A Cry in the Wilderness
Copyright© 2025 by Megumi Kashuahara
Chapter 17
Laying Down the Law
Once Will got both girls calmed down, it was then that he became aware of how needy each of the women he loved were—severely starved for love and affection. Both girls did not want him to go to bed. Will concluded that the only way any of them were going to get any sleep was for all three to fit in the bed. Póéso giggled with a mischievous grin saying, “We practice?”
Will snorted retorting, “Down gurl, you best tbe behavin’ yur purdy little self.” She playfully showed fangs.
Ma’hoena pushed her away saying, “I need him more than you.” Póéso begrudgingly nodded and replied, “Okay, Póéso be good girl.”
Will gently moved Ma’hoena closer to the edge of the bed on her side. Will climbed in the middle, putting his arm under Ma’hoena’s head, then Póéso climbed in draping herself over Will’s left side with her leg over his. She smiled up at him saying, “I be good.” Will smirked.
Will gave them both a soft, gentle kiss. The girls locked hands in the middle of his chest and giggled again. “Gets ta sleep or I’ll bear yur butter.”
Both wiggled their butts then laughed. Will prayed, “Dear Lord, give me strength.”
The next morning, Will was up at the crack of dawn, but had some difficulty extracting himself from two clinging Cheyenne beauties. Ma’hoena refused to let him go until he had kissed her three prolonged kisses. It seemed like Póéso almost ate him whole. He pretended to put up a fight but they knew better. Once up and sitting on the bed next to Póéso, Sarah knocked and slowly entered holding a breakfast tray. She quipped, “You still be’s alive?” All three women giggled as Sarah distributed the breakfast trays.
Will gently “laid down the law” as the three ate breakfast. “Ladies, there be no hanky-panky ‘til we’s be married. Got it?”
They looked at each other with a look that said, “We don’t agree.”
Will, despite overwhelming odds, held firm. “I means it. Period!”
Póéso gave Will the stern Dog Warrior look, pointed her finger at him and said, “You sleep us forever. Period!”
Will smiled, nodded then continued, “Second, we can’t be’s havin’ any weddin’ while Baby Girl here be layin’ on her back. She gots ta be standin’ fur the weddin’. Póéso, yur casts be comin’ off in two weeks. Ma’hoena an me be working ta get her standin’ an tryin’ ta walk wit dem dair crutches. Sound like a plan?”
Both girls sighed, looked at each other and gave a smirk of resignation.
Will changed the subject asking, “What we gots ta git fur the weddin’ ceremony?”
The two Indian she-devils looked at each other with grins as big as dinner plates. Póéso replied, “Three blue blankets. They need be blue.” Ma’hoena added, “And big white blanket that cover all us. Need cedar, sage, sweet grass for fire.”
Póéso jumped in with, “Oh! Three long straps rawhide bind hands!”
Will asked, “Is that it?”
Ma’hoena shook her head. “No. Need bag corn.” Póéso smiled and nodded in agreement.
Will asked again, “Is we done?”
Both girls looked at each other, smiled and nodded.
“Okie dokie,” Will replied. “One last thing.” He took some string and tied it around each girl’s ring finger and sized it. “I’ll go ta Sutler’s an git da stuff. Some might gots ta be ordered.”
Will spent the next hour massaging Ma’hoena’s feet and leg muscles. He flexed her left leg at the knee and she was nearing about a thirty to thirty-five degree bend with just a twinge of pain. He thought that he would ask Doc Jensen about it when he went to town. When he finished, he planted a little peck on her foot. Ma’hoena’s heart swelled with emotion to think that this man loved her so much to kiss her feet. It was so humbling to her. He stood and deeply kissed her saying, “Gots ta go, Baby Girl. Don’t’cha run away.”
She slapped his shoulder and said, “Crazy white man!”
The Unveiling
“I am so happy you claimed us. I probably would have died without your loving care. I think, with your help, I will be ready for our wedding.”
“How be’s yur mornin’ sickness?”
“Not much. Stomach feel funny, that all.”
How are you feeling? Are you anxious? Worried about the wedding, the baby or more importantly about my love for you?”
A tear slid down her cheek and in a soft voice replied, “You give me love I always dream of. All life, live in Póéso’s shadow. She got attention, I forgotten. You see me, you see my heart, you accept, and you love even if I not perfect like Póéso. I now have peace, have your love. I have everything.”
He could not contain what was in his heart for her. He leaned down, she tightly embraced him and Will gave her a scorching, passionate kiss.
When they broke, Will felt a little shy and changed the subject.
“Are you ready to take the chest wrap off?” he asked.
“Yes, but we wait. Póéso is very ready to remove bandages.”
Will chuckled, “You be’s right ‘bout dat! She be chomping at da bit likes a restless colt.”
Ma’hoena giggled and looked at Will with a raised lid and retorted, “She getting ... how Cassie say? Antsy. When she get like this, she get naughty.”
“Naughty? Whatcha mean?”
“Not bad way. She act silly to hide uncertainty or fear.”
“What would she be’s scared of?”
“She ache in heart to be with you in way of wife. When Póéso give, feel great need to give all. She want do secret things with you. She beautiful, but has fear of reject. She hold heart tight all life. Protect. Now, she want give soul. But need your approval. She very fragile inside, very tough outside.”
“I’s unner-stand.”
Just as they were seated, a perky Póéso hobbled in on her crutches. She plopped in her chair and quipped, “Hi Darling, what’s for lunch? Cornbread, beans and...” with a demure grin that curled at the edge of her mouth then added, “Me?”
Ma’hoena gave a little snit and Will looked over at her. She raised an eyebrow as if to say, “Be careful, she looks like she’s in a naughty mood.”
Will smiled and said, “Whatcha taste like? Does ya go wit the beans ‘n cornbread?”
She gave him a devilish chuckle, lightly scraped the bottom of his chin with her forefinger and retorted, “Sweeter than clover honey.”
Will shook his head with a low grunt. “Mmm! Eat yur beans an behave yur naughty self!”
Everyone at the table was glancing around and could not help but chuckle. Ma’hoena patted his thigh.
Will was thankful that Póéso was a good girl and only gave him seductive looks. Cassie blushed and giggled. Sarah shushed her, but Póéso smiled and said to Cassie, “I’m just marking my territory.”
Slim almost swallowed his spoon saying, “Look out, Will, there be a huntin’ party on the loose.”
Sarah slapped her spoon on the table. She ordered, “Stop this actin’ like a buncha pole cats in heat. Eat chur lunch or I’ll march y’all down ta da creek to cool off!”
Everyone shut up except for a “Yes Ma’am.”
When lunch was finished Will excused himself from the table and asked Slim, “Would ya git me the big shears from da barn? I’s gonna cut dem casts offa Póéso.”
Slim snickered walking out the screen door. Will looked at Póéso, who gave him a sultry, Mona Lisa smile. Will picked Ma’hoena up and said, “Come on, you lil’ Sparrow. You too, Tigger.”
Póéso rose from the table with “Meow...”
Going up the stairs to the girls’ room, Will quickly formulated his plan. No matter what, he would address Ma’hoena chest wrap first. He would make the little demon wait.
Will set Ma’hoena on the bed, and Slim knocked on the door. Will retrieved the shears from Slim, shut the door and returned to Ma’hoena’s bedside. Póéso was standing on one leg leaning on her crutches and said, “Me first, Will, I need casts off. AND ... you need to unwrap me.”
“Anythin’ else, ‘Miss gots ta be first?’”
With a sultry voice she said, “You know you need feel. Check ribs heal right.”
Translation: “You need to see my assets and personally, tactilely check them out.”
Will sighed and said, “What’s wrong with you today? You’re such a naughty girl.”
She retorted, “I always naughty girl.”
Ma’hoena nodded and added, “When she was about two or three, she never wear clothes. She run outside in snow naked. Pa slap her butt, she run out again.”
“So,” Will asked, “you wuz even showin’ off at two?”
Póéso held her hands up and replied, “I always naughty, can’t help.”
“Well, Gorgeous, we gotta take care of little mama first. She be with child.”
Póéso was not happy, but she felt that twinge of caring concern for her baby sister saying, “I agree, she suffer more than me.”
Will considered his next move. If he was going to look at and admire Póéso’s beauty, he would give Ma’hoena the same attention.
Ma’hoena was sitting up in bed. Will asked her if she was ready. She understood by his eyes what he was going to do. With a look of peace, she smiled and simply raised her arms as she nodded.
Will cut the three ties holding her chest wrap on. He slowly unwrapped her, and when the last fold dropped into his hands he looked at her chest, then up to her eyes. She had wet eyes and was gently biting her bottom lip.
Will took a deep breath and whispered, “You’re simply beautiful, so, so beautiful!”
She stifled herself and simply hugged him tight. Will gently reached for her buckskin shirt and helped slip it over her head. When he turned to look at Póéso, she was wiping a tear with her right hand.
Will took her crutches and helped her sit on the edge of the bed. He took the shears, and, with some real effort, cut away the plaster arm cast.
He laid the pieces on the floor, and removed her ankle cast.
Now it was time for Póéso’s unwrapping. What surprised Will was that when he looked in her eyes, he saw a little girl, shy and needing affirmation.
“Ready?”
She silently nodded as she bit her lower lip and slowly raised her arms. Will cut the ties and slowly unwrapped her chest. When the wrap fell into his hands and he saw her bare chest, he sighed with a gentle, “Oh...”
“You’re magnificent! Creation’s perfection!”
Póéso softly cried with a smile that was innocent and pure. Will slid his hand down her left side, and she gasped. The first time he had seen her, her breast was nearly black along with her entire right side from the heavy bruising. He said, “You’re totally healed. This whole side was black with bruises. Now, you’s perfect.”
Póéso could not contain herself any longer. She embraced him so tightly it was hard to breathe. “I love you, Will,” she whispered as she kissed his ear, “you are my soul.”
“And you mine.”
The Wedding
Two Weeks Later
The morning of the wedding dawned clear and bright, the sky a perfect blue that seemed to promise new beginnings. Will stood at the window of his father’s room, tugging at the collar of his best shirt for the third time in as many minutes.
“Boy, you keep fussin’ with that collar, you gonna tear it clean off,” his father chuckled from the doorway.
“I’s just ... Pa, what if I ain’t good enough fur ‘em? What if—”
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