words,” Ten Crows replied.
Adelaide shook Ten Crows hand.
“Welcome to my home,” she said.
Calix held a wooden crate. He set it on the porch before embracing Adelaide.
“I am so glad that you are back,” she said.
“We brought some things that we thought you might enjoy,” Calix announced.
The box held two small Hawthorne trees to add to the collection of plants that she had already acquired for her garden. There were also two small parcels which contained seeds. Written in ink on the front of the packets were the words Indigo and Milkweed. A third package in the crate held maple sugar which was a gift from Ten Crows. Packed in amongst the trees and parcels was a bottle of whiskey.
“Thank you, both of you,” Adelaide said. “I think that I have done enough work for the day. Let’s open the bottle. Tell me about your journey.”
She went and got three glasses and then she and her guests sat on the back porch. Calix opened the bottle and poured the drinks. Adelaide was excited to hear stories from them about the world beyond the farm.
“When did you get back?” Adelaide asked.
“Yesterday afternoon,” Calix answered. “We stayed in town to play cards last night. There was a man in the game that had just returned from the island. It seems that Jonas’ stake promises to be a rich deposit.”
Adelaide laughed and said, “I received a letter from him. He said that things were going well. For a man who loves talking, he is a man of few words when it comes to writing them. I am glad that it is going well. It is important to him that he be a success. He always says that he didn’t come across the ocean just to be a miner.”
“Let me show you the farm, Ten Crows,” she added. “And then I will make us some supper.”
They walked to the far end of the property. Adelaide pointed out where the different plants had been planted. Darwin followed along behind them, as did the four legged chicken.
“The hawthorne, indigo and milkweed should be planted tomorrow. There is going to be a freeze soon,” Calix said. “I thought that you could plant the milkweed in a second spot. That way there is a better chance that it will take.”
“The plants will like it here,” Ten Crows said. “They will grow well.”
“I would like it very much if you would tell me about some of their medicinal uses,” Adelaide said.
“I will teach you,” Ten Crows replied. “You have a connection to the plants. They will work for you, I think.”
On the way back to the house, they stopped to dig up some late season turnips to prepare for dinner.
They reached the house as the sun was settling down behind the horizon for the night. Adelaide saw that the chickens were safely in the coop before going inside to begin dinner. The men sat at the table drinking some coffee that Adelaide had warmed on the stove. They entertained her with their storytelling as she prepared dinner. The stories were as compelling as the tales of adventure that she had read in the books from the Greenfield’s library. Intermixed in them were stories that filled her with foreboding; stories that told of land being cleared for farming and trees cut down to build homes for miners, and land taken from the Indians by the government. There were also stories of animals being killed for fun and profit well beyond what was needed for survival. She knew that she was fortunate to have arrived there when she had, while it was still largely wilderness. She had been able to see nature in its purest state. All too soon, she feared, that would change.
After they had eaten and the plates had been cleared, Adelaide refilled the whiskey glasses and the conversation continued. Ten Crows picked up one of the sketchbooks that were sitting on the sideboard. He turned the pages slowly, studying the images of the plants and animals with which he was so familiar. Adelaide sat and listened as Ten Crows went from page to page and told her the Chippewa name for what was depicted in the drawing. She would repeat the words after him, laughing at her mistakes, as she attempted to speak the language that she found both exotic and beautiful.
When Ten Crows had gone through the first sketchbook he looked at her and asked, “No people?”
Calix interjected, “I don’t recall seeing a sketch of a person in any of your books.”
Adelaide laughing, replied, “You’re right. Drawing people doesn’t interest me. The only human likenesses that I have drawn were those of the dead men, the ones who had drowned in the shipwreck in the Sault.”
“The children in the Sault described you as a squirrel woman,” Ten Crows said teasingly.
“A squirrel woman?” Calix questioned.
“They would see you in the woods and say, that woman likes being with the trees more than she likes being with people,” Ten Crows explained.
“I would say that that is an accurate observation,” Calix laughed, then leaned over to kiss Adelaide.
“So would I,” Adelaide agreed. “I just don’t find that much attractive about the society that human beings have created. I have not seen one thing made by people that even comes near possessing the beauty of a tree, or a flower, or anything else in nature for that matter. I never knew it before I came here, because I had never seen it, how incredibly beautiful and complex nature is when it has not been pillaged by people.”
“You are Chippewa,” Ten Crows stated.
“That’s why we get on so well,” Calix added.
“I have never been given a better compliment, Ten Crows. Thank you,” Adelaide replied. “And of course, both of you will stay the night,” she continued as she refilled the glasses.
The conversation went on until late in the night. Adelaide could not have wished for better company.
Early the next morning, after eating breakfast, and carrying a lunch that Adelaide had made for him, Ten Crows returned to town. The day was cold and damp. Dark clouds hung low in the sky. A steady drizzle fell, at times little more than a mist, but never developing into a heavy rainfall. Calix lit a fire before he and Adelaide went out to plant the hawthorne trees. They also cleared two plots of ground and planted both the indigo and the milkweed seeds. By the time that they had finished, after several hours work, they were both chilly and wet.
When they finally
did get back inside, Calix took Adelaide’s hands between his to warm them. He then led her over to the fireplace. They began to undress each other, removing the layers of damp clothing until they could feel the warmth of the fire on their bare skin. Calix pulled Adelaide closer to him, enclosing her in his arms. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the sensation of flesh against flesh. She raised her head and felt his mouth rest upon hers. Her fingers slowly ran up the soft skin of his back. The touch of his erect penis against her stomach excited her. There kisses became more intense as Calix’s hands caressed her breasts. One hand then continued down over her stomach and slipped between her legs.
“I want you inside of me,” Adelaide whispered. “Please, I want to feel you inside of me.”
Calix went into the bedroom and returned with a blanket which he laid on the floor. He reached for Adelaide’s hand and guided her down next to him. He knelt beside her as she lay naked by the fire.
“You are so beautiful,” Calix said
As he took in the beauty of her nude body, Calix slowly caressed her. He ran his fingers gently over her eyes and nose and across her full lips. His touch trailed down the side of her neck and over the mounds of her breasts. Slowly his fingers circled her erect nipples.
Adelaide was so aroused that she could barely breathe. She raised her hand and brushed her fingers down the length of his erection.
“Please, I want to feel you inside of me,” she repeated.
Calix lay beside her, pressing his lips against hers. His hand moved over the soft skin of her inner thigh, until his fingers found her wetness.
“Please,” Adelaide sighed.
Finally Calix positioned himself over Adelaide. Looking into her eyes he positioned his cock and slowly entered her. Adelaide lifted her thighs, thrusting up so that he could fill her completely. The intensity of their lovemaking drove Adelaide to orgasm. She climaxed, her body trembling beneath Calix’s muscular form. He continued to pump into her. Adelaide surrendered to the rapture, losing herself in the physical sensations. Calix no longer able to contain himself drove deeply into her as he too climaxed, filling her with his seed. He stayed inside of her, looking into her eyes and then softly kissed her.
Made drowsy by the warmth of the fire as well by as their lovemaking they stayed where they were, lying silently in each other’s arms, both reluctant to leave the comfort and contentment of the moment. It was Darwin who decided that enough is enough. Feeling left out he worked his way between the two of them and lay down.
“I guess we know who you belong to, Adi,” Calix said, laughing.
Adelaide nuzzled her face into Darwin’s fur, laughing too.
“Yes, you are the alpha male, Dar,” she said. “I love you too.”
By the next day the rain had let up, but the sky remained overcast. Calix suggested that they go into town. A supply boat had been scheduled to leave from Sault St. Marie two days after he and Ten Crows had departed from there. It would have arrived in Copper Harbor by now.
Adelaide thought that it was not necessary to purchase more supplies. But Calix pointed out that she had not yet been through a winter there. He explained that the winters could be very harsh and that after a certain point in the season no more supplies would be brought in until the spring. It was better to be over prepared in the event that there could be some unforeseen occurrence. She thought that perhaps Calix was being overprotective. But she saw the logic in acquiring more while it was available. She had wanted to go into town anyway to see if another letter from Jonas had arrived. She was a bit concerned about being seen in town with Calix until he reminded her that Jonas had asked him to help her out while he was away.
Adelaide finally agreed. After making breakfast, she fed the chickens and gave the crows their morning treat. Then she, Calix and Darwin walked into town. When they reached Main Street, Calix went off to find a wagon while Adelaide walked over to check on mail from Jonas. She was startled by the number of unfamiliar faces that she encountered as she walked through town. Intermixed with all of the unfamiliar faces were a number of familiar ones, people that she felt obliged to stop and socialize with. All of them inquired as to the wellbeing of her popular husband. She was happy to inform them that his endeavors were proceeding well and then attempt to move on before being bombarded with too much gossip. Yet she was unable to reach the post office without hearing about a wife who, just two weeks after arriving, left her husband to return to her family out east; and two mining accidents, one of which was fatal. She realized that, were it not for Jonas, she would know very little about the events in town or the goings on of the local residents. She missed his entertaining reports about the local news.
She was pleased to find that there was a letter from Jonas waiting for her. She slipped the letter into her pocket and spent some time exchanging pleasantries with Mr. Monk. She then headed for the general store where Calix was already waiting with the wagon.
“Any news from Jonas?” Calix asked.
“A letter, I will read it later,” Adelaide answered.
Calix knew the shop keeper well and handed him a list of what he needed. The shopkeeper was a regular participant in the Saturday night card games, so he was well acquainted with both Jonas and Calix. The men joked and laughed as they loaded the purchases into the wagon. Because of their relationship, Calix was able to negotiate a good price. There was little for Adelaide to do but stand and watch.
When everything had been placed in the wagon Adelaide helped Darwin into the back and climbed in to wait for Calix. Calix stopped and talked to another man before climbing into the wagon himself.
“Now you should have enough feed to get your chickens through the winter,” Calix said. “They won’t end up in the soup pot.” He looked at her grinning.
“I still have too much to learn from them,” Adelaide replied.
“The wisdom of the chickens,” he said, teasing her.
“The wisdom of nature,” Adelaide corrected him. “I watch the chickens and Dar. They see and hear and most probably know things that we don’t.”
The wagon was pulling away from the store when she noticed a group of six unfamiliar women walking from the direction of the harbor. Up until then she had not seen women arrive who were not accompanied by a man.
“Prostitutes,” Calix said. “They were in the Sault when I was waiting for a boat north.”
“Prostitutes?” Adelaide questioned. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely, Copper Harbor is officially a mining town now,” Calix said, laughing.
“Well, there are enough men without women here. It should be a profitable enterprise. Maybe it will help the men get through the winter. Was one of the women black?” Adelaide continued.
“Mulatto, I think,” Calix answered. “The man who brought them came all the way from St. Louis. I met him in the Sault. He was in a card game. I took some of his money. He talked about having the best whores.”
“There’s no hope then, if the whores have arrived,” Adelaide remarked. “It looks like there is going to be a copper boom.”
“More people will be coming,” Calix added. “This place is going to change.”
“We will have all of the things that civilization can bring,” Adelaide said sarcastically. “Just when I discovered that civilization didn’t bring much.”
As the wagon pulled away from the store they saw the six women walk into the hotel.
“It seems that they will work from the hotel for now, until he gets a house built,” Calix said.
“Have you been with a prostitute?” Adelaide asked him teasingly.
“I don’t know if I should answer that,” Calix replied.
“I wouldn’t be mad,” Adelaide said. “It’s biology. All animals want to mate. Why would humans be any different than the rest?”
Calix laughed. “Such a rational woman,” he said.
When they arrived back at the farm, they worked together to unload the wagon. Adelaide wanted to go with Calix when he
returned it. They could then have a leisurely walk together back to the house. Having a letter in her pocket which possibly held the date of Jonas’ homecoming, made her want to spend every possible minute with Calix. But she thought better of the idea and decided not to go. Instead she would stay at home and start dinner and read the letter from Jonas, which she had removed from her pocket and placed on the table.
With a pot of soup cooking over the fire, she sat down and opened the envelope. She laughed as she saw that once again her husband, who so liked to use spoken words, had scribbled relatively few of them on the piece of unfolded paper.
My Dearest Adi,
I think of you often and hope that the farm has not presented you with much difficulty. We have discovered what appears to be a rich deposit of copper. It seems that the mine will be a success. My work here will continue for another two to three weeks if the weather allows.
I hope that you are well.
Your loving husband,
Jonas
“Well, Dar,” she said as she slipped the letter back into the envelope. “It looks like we are going to be rich.”
When Calix returned, Adelaide took his hand and led him into the bedroom. She wanted to lose herself in making love to him. With his taste and his smell and his touch, she wanted to erase the idea of his leaving.
Afterwards, as she lay in Calix’s arms, he asked, “What did Jonas have to say?”
“He has found copper,” Adelaide said. “He will be back in two or three weeks if the weather does not turn.”
Calix stroked his hand over her breast and whispered in her ear, “We have to make the most of our time then, don’t we?”
He pulled her beneath him and lay on top of her. She could feel his erection pressing against her. Calix looked into her eyes and ran his hand through her hair. She lifted her head to try to kiss him but he pulled away. When she tried again, hungry for his mouth, he let his lips briefly touch hers before he pulled her by the hair, separating their mouths, at the same time driving himself into her. Adelaide moaned as he filled her. With their eyes locked, their bodies moved together, their rhythm increasing in tempo, until they both reached orgasm. Neither of them wanted what they had, to come to an end.
