Chapter 3

Ty Satterfield stayed with the Pelletier family. He hated to leave Willah, and she begged him not to go. Late on the fifth day of his stay, Boothe took Ty for a long walk downstream from where they lived on the creek. Willah wanted to walk with them, but her mama told her to stay.

She was scared her papa was going to tell Ty, that he had to leave.

“Willah, your papa is taking Ty for a long walk so the two of them can have a manly talk. You have to realize that Ty wasn’t raised by a family. He told us he never knew his mama or papa, so he was never taught to bathe and keep his body clean. Your papa and I like him, Willah. We know you like him too, no longer than we’ve known him. But you have to understand, we love you and we don’t want to see you hurt by the first boy you’ve ever talked to.”

“But Mama, Ty wouldn’t hurt me. He ran down the mountain, trying to save me from the wolves.”

“That’s true, and that’s the reason your papa and I think Ty deserves a chance to be your friend, and our friend too. You heard his story, he has never learned to read or write, his only family is his older brothers who treat him awful. He doesn’t clean his teeth or wash his hair. No telling how long it has been since the boy has bathed.”

“But, Mama, we can help him learn those things and then he can stay with us. I’ll teach him to read and write like you and Papa taught me. That way, he won’t have to go back to his older brothers who are so mean to him.”

“Willah, Mama thinks her daughter is falling in love with that boy! Just be careful who you give your heart to. Mama doesn’t want to see you get hurt, since you have never been around boys.”

“Ty won’t hurt me, Mama! I just know he won’t. He’s so gentle and he wants to learn to read and write so bad.”

“Let’s go sit on the porch and wait for them. If you see Ty walking beside your papa, wearing buckskins, moccasins and smiling, you’ll know that your papa has had a long man to man talk with him and explained what’s to be expected of the boy who our daughter has fallen in love with.”

“Mama, I’m so scared.”

“Don’t be scared, Willah. You know your papa well, and how he can talk to anyone. The way he explains things in a way no one else can. I’d say right now, they’re in that deep pool downstream from here, taking a bath right this minute. Would you wager me, Willah?”

“Do you really think Papa will let Ty stay with us? I mean ... well, I want to fall in love like you did with Papa. I love hearing you tell that story, over and over. It makes me so proud of you and Papa. I have always dreamed of meeting a pretty boy just like my Papa, so I could fall in love and be happy all my life like you and Papa.”

“Willah, if Ty stays, you’ll have to stop swimming naked and lying in the sun naked to dry. Boys and girls don’t swim naked together – unless they are married.”

“But I’ve always swam naked with you and Papa ... And since I can remember, it’s been alright for me to see you and Papa naked in bed together.”

“We raised you to be free and do things your way. We knew that one day there would come a boy into your life. That’s the very reason we’ve always gone down the mountains to spend our summers. We’d love to stay here year round, but we knew you’d never have a chance to meet a young man your age, and have a chance to fall in love ... We also wanted you to know all about men and women together. You and I have talked and you understand about your body becoming a woman’s body. You’re not a little girl any longer, Willah.”

“I know, Mama and I want a man to love me like Papa loves you. If Papa will let Ty stay, I will teach him the things you taught me so he will be gentle and love me the same way Papa loves you.”

“I’m sure you will, Willah, and I do believe – you have met that boy.”

“Do you really, Mama? I’m so glad you see him like I do. I know he has rough ways, but he has such a gentle, caring soul, just like my papa.”

“That he does, Willah. That – he really, really does.”

Downstream, close to half a mile from the cabin, Boothe Pelletier and Ty Satterfield were sitting naked on the grass covered bank of the creek. They had bathed and Boothe showed the boy how to wash his hair with a bar of lye soap without getting soap in his eyes, then wash all his body parts, explaining to him how important it was for a man to keep the smell of body odor from being offensive to others. Especially to those he cared about and wanted to be close to.

“Ty, you’re a young man now and you need to take pride in becoming a man. My Papa and Mama taught me at a young age – that my body should be taken care of and kept clean. They taught me that my body belonged to me and no one else. That I alone was meant to care for, wash, and keep my body clean. At least as clean as I could – and as often as I could.

“They taught me at a young age too, about men and women – Mating, I’m talking about, Ty. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes Sir. I’ve seen animals mate for years, and I knew people had to mate the same way.”

“Good. Though man is actually just another animal on this earth, he is not a wild animal. He must always love and comfort his mate, no matter what. He never mates her and leaves her to fend for herself, like animals do.”

“I asked my brothers about some things sort of like that not long ago, but they cussed and fussed at me and told me to get lost. I wonder at times, if they even know the things you just told me. I’ve seen them naked with women down off the mountains, in the settlements below. They treat them rough, slapping them around, talking mean to the women, and calling them awful names, even though they’re naked and mating them at the same time.”

“Then they know nothing of loving a woman, Ty. A man never treats any woman that way, especially a woman he loves. I was taught to respect all women, and girls too, no matter what their age...

“If you let a woman love you, she will defend you against the biggest bear in these mountains. She will cook for you, help you trap and skin animals for fur, she will take care of you when you’re sick and most of all, she will open her arms, her heart and her body, to let you love her. She will also bear your children and raise them to be good people. Just be gentle with the woman you fall in love with TY, and she will be your partner for life, just like Mejesse is my partner for life.”

“I really do hope I can learn to love and be loved like you and Miss Mejesse. I sit and watch the two of you and I feel so good, seeing you and her sitting together, or walking side by side, holding hands ... I want to love like that too, Mr. Boothe.”

“Now that you’ve learned to wash your body, your hair and your manly parts, don’t you think it’s about time you put on some new clothes?”

“But I don’t have any clothes a’tall, ‘cept for the ones I always wear.”

“Now you do, Ty,” he told the boy, watching his eyes as he pulled out a new set of buckskins and moccasins, to give him.

“Mr. Boothe, I hardly know what to say. I have always wanted a set of buckskins and you just pulled them out of your bag and handed them to me like I was your kin.”

“That brings us to something else we need to talk about, Ty.

“Put your buckskins and moccasins on so we can see how they fit you. Willa made them, but if they need taking up, Willah is good with a needle and thread. She made these for me, as a matter of fact.”

“Did she really? What will she say about you giving them to me?”

“Let’s see ... first, she will laugh. Then she will hug my neck, then she will tell me she loves me.”

“Just because you gave me these buckskins she made for you?”

“Ty, our daughter is falling in love with you, if you haven’t noticed that in the five days you’ve been here.”

“Sir, will you teach me how to love her back? I really want to love her, and I want to do it right. I think Willah is the most prettiest girl I’ve ever seen and she’s so smart too. Sometimes, I have to wipe my eyes ‘cause she makes me feel so good by what she says or does for me.”

“You’re learning, Ty ... You’re already learning. If you let her, and never hurt her, or never let anyone, or anything, ever hurt her, Willah will teach you all about love between a man and a woman. Even a man and his wife, if you ever feel the way she does right now.”

“DOES SHE REALLY?”

“When we go back to the cabin, I want you to walk straight to Willah and take her hand in yours as you stand beside her. You don’t have to say anything, just hold her hand and smile at her. She will quickly let you know how you make her feel. Just remember, she’s a woman now and she needs a man who will love her, care for her, and protect her against all dangers, for the rest of her life. If you want to be that man, just do as I tell you and let Willah do the rest.”

“Mr. Boothe, you have to be the smartest man ever. I’ve learned more about m’self from you since we left your cabin, than I have in m’whole life til now.”

“Your lessons have just begun, Ty. Your real teacher is back there waiting for you. She will teach you to read and write. She will teach you how to be gentle and love her the way a woman likes to be held, touched tenderly, and loved. She will even turn around and fight a pack of hungry wolves barehanded, to protect you.”

As they neared the cabin, they could see Willah and her mama sitting on the small porch. Both of them pointing toward the men walking back to the cabin...

“Mama, he’s wearing the buckskins I sewed for Papa! And he’s got the moccasins on too!“

“I know, Willah. Your papa wanted to give them to Ty, after he taught him to bathe his body and wash his hair. You’ll have to cut that long tangle of hair for the boy, either that or comb it straight and braid it for him.”

“I want to braid it for him, Mama... Mama, I’m scared now.”

“Scared of what?”

“I don’t know, but I’m shaking all over and I feel like I could cry, but I want to laugh too.”

“Willah, tell me now ... do you love Ty Satterfield?”

“YES! I do love him, Mama and I just met him. Maybe that’s the reason I’m scared. Scared ... that he won’t love me.”

“Willah, look at how he’s smiling when he talks to your papa, and then your papa talks to him. That young man loves Willah Pelletier and I wouldn’t be surprised if he tells you real soon, that he loves you.”

Mejesse had tears in her eyes when she saw Ty walk straight to her daughter, reaching out to take her hand.

Willah looked at her mama. She was smiling too, and there were tears in her eyes.

“Willah, I just had a long talk with your papa ... Well, he did most of the talking, but I’ve learned a lot about m’self by listening, in the time we’ve been gone. I’ve learned that I may already be big as a man, but I’m not yet a man. I’ve learned that to be a real man, I need to learn how to love and care for a woman ... Uh, Willah, I have a lot to learning yet to do, but I already know that I want you to be my teacher and teach me all the rest of the things about being a man, that your papa didn’t get around to telling me ... Willah, I reckon what I’m trying to tell you is, I want to love you and I want you to show me how to love you gentle, like your papa loves your mama ... for the rest of our lives together, if you’ll let me.”