Chapter 1

First of all, I’d like to get one thing straight. I’m from a really small town--not a town at all, really, more like many farms, but all in the same area, with a post office and the school and a town hall in the middle. We were all pretty far apart.

My name’s Sally, by the way. Sally Jensin. My family all lived out on a farm in this village of sorts. We had most of the usual things; chickens, a milk cow, a couple of pigs, two horses, and a whole passle of barn cats. We also had bees, which set us apart from everyone in the area, and meant we had to tend those bees really carefully, because there were going to be a lot of neighbours wanting honey.

If I had to choose something to be my favourite about living on the farm, it’d be a difficult decision, but in the end I’d decide on the honeybees. I never was afraid of them, nor anything like that--snakes, mice, caterpillars never bothered me. And harvesting the honey was just so satisfying--not to mention the rare, and wonderful, treat of honeycomb. It became my special job to look after the bees, both because I became an expert involving them, and because Daddy had to work longer hours. It was hard times then. Hooch wasn’t allowed, the ground was drying up, and the prices of store boughten things were sure on the rise.

Despite these things, we were happy and healthy. There wasn’t much to want for.

But I suppose I haven’t explained yet just who “we” is, have I?

“We” consists of me, Sally Jane Jensin, my twin brother Daniel, our little sister Mira, and Mama and Daddy.

Daniel and I are going into our sixteenth year soon. Mira was a surprising blessing, and she’s just five. As such, she still sleeps with Mama and Daddy in their little bedroom. Sometimes she gets scared at night, or needs something, so it’s good she’s with them.

Just this past little while, we got news that our cousins were coming for a visit.

Now that might sound all fun and games, but no it’s not when your cousins are fifteen years older than you. (Mama was also a surprise blessing in the family, so we’re a lot younger than most of the cousins.)

And there were two of them grown up cousins, and since Daniel and I are almost grown up ourselves, of course we were kicked out of our beds in favour of the cousins to the hay loft in the barn. We set up a cozy little place there to sleep with nice quilts and pillows, and since the barn can be a little chilly in the fall times at night, we thought we wouldn’t mind sleeping together.

‘Good riddance to them,’ I said to Danny as we straightened the sheet covering the hay--it’s awfully pokey when you sleep right on top of it with nothing between you and it--’Prudence and Denver are boring as mud anyway. At least this way we don’t have to listen to all their dumb stories while trying to sleep this time.’

He nodded, grinning. ‘You think old Pru’s ever gonna marry? She’s getting a little long in the tooth.’

‘I don’t think so,’ I replied. ‘What skills would she have as a wife? She’s not even nice.’

‘There’s some things a wife doesn’t need skill to do to serve her husband,’ Danny said with a queer look on his face. Whatever he meant, it wasn’t nice, and I said as much.

‘Daniel Jensin, it ain’t nice saying such as that. Even about Prudence.’

‘Well it’s true!’ He laughed.

We went in to see the family to wish them goodnight. Then we went out and climbed back up into the loft.

Now in our family we believed nakedness isn’t a thing to feel shameful of, so I just pulled off my dungarees and blouse (dungarees are much more sensible for farm work; I borrow Danny’s) and pulled my night dress over my head right there. Unless I’m at that horrible part of the month where I bleed, I try not to wear panties, because I don’t like them. They’re a nuisance.

So when I pulled my clothes off, Danny could see everything God made me as, including the thatch of golden brown hair between my legs. It seemed to be quite a sight, because he looked at me as long as he could before I put that nightdress on.

‘What’s wrong, Danny? Is there something weird on me?’ I craned my neck around, trying to see a smudge or something.

‘You were naked,’ he said.

‘Yeah, we’ll you’ve seen me naked lots before,’ I pointed out, unconcerned. ‘It’s not a big deal.’

‘You’re beautiful,’ he said earnestly.

I was taken aback. ‘That’s very sweet of you to say, Danny.’

He turned away and began to undress himself. Looks like he didn’t much like undergarments either. And although we’d seen each other just a month or two back when we went swimming in the lake, I found myself looking at him. Going swimming doesn’t really count, anyway. Usually we whoop and run towards the water, taking our clothes off as we go, and jump in happily before anyone would really get a chance to see anything. And during our bath time, for the past year or two, Danny’s wanted to be alone. I can’t imagine why--we used to keep one another company even when we were too big to share the trough. One of us would sit naked on a stool next to the tub, talking and combing our hair or something, and it was still nice and warm because we bathe in front of the stove.

But one night I left to get my clothes for after, and when I came back he had a funny look on his face.

‘Sally, don’t come in here.’

‘What, you going to be sick?’ If there was one thing I couldn’t stand it was sick, and most members of my family graciously tried to warn me so I could fly the coop if need be.

‘No,’ he said, but he was breathing heavy.

‘Then why?’ I took a step into the room.

‘No! Just--just go out,’ he said unsteadily, and dubiously, I left.

Since then, he’s asked me to not keep him company. I really miss that. It was nice to go around all warm and naked in front of the stove and talk to my twin. He would even help me with my hair, which is very very long and hard to wash. It was a nice feeling when he helped, very relaxing, and much easier.