I was dreaming about my wife, we were making love. “Come on Clay, wake up, you don’t get to lay around this time.” The voice sounded like Clancy. I opened one eye. Yep, it was him, with Gabe standing on the window sill, Clancy was setting on the chair, with his tongue lolling out.
“How are you feeling?” Gabe asked.
“Surprisingly, pretty good.” I said, as I raised my hand and felt my head. It was all bandaged up. “So, they got me in the head again, huh?”
“Yes, you have a very hard head, if they hit you anywhere else, it would probably kill you.” Clancy said.
“Do you think I can get up?” I asked, as if they were Doctor’s.
“We can’t see any reason that you can’t, that is if you take all of those tubes out of yourself.” Gabe said.
I shut off the I.V. clips, then pulled the needles out of my arm. There were some band-aids beside the bed, I put one over where I took the needle out of my vein. I sat up. I wasn’t even dizzy. I sat there a while longer.
“Say, did I get them all? I can’t remember.”
“You only got four of them, Faith did for the other four, by the way she saved your life. The bartender was going to finish you off, after he bounced a bullet off of your head. Faith got him as well as the one that came out of the office, plus the two that came her way, when those other four jumped you.” Clancy said.
“Who were they? Did you find out?”
“Their identities doesn’t matter, they were some of the Evil Ones crowd. They were just some of his tools.” Gabe said.
“Alright, I guess I can get up now.” I said.
“Maybe you had better wait a few more minutes, for that swelling to go down.” Clancy said.
“Huh? What swelling?” Clancy inclined his head. “Oh, I hadn’t even noticed it. I was dreaming about my wife.” I said.
“We know.” Gabe said. “You humans are so fortunate, you can make love anytime you want to, we have to wait till our preprogram kicks in.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right, I hadn’t thought of it. So what’s next, what are we supposed to do?” I asked.
“Do? You do what you always do. Everything humans do is all vanity anyway. But I suppose you’re talking about what to do in this time of the end. Do onto others, as you would have them do unto you, but you already do that. That’s one of the reasons that your ancestors came here. You will be guided, when it is needed.” Gabe said, then he looked at Clancy, “It’s time for us to go.” He flew away, Clancy jumped down from the chair and jumped out of the window, even though we were on the second floor.
‘My ancestors came here?’ What that meant I didn’t know. My clothes were laying on the chest at the foot of the bed, they were clean. I suppose the ones I was wearing were all covered with blood. I got dressed, I could hear the family talking from the dinning room downstairs. That’s where I headed, I was hungry.
Alita was the first one to see me, “Daddy,” she shouted, holding out her arms. I picked her up, she gave me a big kiss. Faith and Rosie were all over me. “Are you alright?” Faith said, taking Alita.
“Sure, but I’m hungry, what’s for supper?” I asked as I sat down.
“The usual, fried Chicken, meatloaf, corn on the cob, green beans, carrots, mashed potatoes. Everything you like.” Faith said.
“Good, load my plate up. Were Gabe and Clancy there, before you left?”
Hope looked at me, “Who’s Gabe and Clancy?”
“Uh…Friends of ours, you remember we told you about the Valley. Well they came to visit.” I said.
“Uh-huh, hallucinations more than likely.” Hope said. I just let it go. Faith said, “Yes, honey they were. But Alita was asleep, she was disappointed that she didn’t get to see them.”
Suong was eating with us. She said. “Why didn’t you call me to take the needles out? You could of bled.”
“Yeah, I suppose, but Gabe and Clancy said it would be alright.” I said. Suong just rolled her eyes. “But I tell you what, you can take these bandages off after supper, if that would be alright?”
“You shouldn’t take them off yet, you haven’t even started to heal, it’s only been a few hours since you got shot.”
“I don’t know, it itch’s, I think it’s healing, it wouldn’t hurt to check, would it?” I said.
“I suppose not, I could check the stitch’s anyway.” Suong said.
“Okay, before bedtime, I want to check the stock after supper.” I said.
“My, but you must be feeling pretty good.” Faith said, with a thoughtful look.
“Yep, I do.” I said, giving her a leer.” She said, “Just as I thought, that’ll have to wait, till your head gets better.” I leaned close and whispered, “Which one?” She kicked me under the table.
Rosie was setting across from us, tapping her fingers on the table, she said, “Will you two act your age?” Faith stuck her tongue out at her. I winked at Rosie, “We are.” I said. Faith giggled.
After Suong took the bandages off, she exclaimed, “I don’t believe it, they’re already healed!”
“What’s healed?” I asked.
“Well you had two grooves in your head, when that bullet hit you, it split in two, making two grooves, on either side of your crown. I stitched them up, but now I can take the stitch’s out, cause they’re healed.” Then she giggled.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“Well, you have those two white lighting strips at your temples from the previous hits, but now you’re going to have two more going back on each side of your crown. We’re going to have to think up some kind of a nickname for you.” She laughed, as she was taking out the stitches.
After the last stitch was out, I said, “Come on Faith, let’s check the stock together.” I took my hat off of the peg by the door and clamped it on solid. “Me too, me too.” Alita said. Rosie said, “I guess I will come along also.”
The four of us walked out into the moonlit yard. The yard light had come on automatically. We skirted around its edge of light, no use tempting fate. We went over to the barnyard where the horses and mules were standing hipshot. They picked up their heads as we approached. They came over, wanting us to pet them. We each picked up a curry comb and brushed them down, one by one.
It was calming on our part, and I guess on theirs too, this task. After we were done, we leaned against the corral rails and talked. I picked Alita up and sat her on the top rail.
“Well Rosie, what’s your thoughts on all of this?” I asked.
“All of this what?” she said.
“Everything, the oil business, the ranch, your hopes, your desires?”
“I really haven’t given it much thought, I’ve been too busy.”
“Well then, let me ask you this, are you happy?” Faith asked her.
She looked at the moon and glanced around the barnyard. “Yes, I’m happy, who wouldn’t be. I have everything that I’ve ever dreamed about. A loving family, mostly. All of the material things do not matter that much. Oh, they’re nice, but I could live in a cave and still be happy, as long as I still had the three of you.”
I pulled her close and hugged her. “Us too, Rosie. That’s how I feel and I’m sure Faith does also.” We had a group hug, Alita had crawled on my shoulders, so she wouldn’t miss out.
“But Dad, I don’t understand, why do they keep trying to kill you and not us?”
“Well, they did try to kill your Mother this time, maybe they’re branching out. But it could be they figure to kill the head and the rest would die. But they don’t know the three of you like I do. I know if I was to kick the bucket, you three would carry on.
But don’t ask me who they are and why they want us dead, I don’t know. But I think it has something to do with what’s coming upon this world, they think I have something to do with it. What, I haven’t the slightest idea.”
Faith said, “On your trip to New Mexico, those Hoeffer boys didn’t try anything did they, like hitting on you?”
“No. Chip is sweet on Tiff. And would you believe Dale was always asking questions about Hope?”
“Hope? She must be ten years older than he is, if she’s a day.” I said.
“That doesn’t make any difference,” Faith said, “just because she’s a woman. If it were the other way around, if he was older than she, no one would even raise an eyebrow.”
“Yeah, you’re right, I’m sorry. Besides Hope is a looker, I guess your can’t blame Dale for trying. Has he said anything to her?”
“Not much, every time he tries, he gets lockjaw. But I think Hope suspects he likes her. At times I see her get a soft look in her eyes when she talks to him.”
“You know, I never did understand why people pussyfoot around, if they like someone, just tell them and get it over with.” I said.
“I think their afraid of rejection.” Faith said.
“Balderdash, life is too short, you have to grab it by the horns.” I said.
“Balderdash? Where in the world did you get that word? This isn’t the 1920’s you know.” Rosie said.
“I don’t know, it just came into my mind, I must of read it somewhere when I was a kid.” I heard steps on the gravel, I turned, it was Hank.
“Mom wants to know if you all would like some ice cream before bedtime?”
Alita said, “Ice Cream. I want some, can we Mom?”
“Sure, we’ll be right in, that sounds good.”
Sitting around the table was Hope, Tiff and the Hoeffer boys. Why I called them boys, I don’t know, except that they were brothers, that were always together. When we came in, Hope stood up, her cheeks putting on a little color. That is more than her ethnic color usually was.
One thing I guess I will never understand, why is it if a person has some Black or Indian in them, why are they called Black or Indian? Take me for instance, I’m half Indian, so therefore I’m an Indian. And Hope, she was half white, but was called Black. Now Tiff, her Dad must have been half white, because she wasn’t any darker than me.
I guess I got off track a little bit. Anyway, both Chip and Dale stood up when we came in.
Chip said, “Good evening Sir, Mam,” I detected a little fear in his demeanor, as well as Dale’s.
“What’s this Sir and Mam Bit?” I asked.
That really shook them up. They started to stammer, I said, “Forget it, just call us by our names. We haven’t changed, have you?”
“Uh, no sir, I mean Clay.” Dale said.
“Where’s that Ice Cream.” I said. Tiff jumped up, “I’ll get it, sit down.”
When we all had our bowls full and were chowing down, I had time to assess their feelings. Hope and Dale were covertly eyeing each other. Tiff and Chip weren’t being coy about their interest in each other. I winked at Rosie and inclined my head toward the four of them. She nodded.
I went back to giving my bowl the attention it deserved. But I was still thinking about Chip and Dale and their reaction to Faith and I. I guess I couldn’t blame them for being a little apprehensive about the two of us. They probably thought that we were dyed in the wool killers. Which we weren’t. We had never killed anybody, that weren’t trying to kill us at the time. But I guess at times we were a little zealous at defending ourselves.
But really, can a person ever be too zealous about that?
Poppy and Hank finished their bowls and went off to bed. Alita’s eyes were drooping also. Rosie and Alita slept in the bedroom that was off of the kitchen, Rosie picked Alita up and they went to bed. Suong excused herself, said she had a big day tomorrow. It was time for the Oil workers surprise drug tests.
That just left the six of us. I got up and collected the empty bowls and took them to the kitchen. Hope said, “You don’t have to do that, I will do it.”
“No, I’m Okay. In fact a feel just fine. Besides, you guys haven’t finished mooning over each other, it’s pretty obvious that you’re going to have to get married pretty soon, or there is going to be a whole lot of fornicating going on.”
All four of them sat there with a shocked expression on their faces. Faith said, “Clay, you behave yourself. But yes it is pretty evident that the four of you like each other. But it is up to the four of you, if you want to get married or not.”
“Well, well, Uh,” Hope stammered, Dale spoke up, “Yes, I do want to marry Hope, that is if she will have me.” I guess he got over that case of lockjaw. Chip wasn’t to be left out. “That goes for me also! I mean, not marry Hope, but Tiffany, if she will have me.”
Both Mother and Daughter, said in unison, “Yes, we will.”
Well sir, that’s the way it went. A week later we had a double wedding in our living room. We hired an outfit from town to set up a reception tent in the pasture off of the kitchen, just about the whole town showed up. Chip and Dale had relatives up a gum stump.
Our wedding present was a honeymoon trip to Hawaii, they were to be gone two weeks. While they were gone I arraigned for two wings to be added to the house, on either side. Told them money was no object, as long as they had them completed in two weeks.
Red was a changed man, he no longer drank. And he was downright respectful. I had him oversee the construction. The rest of us, including Rosie, Hank and Poppy, saddled up and headed for our Viking Valley, as I was prone to call it.
Gabe and Clancy met us at the waterfall. The stone that was behind the falls was an optical illusion. When we got close we could see the opening of the passage way to the valley. Hank and Rosie were the only ones that hadn’t been here with us. Poppy was overjoyed to get back. We had no more than cleared the passageway, than her and Alita started to pull their clothes off.
Rosie said, “What are you doing? Leave your clothes on.”
Faith said, “That’s Okay Rosie, they can take them off, we all went that way last time. But you don’t have to, till you want to, that goes for you too, Hank.”
Hank said, turning as red as me, “I think I will leave mine on, if you don’t mind.” Like I told you about Tiff, Hank’s and her color was on the light side, so you could tell when they were embarrassed, of course so was Poppy’s, but she wasn’t the least embarrassed.
“Won’t they get sunburned?” Rosie said, looking at Alita and Poppy.
“No,” I said, then I explained about the water vapor in the air filtering out the harmful rays. Plus everything else as we rode along toward the Viking house.
Rosie said, “Well maybe I will pull these jeans off, I have underwear on.” Then she stood up in the saddle like a trick rider and pulled her jeans down, then standing on one leg then the other one, she pulled her jeans off. Hank made sure he was looking the other way. Rosie sat back down in the saddle and tied the legs of her jeans around the saddle horn.
Faith said, “I can do that, watch.” She stood up in the saddle and did the same thing. Of course I watched with interest. Hank was getting more miserable by the minute. I couldn’t blame him, almost fifteen years old, this was pure torture for him.
The only thing different between Rosie and Faith was that Rosie had regular panties on, Faith had thong panties on.
“Come on Hank, I’ll show you the swimming hole,” I said, as we spurred ahead, leaving the women to go on to the Viking House. We got to the pool in short order, “Now you can take your clothes off, there are no women around. The water is just the right temperature.” I said, as I stripped, Hank did also.
We were sunning ourselves beside the pool when the women arrived about a half hour later. Of course by this time they were all naked. Hank dove in the pool. Couldn’t blame him, the second he seen the women, he started to swell. The curse of being a teenager. I guess we should of left him to help Red. Well shoot, he’ll have to start learning to control it, sooner or later.
About an hour later, the women got their things together to leave, Faith said, “We had better go so Hank can get out of the water, before he turns into a prune.”
Rosie said, “I feel sorry for him, does it hurt when it stays like that for a long time?”
“No, just his ego, he won’t be able to look you guys in the eye for a long time. Don’t worry about him, we guys all have to go through that when we’re teenagers.”
“It just gets like that for no reason?” Rosie asked.
“No, believe me there’s a reason, and you guys are the reason. Don’t worry we’ll be along in short order.”
Faith giggled, “In ‘short order’, huh?”
“Go on, get out of here, let the poor guy get out of the water.” I said.
“I thought they would never leave.” Hank said as he climbed on the rock I was setting on. “Well Hank, you do have a problem. And it’s not going to get any better. It doesn’t’ bother you when you look at your sister, does it?”
“No, she’s my sister.”
“Well, I’ll tell you what, just pretend that Rosie is your sister, which I guess you could say she is. And then just pretend that Faith is your Mother, again in effect she is. Then you won’t have the problem. Every time you feel it start, just close your eyes and think of your mother or your sister.”
He closed his eyes, “Yep, that should work. What do you think about when you look at Faith?”
“I try not to think, if I dwelled on it, I would have the same problem that you do. That’s just the way the Creator made us, to propagate the species.”
“Do women have the same problem?” Hank said.
“Yep, but it doesn’t show, aren’t they the fortunate ones?”
“Yeah, I would say so. But it helps knowing they have the same problem.” Hank said. He perked up quite considerable, with that last thought.
We picked up our clothes and tied them behind our saddle, then we rode slowly back to the Viking House. Hank was smiling by the time we got there.
We unsaddled and stowed the gear in the tack shed. Then we went into the house. Hank walked right in, smiling. Rosie and Faith turned as we came in, Hank said, “Hi, I’m feeling much better, Clay explained a few things to me, I understand now. Do you need any help with supper?”
Rosie said, “Yeah, you could get in some wood, there’s a stack beside the door.”
After Hank went outside, Rosie said, “What did you tell him?”
“Simple, I told him that women have the same problem, only it doesn’t show.”
Faith said, “Oh, we do, do we?”
I looked at her with a small smile, “Yes, you do.” Both her and Rosie looked down at the floor. They both had small smiles on their faces.
“Alright, it’s a push, man and woman, are more alike than they like to admit. Just don’t make a big deal out of it.” Faith said.
“Deal.” I said, as Hank came back, in complete control. He smiled at Rosie. Rosie stuck her tongue out at him.
“What? What did I do?” Hank said.
“Nothing Hank,” I said, “you’re just a man, that’s all.”
Alita and Poppy came in from outside, with some Raspberry’s, they each had a hatful. “These are really good, much better than the ones at home.” Poppy said. She looked at her brother, “You alright now?”
“Yes, thanks for asking.” Hank said, without any embarrassment.
The supper that night was delicious. And one good thing about it, we didn’t have to worry if we spilled something on ourselves. We could always just take a bath. Of course we had to be really careful not to spill hot stuff in our laps. Seems like every good thing has its drawbacks.
Clancy and Gabe were the fortunate ones, they didn’t need clothes, because the creator had provided them with the needed covering. After supper that night we sat around and talked. Hank didn’t want to sleep in the house. So Clancy said that he could sleep outside with them and the saddle stock.
Hank thought that was a good idea. Cause he had been sleeping in the barn a lot of the time back at the ranch. Also he was relieved that he didn’t have to sleep in the same house with naked women. He had a ways to go to conquer the teenage curse.
The three girls had picked out a room that they liked and were going to sleep together. I was overjoyed to hear that, as well as Faith was. Oh come on, you know why, I don’t have to tell you.
This Viking House was versatile, it seemed to change to meet the needs of its occupants. I do believe at times I could hear it breathing, of course it wasn’t, was it?
“No, of course it isn’t, does your head hurt, Honey?” Was Faith’s answer to my musings.
“No it doesn’t. Just that everything seems so convenient here, do you think that’s how it was in the Garden Of Eden?” I asked.
“Yes, I do. Look, if you want some fruit, all you have to do is just go pick some. Seems like there is always some kind of fruit just right for picking. And the vegetables in the garden, did you notice there are no weeds?” Faith said.
“Yes, I did notice, do you think it’s like this year around?” I asked, as we walked to our bedroom. The diffused moonlight that was coming in through the windows put a romantic light over everything. Including my wife….
Faith never did get around to answering my question. I had no more than asked it, then I forgot about it myself…
Alita woke us up the next morning by jumping into bed with us, Rosie followed her in.
“Breakfast is ready, that is if you guys are?” Rosie said. As we detangled ourselves.
“Sure,” Faith said, “but first I think we need a shower.”
“Yeah, I suspect that you do. We already had ours, when you’re ready, the foods on the table.” Rosie said, as she picked up Alita and left the room.
I looked at Faith, “Do you think she’s a little miffed at something?”
“Yes, I think so, I think she is just a little jealous of us. She is starting to wish she had a man, herself.” Faith said.
“What? She couldn’t be thinking that, she’s not old enough.” I said.
“Yes, she is, she’s going to be sixteen her next birthday. Plus she’s, say, like in her twenty’s when it comes to life experiences.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right, have you talked to her about it?”
“It? You mean sex?” Faith said.
“I don’t know, I guess maybe, hell I don’t know. About life in general, I guess.”
Faith gave me a sideways look as she brushed at her hair, why I don’t know, brush her hair I mean, not the look, cause we hadn’t taken a shower yet, am I rambling?
She laid the brush down,
“What do you think of Rosie?” She said.
“What do you mean? I like her of course, she’s our daughter.”
“You know what I mean, do you like her as a woman?”
“I think she is a fine woman. If you mean am I interested in her as a woman? I am not! She is my daughter, that’s all, period. How could you even ask me such a question?”
“Alright, alright, don’t get in a snit. I’m just a wife, that’s all, strange things pop into our minds every now and then. Forget I even asked you that, okay?”
I picked her up by the shoulders and pulled her close and kissed her hard, “You are the only one that turns me on, so don’t ever get jealous of any other woman, ever.”
Rosie stuck her head in, “Hey, come on, didn’t you guys get enough last night, we’re all waiting for you!”
“Alright, give us a minute,” I said, as Faith and I got in the shower, together.
We spent the next two weeks in a paradisiacal haze. We all got the best tans of our lives, without any skin damage. Due to the misty haze that covered the valley that screened out any harmful rays from the sun. I think I told you about this before, didn’t I?
Hank and Poppy were a little anxious to get back and see their Mother and Tiffany. But at the same time were hesitant to leave this Garden of Eden. Now Rosie was a different story, she had no hesitation either way, she knew what she wanted to do. We were setting around the breakfast table, when Rosie said,
“It’s time to go home.” It was a flat statement, with no indecision. She sat there with a firm set to her jaw, like I would disagree with her. She had blossomed in the last two weeks, her female assist’s were more pronounced, as in fact all of the women’s did. I hadn’t paid much attention, but looking at them now, they were more than beautiful. I cleared my throat,
“Uh, yes, I suppose you’re right, so I guess we had better find our clothes. I haven’t seen mine in awhile, but I suppose there around here somewhere.”
Faith said, “I washed all of our clothes, they are in the closets. I tried mine on the other day, it seems in places they are a little tight, not in the waist, but you know, up here.”
Rosie and Poppy turned a little pink, Poppy said, “Yes, mine have been getting bigger also, so has Rosie’s too.” Hank and I, kept our mouths shut, it seems our minds worked a little better now, enough to know not to comment on the size of the girls breasts.
Alita was following all of the conversation. She put her hands up to her chest, “Mommy, where are mine, it’s not fair, you three have big one’s, why don’t I?”
Hank and I, got up, “We’re going to get the saddle stock ready, there’s too much female talk in here this morning.” I said. Clancy was setting beside the tack shed, eating a turnip.
“So you’re leaving this morning.” It was a statement not a question. “I want to warn you, things have changed a little bit.”
“What do you mean, changed a little bit?” I asked. “It’s only been two weeks, how much could they have changed?”
“Hmm, two weeks? Yes, in here it has been two weeks, but never mind, just be ready.” Clancy said, then swallowed the last of his turnip and walked away.
I didn’t like it, reading between the lines, I was sure there was a lot more to his ‘Hmm’ then he let on. I glanced up to the sky, Gabe was making big circles, riding the air currents.
Faith came out where we were working with the stock, “Honey, I just tried the Satellite Phone, the battery is still alright, but there’s no signal, how can that be?”
“There’s no signal from here.” I took the phone and poked in a diagnostic code, nothing happened, “Yep, like I said, no signal” I said as I handed it back. I looked at her, “Did you forget your top?” She had put on jeans and boots, but no top.
“No I didn’t forget, not only will my bra not fit, but my blouse is way too tight, I’ll have to borrow one of your shirts, is that okay?”
“Sure, what’s mine is yours anyway, or did you forget that we are one flesh?”
“No, I didn’t forget. My jeans are just a little tight, how do they look?”
I looked, wow! How jeans could improve over being naked, I had no idea, but they did. “Uh, honey, they look just fine, just fine. Are the girls getting ready?” I had to change the subject, if I kept looking at my wife, we wouldn’t get underway this morning.
Faith went back into the house, “Hank, be sure we don’t forget anything, especially any of our weapons. I have a feeling we might need them.”
“Why do you say that? Has Clancy and Gabe said anything?” Hank said.
“Some, nothing concrete, Clancy is being less than efficacious.”
“Huh? What the heck is efficacious?”
“Oh, sorry, I simply meant that his words were not producing the desired effect that I was hoping for.”
Hank looked at me funny, “Where in the world did you get that word?”
“I don’t know, it just popped into my brain, things have been doing that lately. But to get back to the point, we have to be prepared for almost anything. Clancy said that things have changed some out there. I don’t see how they could change all that much, it’s only been two weeks.”
“I sometimes think that he likes being a drama queen.” Hank said.
“I don’t think so, most times he understates things.” I said.