Chapter 4

I got okay enough for my wives to permit me to begin working on our farm. I put Erma's three cattle together with Mrs. Kornet's six cows and one bull. I thought we had enough pasture with the woodlands thrown in. Our fine mules were able to easily pull the plows that were on the farms. Walking behind the mules and fighting the plow all day toughened me up. I didn't need to exercise other then some running to keep my stamina up.

I went to town to buy seeds for our crops and garden. After some lengthy discussions with my brides we decided to grow what they called corn, which was more like popcorn, and a bean variety that was like navy beans.

I got some plants for a fruit which I would call tomatoes, some sweet onion sets and pepper seeds. I also got some peas, okra and squash.

The girls and I also went and turned a garden spot for Mrs. Kornet, and got her some seeds while we were in town.

She was very appreciative, and talked about it to Erma a little later.

Erma came in and told me that Mrs. Kornet thought very highly of me, and didn't understand why a Grest man would help a Tik woman.

"What did you tell her, Sweetheart?" I asked.

"I told her that you didn't care who or what people were, only that they were good people. I also told her that you were a good neighbor to everyone," she answered.

I picked her up, held her close and kissed her gently. "I love you Erma," I said.

I was running low on feed for the hogs and mules, so I took the wagon over to the farmer who owed us some grain. When I got there, several Grest men were there arguing with him.

"What is the trouble?" I asked. I never could stay out of trouble that was not mine.

The Grest men told me that this fellow had cheated some Grest farmers out of some grain.

I told them that he had always been honest and given full measure with me, and that I intended to continue trading with him.

"Tiks are always trying to cheat us," one of the crowd said.

"I think that just sounds like poor mouthing. This man works hard and makes a good crop of grain, so I think there is a bit of jealousy showing up here. Have any of you actually been cheated by this man?" I asked.

None of them had.

"Who made you think that you had been cheated?" I asked.

"Arlo Torek," a couple of them answered.

"What does Mr. Torek have to gain if this man has trouble on his farm?" I asked.

A couple of them thought for a few seconds and said, "His place adjoins this one."

I said, "It sounds to me like Mr. Torek is using you to help his own cause, while damaging a good, hard working man."

They all thought about that for a while. Then they decided that I was probably right.

"I don't think it is the Tiks that are oppressing you as much as it is the people in power, whether it is the Grest or the Tiks. I saw a young Tik girl who was being beaten by Tik police for no reason other than they wanted to beat her and take her possessions," I told them.

"Then I was beaten by Grest men for being with a Tik girl. We had done nothing but buy some knives from a merchant," I said. "I think that the people in power are using the fact that there was a war between your peoples many years ago. The fact that you are easy to tell apart because of the color of your skin and hair, keeps you fighting each other instead of throwing off their tyranny."

"I always try to think about individuals instead of groups of people. It is so easy to harm the wrong person when that is the case," I said.

I got some grain from the farmer to make up the rest of my money's worth. I loaded it on the wagon and asked the others if they needed a ride back towards town. A couple of them accepted, and the others walked on toward their homes.

We talked about the town and the situation regarding the treatment of all of the people by the magistrates and tax police.

I dropped them off and went on home.

The next week, I asked my wives if they knew how to make soap. They did, but we didn't have enough of the ingredients for it yet.

I suggested that we go to town and see if we could get some soap, and let me show off my beautiful wives. They both jumped on me and kissed and hugged me.

Verine said, "Bill, we need to shave you and cut your hair before we go."

Erma agreed saying, "I can't have you looking like you don't have a good wife to take care of you. You work so much that we don't have time to keep you looking your best."

"You keep me strong, healthy, clean, and loved. What else does a man need?" I asked.

They shaved me and trimmed my hair. Then made me change my clothes and put on my new sandals.

We stopped by Mrs. Kornet's and asked if we could bring her back anything from town. She gave us a short list and gave us a coin to pay for it. She commented as we were leaving, "Bill, you surely do look handsome today."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kornet, my wives take good care of me," I answered.

Erma and Verine both smiled at me and waved to Mrs. Kornet.

We went armed everywhere we went, due to our previous experiences. I had a knife and a gun on my belt and Erma and Verine had their knives on their belts and their guns in the foot of the wagon seat.

We got to town and bought some soap, and some good smelling shampoo. I looked around and found a large tub that I thought would be suitable for a bathtub. I asked my girls to buy it for me. They haggled and bought it. I loaded it and asked if they wanted to do anything else while we were in town.

They both wanted to stroll up and down the street and show off that they belonged to me. I agreed and we held hands and walked up the street and back down the other side. Erma walked very close to my right side and tried to pull my hand around her and place it on her breast.

I stopped and looked at her face and said, "That is private for our family. I don't want anyone else seeing either of you naked and I don't want them to see us doing things that are private for us."

They both answered, "Yes, Bill."

We went back to the wagon, and left for home. After we were out of town, Erma said, "Bill, I will never do anything that will cause you embarrassment again."

I stopped the wagon, "Sweetheart, you didn't embarrass me. I just think that our love and caresses are for us, and not for anyone else to see and enjoy, or be jealous of."

Verine said, "Erma and I love you so much that we want to touch you all the time, Bill. We need you to remember that and let us touch more often if it is an appropriate time for it.

I picked them both up and set them on my lap. I hugged them and slid my hand under their shirts and caressed their stomach and sides. I felt something akin to a tingle on Verine's skin.