Chapter 4:

Struggling to remove my boots, my eyes popping, not from the strain but from the many and various garments that lay strewn across the room and on the single chair, which is why l opted for the bed, as much as my mind was spinning in amazement, l gave myself a moment to ponder on why the girl would have any need for a silky looking catapult.

It was then as l stood to unbutton my pants that the reflection in the mirror stilled my breathing, as rough as my own appearance was, this was not the reason, slowly l turned to view the vision first hand.

Above the crumpled bed hung a picture that would have without any doubt been the cause of my Pa’s passing…a portly buck naked man proudly standing beside a plump nude woman, she holding the remains of half a doughnut in her hand, her bulging, smiling, mouth full, traces of crumbs on her lips, four more doughnuts were strategically placed and waiting for removal from her partners erect appendage, the words

‘Who Told You All Men Were Useless’

were boldly written in an arc above the two heads, to prevent my own passing, my jaw dropped allowing me to gulp in air…

“Coming in ready or not,”

in a floury of panic l pushed back the giggle that was trying to burst forth, dropped my pants, grabbed the ‘sarong’ covered my midriff and flopped back onto the bed, to my horror as l’d ripped off my pants l also dislodged the bundle of stuck cloths, snagging at the discarded pants l pressed them against the oozing wound, desperate not to have a drop of the red fluid staining the bed linen.

Cool as the waters of the Tahoe she walked into the room and sat beside me on the bed, l sidled over to give her more room, why l was feeling embarrassed for her l didn’t know, after all it was her own bedroom.

Again she attacked with vigour the enemy, my leg, holding a conversation with herself she muttered under her breathe…

Mmm, maybe a few stitches…l don’t know though…a deep laceration…well maybe not too deep…
a couple of butterfly’s should fix it.

Butterfly’s, why would she need fluttering insects, where the hell was Doc Martin when you needed him, for the first time in my life l would’ve welcomed the appearance of the elderly medical man, hesitantly l asked the question that had been troubling me.

“You’re not a doctor are you?”

She threw her head back and gave a hearty laugh, yet not did she detract from trying to pull the flesh of my leg together in her endeavour to close the gaping wound.

“Is it that obvious,”

l was very much between a rock and a hard place, trying as hard as l could not too look at the reflection in the mirror of the doughnut’s, the girl’s jabbing fingers, although sending stabs of pain up and down my leg, they also contributed to the ache that was centered in my groin.

“What’s your guess?”

“Guess?” l squeaked trying hard to lower my voice, my fingers were creeping toward a circular cushion decorated in fine needlepoint, which l snagged at and placed directly over my abdomen.

“Duh…you guessed right l am not a doctor so what am l?”

She was so immersed in gouging small pieces of gravel out of my leg, she failed to see the look of total exasperated loss that blanked my features…insane was the first word that came to mind.

“Blacksmith…lumberjack?”

“Aw come on l’m not that heavy handed,”

Terror balled in my gut as she picked up the small bottle she had previously used in branding my head, looking up at me through those long dark lashes which normally would have set the red, southern blood coursing through my veins, did nothing to allay my fears,

“Don’t tell me it’s gonna sting a little?”

“You’re used to it now cowboy, it won’t be so bad,”

And she was right, the cool blast hit me, l grimaced, closing my eye’s l sat back against the pillows clenching my teeth as the burning bit into my flesh, it didn’t last long, her hands and fingers were smoothing and pressing down on my thigh, closing my eye’s and inhaling deeply l worked on my body control.

“There, all done, that weren’t so bad was it?”

“Where’s my make it better kiss?”

What possessed me to utter those words l do not know, the soft huskiness in her voice flipped up my eyelids, her hands were still touching my upper thigh, she was sitting close, too close, inches away from me, those honey coloured eye’s oozed with longing, almost as our lips met her mouth opened in welcome, the kiss soft to begin with deepened into a mutual desire.

“Wait,” she pushed herself away from me and stood, within seconds her outer clothes were discarded, once more l was treated to a sight beyond belief, slowly she peeled the tattoos from her hips and legs, my mouth drained dry, l could here Adam telling me to… ‘shut it little boy before you choke on a fly’…l couldn’t see a bug anywhere and by any stretch of the imagination l was no longer a little boy, also l would bet against any winning handa cards that elder brother, iffun he were here now, he would be as jaw dropped as l was, the gals head wasn’t the only thing on her body that was shaven, a question mark fashioned from tight, black curls was all that was left of her pubic hair.

“Why!!?” it wasn’t as much a question as a gasp of surprise.

“Why not?” she answered as she snuggled up beside me.