Chapter 21

At the store we each took a cart. Linda had called Grandma and asked if there was anything she needed. She had a short list that we could fill even by shopping together.

We had not been in the store ten minutes when I ran in to friends from school.

“Hi Mary, we hear you are going to video school this year. I wish I could. There is just so much messy stuff going on I don’t even want to go in the building any more. Did you hear that Wanda Smithers got knocked up?” Sam asked.

“They said she went to a party: drugs, booze - the works. Drugged and drunk, she agreed to pull a train, not realizing what they meant until after she got separated from her date. She thought it was a line of coke they were talking about. They don’t know who the father is until it is born for DNA testing,” what a shame.

“Well that is one good reason not to go to parties unless you go as a group and watch out for each other. With the designer drugs today, even then it is risky,” I said.

“This is my cousin Linda from the city,” I said.

“Linda, this is Samantha and Billy Joe,” I said.

“Linda, I like your shorts! I wish mine fit me that good. Mary’s look good to. Mary, do all the girls in your family have bodies made for short shorts? I bet you get asked for dates all the time, you lucky girl. Mary gets asked out all the time and turns them down cold,” Billy Joe said.

“Maybe I just kiss and don’t tell,” I said.

“Naw, you wouldn’t get away with it. Those boys would be bragging, telling everybody they got close to those headlights you walk around with,” Samantha said.

“There is your answer right there. Leave the ones with loose lips and big mouths alone,” I said.

“Have they got a list of the players that put it to Wanda when she couldn’t refuse?” I asked.

“Yeah, even got video, one of the boys took it and passed it around. You know how dumb they are. They even tried to clean her up and redress her so she wouldn’t know or remember,” she said.

“Cops confiscated all the video but there are still copies making the rounds,” she said.

“Send me the list of names if you can. I want to see how many guys I predicted would be stupid were stupid,” I said.

“See you later - we need to get shopping,” I said.

“Wanda was the stuck up type. Big flirt and tease. I wouldn’t doubt it was a set up for her, shame. Can you imagine not knowing who or how many until the cops made you watch the video or played it in a court room full of people?” I asked.

“That would be really bad,” Linda said.

We finished our list.

“Is this where you got the shorts?” she said.

“Yes, follow me,” I said as I led her to the clothing section.

She asked the size of what she had on. She then picked out four designs that she liked.

“What size do you think my girls are?” she asked.

“The same,” I answered.

She picked out more and then went on an even bigger shopping spree. She picked out an assortment sports bras, wide and narrow and then thongs. In another section she picked out two packs of lady razors, two cans shaving gel, condoms and two bottles of the liquid lube I used.

“No need of using all yours playing with me,” she said with a smile.

We went to my house first; I had frozen things and she didn’t. The Jacksons’s other Gator was sitting next to the one Linda came in this morning.

The girls were out by the pool. I made a quick trip to make sure there were no boys with them. There weren’t. Linda helped me bring in my groceries and her bags of clothes. She was helping me put them away when the girls came in.

Linda – her back to them, in double pony tails, short shorts and cutoff tee - didn’t register.

“Where is Mom? I thought she was here,” Elsie said.

“Mom is right here. Did you get everything done for Grandma?” Linda said to stunned faces as she turned.

The cutoff tee showed half of the minimal sports bra. She had been placing things on the upper shelf and it was hung up on the top of the bra. The short shorts showed bare where there had been hair and possibly the beginning folds of a slit if you looked close enough.

“You didn’t answer my question young ladies,” Linda said.

“Yeah, everything,” Elsie answered.

“Mary, what happened? Did Aliens from space abduct Mom or something?” Carol asked.

“It was or something,” I said.

The dining room table was cleared and the bags dumped. Linda pulled four pair of shorts, four pair of the thongs, two small and two of the wider sports bras, one can of the jell, one pack of the razors, one of the lube and one box of the condoms off to the side.

“These are mine. Divide the rest equally, then try them on right over there. I want to see what they look like on you,” she said as she pointed.

She waited as they stripped and did a fashion show.

“Carol, you are showing under boob. Pull the boob up so there is none of that,” Linda said.

“What do you think Mary,” Linda said.

“I think you did a good job guessing sizes. They look good,” I said.

“Girls, you can wear them here and when you re out with Mary, but NOT over at Grandma’s house. Do you understand?” she said. She added the can of jell, razors, one bottle of lube and one box of condoms over to the girls pile.

“Yes Mom, perfectly clear,” Elsie and Carol said.

There were surprised expressions and open mouths as what had just happened. Linda had just given them permission to be sexually active. The shaving gel and razors were one thing, but the bottle of lube and condoms were a green light.

“Go put them in your room. Mary said you each have a place to put them,” Linda said.

After they left, she handed me the box of condoms and the other bottle of lube, “Maybe we can play again tomorrow,” she said.

“Anytime,” I replied.

“Next week midweek, Dad and I have to go to Metro for the day, can the three of them go with us? It will take most of the day,” I said.

“Sure,” Linda said.

We put Linda’s things and her clothes in the Gator and then she changed back into the things she had on this morning. I placed my stuff in the hamper.

Out of sight of the girls she kissed me, “It was new to me but I enjoyed every minute. I can’t wait to be with you again,” she said.

After she left, both girls were in front of me. “OK; spill - what did you do to Mom?” they both demanded.

“I tried to release a cougar but I think the biggest panther alive slipped out the gate first,” I said.

To change the subject “Did you girls bring good dresses and did Bob bring a suit and tie when you came from the city?” I asked.

“No, we didn’t think we would be going to any where fancy. Why?” Elsie asked.

“We have a trip planned on Wednesday that requires better than shorts. I will take you in to town to get them. She approved you going but please do not say anything else to her about it. It would be best if it slipped her mind,” I said.

I was working on supper when the men came home. There was an immediate excited huddle in the living room with the girls and Bob about their mother.

“What? I don’t believe you,” Bob said then added, “NO way.”

I took Dad to the office, “Wednesday is the day we are getting married. I told Linda we wanted to take the kids to Metro that day but not what for. She approved them going,” I said.

“I am going to try on the wedding dress tonight. Either way, we need to take them to get dresses and a suit. They have none with them,” I said.

“I hope you are excited as I am,” I said.

“You know I am,” Dad said as he picked me up off the floor and plastered me with kisses and hugs.

“Good because I am super horny. I need the first one hard and fast. Maybe you should rest a bit; it will be that kind of night,” I said.

“How about we try out the furniture and you have Elsie take pictures for that album you want,” Dad said with a wink.

“Kinky idea. I like it. Can I expand on what I want in pics for the album? I’m thinking a threesome or foursome,” I said.

“You want to go real kinky - sounds interesting,” Dad said.

Supper was filled with multiple discussions. Dad talked about the beans we had planted. The last two hundred acres planted with our own beans looked as good as the commercial seeds. The only question was, would they produce as good as the commercial? It would take four months to find out.

If they were obviously bad they could be cut for hay - a terrible prospect. Cows did not like soybean hay because of the tough bean stalk, even if it was cut and run through a hay crimper to crush the stalk so they would dry faster. They would only eat it to keep from starving. They would eat it better if it was sprayed with liquid molasses.

Besides that, what would we do with that much hay? The other possibility was to disc it up and get in two hundred acres of early wheat. None of those were enticing; Dad liked to rotate crops as much as possible.

With the dishes in the dishwasher I did a wash out and then a shower. I then removed Mom’s wedding dress from the cedar chest in the closet.