Vanishing Arrows E8

“I’m hopin’ it’s somethin’ ya already know ’bout. He lays on his back and two of us… (whisper) straddle… like ridin’ a horse. I start in front of ya. The one in the back… (whisper).”

“Okay, I done that,” Mattie acknowledges.

“Good. I can’t show ya how to do that one all the way. Now, the one in front… (whisper).”

“No…, I never done that!” Mattie dishonestly admits.

“I was hopin’ I don’t hafta show ya. Is ya sure the explanation ain’t good enough? Bettye got it wit’ no practice. The only way to show ya good… is….”

Closing the bedroom door, Mattie interrupts, “I promised it would be as good as he’s used to. Don’t be afraid to say it. The only way to learn is fer me to lay down like Leland while ya show me. Then ya lay down while I practice.”

“This ain’t somethin’ normal women do, if ya know what I mean,” Joann objects.

Mattie has become proficient in getting others to succumb to her immoral desires. “With our new vows, ya can’t be shy ’bout nothin’ like this wit’ me. This is our honeymoon and we been naked together so ya ain’t hidin’ nothin’ I ain’t seen before. We marrin’ the same man and ya know who he is! Ya can’t pretend anythin’s normal ’bout us when it comes to sex. I gotta learn what I’m gonna feel and what to do when I feel it.”

Joann acquiesces, “Okay, ’cause ya seem awful eager. This is the only lesson like this I should ever give ya. Cause if we start liking stuff like this, we gonna have some bigger problems on this farm.”

The explanation is sufficient, but Mattie seizes the opportunity to act on desires for Joann. “We gonna be watchin’ each other’s satisfaction a lot so we might as well get a head start… to please our husband.”

Joann responds, “Showin’ ya will be somethin’ hard to forget.”

“Ain’t no reason to forget nothin’…,” Mattie urges.

Generations

Mothers discuss their kids’ potential depravity…

Both Joann and Mattie birth two additional children over a five year period. By now, her daughter, Sue, is 16 years old.

While nursing infants, Joanne playfully asks Mattie. “Mrs. Shoemaker, at nearly 31 years old, what’s the secret to yer timeless beauty?”

“Fer one thing, gettin’ an early start on makin’ babies. Havin’ a vigorous husband and a beautiful 27-year-old sista to keep up wit’ keeps me young.”

The two get a good laugh. Then Joann wonders, “Do ya like havin’ babies?”

“What kind of question is that? Ain’t no way to stop havin’ babies unless ya ain’t satisfyin’ yer man.”

“True. How many babies do ya suppose we gonna have on this farm?”

“Mamma had 10 before we left. Some folks have 12. All together, I suspect we could have 25 before our wombs dry up. But by then, our chil’ren will be havin’ babies. Long as Leland keeps buildin’ rooms, it’s all right, I guess.”

“I ain’t complainin’ none. But Leland sure likes keepin’ us pregnant.”

Mattie reminisces, “We seen each other get pregnant and deliver each other’s babies. Ain’t no part of yer body I never seen. Does ya ever think about what we done before our honeymoon with Leland?”

“That ain’t nothin’ we should be mentionin’! I’ve been thinkin’ ’bout when we start raisin’ grand babies. Have ya seen how much Sue Ellen has developed?”

“It’s hard to ignore. She had such an early start. Ya don’t think she might have a problem wit’ Leland, do ya?”

“I’m not supposed to say. But, wit’ everythin’ a woman has at 8 years old, Leland had a good long look at her. So I made a deal, not just fer her sake, but all our chil’ren. I promised to do whatever he desires, whenever he desires if he ever has feelin’s fer them.”

“That’s a big vow ya been keepin’ fer 8 years! It benefits my chil’ren too. Ain’t no way to know how many times ya saved my kids wit’ yer body. I need to thank ya! Sue Ellen’s now the same age as Bettye was when he started wit’ her. Since Sue is more developed is ya worried ’bout him touchin’ her?” Mattie asks.

“With everythin’ I done, I better not find him wit’ her. My feelin’s ‘bout that is different than our mother. I might put a hurtin’ on him. But we have a farm full of boys and girls near Sue Ellen’s age. There’s no way we keep an eye on what they doin’ all the time. I know they’re gettin’ curious ’bout each other.”

“Ya know fer a fact or just suspectin’?” Mattie inquires.

“Well, I seen Sue Ellen and one of the boys… showin’ each other their grown parts. My poor young girl’s been having womanly desires fer eight years. I stopped them, but seems it might just be temporary.”

“Tell me is ya happy wit’ who yer husband is?” Mattie asks. “It’s the same thing.”

“That’s not a fair question…, but it’s true. I’m lovin’ him, but we know bad things can happen if generations keep doin’ what we do. If we let them go to school or church to meet other kids, our family secrets get out. How do we tell them not to do what we doin’?”

“Are ya askin’ ’cause ya wanna hear me say whatcha already know? We can’t tell ’em they ain’t got no right to have chil’ren. They kids won’t play no basketball or be scientists, but they should experience love.

“So what would I do if I caught two of our grown kids doin’ what we does wit’ Leland? All I could say before leaving is, 'Y’all shouldn’t be doin’ this. But I won’t say ya can’t.’ I suspect some day, this’ll be a whole town of Shoemakers having more babies.”

“They ain’t got no other options and if we say don’t, they gonna do it anyway. I done it wit’ Leland and ain’t lettin’ up. Most we can do is tell ‘the kids to wait till after 16 years old and only cousins. We may need to point out who they cousins is since we raised them all as siblings.

“I reckon if when they all start doin’ it, ain’t no chores gonna get done,” Mattie jokes. “Seriously…. We supposed to be teachin’ ’em numbers and readin’. But we can’t be teachin’ ’em ’bout sex unless Leland tells us it’s okay. Just ’tween us, I don’t want my husband givin’ no demonstrations. So I ain’t bringin’ it up!”

Joann concurs, “I definitely don’t want him learnin’ Sue Ellen ’bout no sex!”

Leland, Mattie, and Joann continue settling into their roles as husband and wives. They kiss or hug in front of the children and frequently say an audible ‘I love ya.’ Mattie smiles at younger children kissing and holding hands in imitation of their parents.

Some kids are old enough to know what what goes on when their parents go to bed. The older ones will imitate it. Ethan and Sue Ellen think their activity is secret but Joann just ignores it since they’re cousins—waiting for inevitable pregnancy.

Teamwork

Mattie, Leland, and Joann are not sure what happened to their family left behind in the fire. Neither do they have any idea what became of their brother, Malcolm. They suppress latent curiosity since there is no desire for him to judge their lives. So none of them mention him or make any effort to seek Malcolm out.

Rather than focusing on the problems of moral depravity, the parents concentrate on personal bliss. Leland is not depressed and they are enjoying nightly romance. Mattie and Joann are extremely close and exhibit no rivalry within their three-way mock marriage arrangement.

They stand outside, watching their many children play and do chores as they compare their baby bumps. Then the two head inside the house to nurse infants.

Joann reveals, “I’m as smart as a rock and wit’ all the babies I’ve birthed, Leland makes me feel like a desirable lady. I didn’t mind being his wench. But that was just satisfyin’ his lust. Now he says he loves me—and ya too.”

“Yer plenty smart enough fer me.” Mattie begins complimenting Joann more than usual while building nerve to ask an important question. “Ya ain’t stopped being pretty ever since ya got woman parts. Relaxin’ and talkin’ while watchin’ ya nurse a baby is one of my favorite parts of the day. With yer full breasts, ya look like a mighty fine woman.”

“Thank ya. But I don’t suspect I look like much till I get dolled up wit’ face powder and lingerie fer Leland.“

“Ya ain’t never needed no face powder. Leland’s been a great husband and father since we started sharin’ his room. Every night we please him the way ya showed me, which I really like too. Everybody get’s satisfied at the same time. We gotta come up wit’ a name fer it.”

“Yeah, I agree. It feels really good and Leland loves it. Hmm, let me think. How ’bout callin’ it teamwork? I like doin’ it wit’ ya,” Joann replies.

“Thanks. I like teamwork wit’ ya. If ya feel like goin’ alone wit’ Leland, it’s okay. I mean I’ll still be there, but we can take turns instead of always at the same time. Yer sexy to watch.”

“Yer givin’ me a lot of compliments today, thank ya,” Joann replies with curiosity. “Takin’ turns will be good so we don’t hafta wait till our anniversaries. We gotta ask Leland ‘bout any changes though.”

“I don’t wanna mess nothin’ up, ’cause things is goin’ good wit’ Leland. But I was also wonderin’ if we should practice somethin’… new… fer more variety,” Mattie suggests.

“Mattie, we talked ’bout some of this before. In private, there’s some things he done to me I hope ya never see. Ya mean come up wit’ somethin’… fer Leland… or fer us?” Joann asks suspiciously.

“We ain’t talked about this since our honeymoon. There’s more stuff me and Leland used to do in private that might surprise ya. He’s probably shamed to nurse me in front of ya,” Mattie reveals.

“I never knew no grownups could do that. Does ya like it?” Joann asks.

“In the right setting, it feels better than when a baby does it. I can’t explain in words…. But if yer curious… ya can find out long as ya got milk. We got other stuff to talk about first….

Mattie confesses, “I’m just gonna say this cause it ain’t doin’ me no good keepin’ it inside. I love him and ya the same. That’s the best way I can express it. Does ya know what I’m trying to say.”

Sexual obsessions are not the same thing as sexual fantasies. Whereas sexual fantasies are typically related to pleasure or desire, attainable or not, sexual obsessions are unwanted and distressing thoughts that are typically associated with anxiety, shame, or self-loathing. —Vella-Zarb RA, et al.

“Ya know I love ya. But ya talkin’ ’bout some special feelin’s. I mean…. Seems yer talkin’ like a butch. When’d ya start being one of them kind of women? Is there nothin’ ya won’t do?” Joann asks while raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t compare me to no kinda women! Ain’t nobody gotta family like us. I’m expressin’ how I feel ’bout ya and ya’s tryin’ to insult me by talkin’ ’bout people ya don’t even know!”