The following day, as Robert and Kathy worked to haul logs from the forest and stack them in the barn, Kathy sat down on a bale of hay and said, “This is truly hard work, but I love being in our own home again. It will be difficult for a while until we get things fixed up to our liking, but I am glad we are here.” Robert kneeled down in front of her and kissed her. When he moved back a little, she pulled on his coat and asked, “Where are you going. I like your kisses. We could take a break and visit the haymow for a few minutes. I have missed our alone time together.” Robert stood up, pulled Kathy up by her hands and headed towards the ladder. He picked up two horse blankets, carried them up the ladder and then waited for Kathy to climb up. When she stepped up beside him, he said, “We will have to get under blankets quickly or freeze. Kathy spread the first blanket on the hay and then quickly stripped her clothes off. When she pulled the second blanket over her naked body, Robert quickly followed her lead.
When they had finished with their afternoon activities in the hayloft, they went back out to the woods to pull one more load of wood up to the barn. The old car hood worked out really well for skidding logs. It had snowed each night for the last week and the car hood slid easily across the fresh snow. They intended to work in the woods again tomorrow also. They needed to get as much wood into the barn as possible before the warmer weather melted the last of the snow covering the trail. As they pulled last load of wood into the barn, the sun was beginning to set. They lit a lantern and took some time to stack the heavy logs so they could get enough air to dry. They would buck up the wood on rainy days when they could not work outdoors.
When they finally walked into the house for the night, they started a fire in the wood stove. Robert had hand built the stove from a one half inch thick piece of boilerplate steel. He had welded the seams and hand built the hinges and the door. The stove was large enough to heat the entire four-room house. The wood stove was in the center of the house with the living room on one side and the kitchen on the other side. There was a large bedroom and a bathroom with an old claw foot tub. Kathy loved the soaking tub; she often would soak for an hour when she had time. Sometimes, Robert would bring her hot water to warm her bath water when it became tepid. They had running cold water, but no hot water. They would simply heat water for the tub and for dishes on the wood stove. The farmhouse was not as modern as Randy’s Mountain House, but they loved it just the same. They could live there quite comfortably.
***
Rodney, Bonnie and Britney spent the first month hauling wood and melting the freshly fallen snow for drinking water. They worked hard to melt as much snow as possible before it all melted. The days were beginning to get quite warm and it would not be long before all of the snow would be gone. Then they would have to haul water from the river and boil it before storing it for later use. They too did not have the luxury of a well. They had once tried to drive a pipe into the ground and attach a pitcher pump to it, but they were never successful. The water table was a hundred feet or more below the surface. Only a well drilling company with a rotary boring bit could penetrate the hard granite mountain. Collecting rainwater and pumping water up from the river was the best alternative for most people.
Rodney shot a turkey and a deer and put most of the turkey and all of the venison into the smokehouse that Bonnie and Britney had helped him build. They would have to work hard to put away enough meat, vegetables and fruit during the summer to supply them during the following winter, but they had provided for themselves for many years and could do it again. The only thing that caused them difficulty was their resized bodies. Yet, even that handicap was quickly fading away. They had all learned to modify or build new tools to accomplish their tasks. Rodney had even suggested that they build a new home. They would size it so it was more user friendly than the one they presently lived in with eight-foot high ceilings. Why have such high ceilings when four foot high would be much more efficient and easier to heat in the winter?
By mid-June, they had cut and split enough wood to last them for the upcoming winter. Then they began cutting logs and stacking them in piles along the side of the barn. They wanted easy access to the wood if they should need more during the cold winter months. Britney had also spent a week with Randy and Jenna, helping them cut and split wood. Jenna was getting quite big and her baby was due in late October. Britney decided she would return to help Randy hunt and fill his smokehouse with meat in the early fall. He would be quite busy tending to Jenna and his newborn child. He would need all the help he could get tending the gardens and hunting. Britney knew that everyone was planting extra vegetables in their own gardens to share if needed. Living on three different farms was turning out to have advantages when it came to available space to grow gardens and harvest game. Supplying enough wood for three homes was another matter altogether.
As Britney worked beside her mother in the garden, a man rode his bicycle into the driveway and got off. He laid the bicycle down on the ground and walked towards where the girls were working, Britney spoke to her mother and said, “Mother, James has come to visit and I am covered in sweat and my clothes are filthy.” Bonnie giggled and said, “I guess you will just have to face him as you are. It is too late to run to the house for a bath and clean clothes. I suppose he will find you disgusting and quickly head back down the mountain to his mommy.” Britney turned to face her mother and realized that her mother was most likely right; James might find her disgusting and leave.”
As James walked along the row of beans that the girls were planting, Britney waved at him. When he got up close to the girls he said, “It is a beautiful day and I could not stand being in the city when there are blue skies and beautiful women to look at. So here I am, ready to split wood, hoe a garden or do whatever I can to stay away from my own home in the city.” Bonnie quickly handed James her hoe and said, “I have laundry to tend to while you finish weeding this garden. Be certain to shut the gates when you are done or the rabbits will surely eat the tops off of the carrots.”
When Bonnie was in the house, she looked out of the kitchen window and saw Britney kiss James and then return to her gardening. She laughed to herself over how her little girl had grown into such a beautiful responsible woman. She was ready to make her own way in this new world, despite the resizing of the planet’s inhabitants.
As Britney continued hoeing, she listened to what James was telling her. James mother had heard from Randy that Jenna was considering selling her farm. James mother was a real estate broker and always seemed on top of who was selling what. James said, “As you already know, I have worked as an engineer for a company in Hillsburg for the last five years. I have put away enough money to purchase Jenna’s farm and pay the taxes. I am considering purchasing the farm and living there.” Britney leaned on the handle of her hoe and listened intently to his words. As they talked about the farm, James said, “I have known you for many years and we dated for a while in high school. The world we live in has drastically changed and I am uncertain how life in the cities of this planet will continue in the next few years. I believe that those who live off the land and carefully utilize the planet’s resources are most likely to survive. I have decided to offer Jenna a fair price for her land and raise a family there.” James stepped up in front of Britney, kneeled down in front of her and produced a small box containing two rings. He looked up into Britney’s eyes and asked, “Britney, I kneel before you today to ask you to marry me and live on the farm I intend to purchase from Jenna. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?” Britney stood with her hands over her mouth, trying not to cry, trying to keep her composure. She put her hand on James shoulder and said, “There would have to be some conditions set before I could marry you. Will you give me a few weeks before we get married? I have some....” Britney stopped talking for a moment or two and then said, “Hell yes I will marry you. Any time and any place. I love you and I have already expressed those feelings to you.” Britney took the engagement ring from the box and slid it on her fi
nger. She looked down a James and asked, “How did you know what size to buy?” James looked towards the house and said, “Your mother helped with that. She gave me a ring that she knew to be the correct size and I had the jeweler use that size to make these rings.” Britney thought back and remembered her mother showing her a ring that her grandmother had worn and Britney had tried it on. Now Britney was certain that her mother knew of James plans all along.
***
Britney asked Jenna and Randy if she and James could have the wedding at the Mountain House. The response from Jenna and Randy was very positive. Britney set the date for July 10, two weeks away.
Britney worked long hours each day, helping on her parent’s farm; helping Jenna finish emptying out the old farmhouse. Once they finished moving Jenna’s belongings, Britney began helping James get their new home ready to live in. They had to install two wood stoves and run the chimney pipes up through the roof. The house had hydronic heat but without electricity to run the circulating pumps and propane to run the boiler, the system was useless. They built up the kitchen floor so they could reach the counter tops and cut off the legs of the tables and chairs. Then they began remodeling the bathroom, since the kitchen floor was now two feet higher than the bathroom floor, Randy and Robert helped build a large tank that sat on top of the kitchen wood stove. Then they ran a copper water line from the tank to the bathtub. They soon discovered that the new system would allow them to heat the tank of water on top of the kitchen stove. Then after partially filling the tub with cold water, they could warm it by mixing in some of the hot water from the tank on the stove. The new system worked well and was the delight of the girls.
On the night before the wedding was to take place, James and Britney made up the bed in the bedroom of their home. When they put the pillowcases on and then laid the pillows up against the headboard, James looked into Britney’s eyes and asked, “Are you ready for all of this? Tomorrow night we will be married and will sleep in this bed together as man and wife.” Britney moved her fingers down between her legs and then said, “I think we should not discuss it anymore today.” James laughed and said, “You do understand that tomorrow night will be my first time, don’t you? Britney walked around the bed and hugged him. Then she moved her fingers to the bulge in the front of his pants and rubbed gently. She giggled and said, “We both understand the process of fitting our body parts together even if we have never done the deed, we learned that in science class. Mother says that sex will bond our love for each other for all eternity. I believe her words to be true.” James giggled and said, “I am in agreement with you. We should not talk about this any longer. If you do not remove your fingers, I will need dry pants.”
***
As James and Britney stood in front of the fireplace and exchanged their vows, Bonnie cried on her husband’s shoulder. Her little girl was all grown up and now preparing to make her own way in the world. Bonnie knew the two would have struggles and hardships over the years, but she know that every married couple had those.
When James turned and faced Britney and kissed her hard on the lips, she giggled and turned towards her father. Rodney could see the tears of love for the man she had just married beaming in her eyes. She was proud of her accomplishments in life and proud to be married to her true love.
As Britney turned and faced James, he took her in his arms and kissed her hard and long in front of everyone. As the kiss lingered, a bolt of lightning tore across the sky followed by a loud crash of thunder. Bonnie stood up, laughed and said, “Let God’s thunder remind both of you not to break these wedding vows. If you break the vows spoken here today, you both should hope that God gets to you long before I do.” Britney kissed James again and said, “Husband, I promise to always be faithful to you even if a really cute country western singer just happens to show up at my door.” James laughed and pulled Britney into his arms. Randy turned on the small transistor radio and found a song for Britney and James to dance their first dance together as husband and wife.
By the time they had finished with the wedding dinner and cleaned the kitchen, the storm had descended upon the mountain with high winds, heavy rains and strong lightning strikes. Randy talked to the minister and he agreed to stay the night. He had no desire to travel the mountain roads during the raging storm. Then he talked to Rodney and Bonnie and invited them to stay for the night as well. Britney spoke to her mother and said she wanted to sleep in her own bed tonight. Kathy had overheard the conversation and said, “If we all crowd close together in the truck, we can drop you two off at your place on our way home. James laughed and said, “You can just sit on my lap.” Britney giggled and said, “That might be a lumpy ride home.” James just laughed over his wife’s little joke.
When Kathy and Robert were ready to leave, Britney changed out of her good dress and folded it into the small bag she had brought. As they stood at the front door to leave, Britney stepped up to her father, kissed him on the cheek and then hugged her mother. Bonnie was already crying over her daughter leaving the nest, but she managed to send the newlyweds off with a smile.
When James unlocked the front door, he picked up Britney and carried her across the threshold. When he put her feet back on the ground she said, “I suggest we fill our large tub with warm water and wash our bodies before going to bed. I for one need a good wash.” James laughed and said, “I am pretty good at washing backs. I have had lots of practice. I have two sisters and a brother and we usually took our baths at the same time. Backwashing was a ritual that we all observed, until my sister got their breasts and refused to bathe with my brother and me.” Britney began to giggle as she carried a bucket of cold water to the tub. After a few trips to the water tank, they had enough cold water and began drizzling in some boiling hot water from the tank over the kitchen stove to make the bath usable. Britney seemed a little timid, but she soon relaxed when James was naked and in the tub. When Britney sat down in the warm water, she leaned forward and kissed James. James could hear her heavy breathing and began splashing water on her to get her wet. She turned around in the tub and leaned back against James. As he touched her body, he could hear her breathing increase and she began to squirm around. Finally, he said, “I think we should quickly wash our bodies, dry off and get into bed. It is beginning to storm again. ”
As Britney’s body tensed and trembled as she sat astride her husband, he realized that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. Her long brown hair hung down over her shoulders. When her breathing slowed and she opened her eyes, she giggled and leaned down so her head was on her husband’s shoulders. She whispered into his ear that she loved him. She sat up, moved her hips to reposition herself and felt his body do its magic. After a moment, she leaned down again and let James heart rate slow a little. When she could tell that he had accomplished his task, she moved off him and lay down beside him. When she touched his manhood with her fingers, she felt a return of his desire for her. She giggled and said, “I too could stand a little more of that. I am so in love with you.”
***
On October 15, Randy helped Jenna deliver a tiny baby boy. They named him Timothy after Jenna’s grandfather.
Britney rode the four-wheeler up to the Mountain House to help Randy skin out two mule deer that he had harvested at the corner of her and James property, which butted up against each other. Britney had helped field dress the animals and drag them up to the barn with the four-wheeler.
When she knocked on the front door and did not get an answer, she opened the door and spoke Jenna’s name. Jenna told Britney to come up into the loft. When Britney got to the top of the stairs, Jenna was sitting up in a rocking chair with a tiny child suckling on her nipple. Britney immediately began to cry. She walked up to the chair, kneeled down beside Jenna and touched his tiny hand. The boy child opened his eyes, trying to see who had touched him. As Jenna and Britney talked, they heard Randy coming up the stairs. When he walked over to the rocking chair, he put his hands on Britney’s shoulders
and said, “I see you have met Timothy.” Britney wiped her eyes and said, “He is so very tiny. He is the smallest baby I have ever seen. His little fingers are just precious and he has his mother’s eyes.” Jenna laughed and said, “He has his father’s large feet and ....” Jenna did not finish her sentence, but Britney got the gist of the conversation and looked up at Randy only to see him smile.
After a few minutes, Britney said, “Is there anything I can do for you. Shall I cook some food ahead or wash some laundry for you?” Jenna said, “We will manage just fine, Britney. I will be up and around in another day. My labor was very easy. This tiny little child was ready to make his entrance into our world and my labor was over in less than four hours.”
When Timothy was finished with his meal, Britney put him on her shoulder and slowly walked him around the loft until he burped. When she placed him into his father’s arms, he cuddled up close as if he needed his daddy’s arms to hold him. Britney finally said, “I came over to help skin and cut up those two mule deer. I will get to it and let you rest, Jenna.”
When Britney arrived at the barn, she discovered that Randy had already skinned one of the deer, so she began working on the second one. When she finished, she cut up the deer and laid out the pieces on a large worktable. She had left the barn door open to let in some light, but the bugs began swarming around the fresh meat. She quickly boned out the first deer and began carrying the meat to the smoke house. As she returned to the barn, Randy joined her and quickly cut up the second deer. Within two hours, they had both deer in the smokehouse and a hickory wood fire burning under it. Britney then helped Randy flesh out the hides and then laid them out to dry. They would remove the hair and brain tan the hides later.
Universal Mass Page 7
