Chapter 3

When my own bladder made me get up, I decided to stay up. Dawn was just arriving but the sky was still grey. When I finished I searched for a half sheet of Bristol board. The one I found was actually the piece remaining from a project I had done last year. With a pen, pencil and ruler I went downstairs to the kitchen. While sitting on a cold chair in my birthday suit, I began to think of our charter.

On some scrap paper I wrote out my ideas then tried to think of a way that would sound both legal and binding as well as clear. When the best solution came I used the pencil and ruler to put light lines on the paper. In ink I wrote out what I had thought. All the things I could give to the girls for their help was listed along with what they had to do. A bad captain could be brought up on charges of a majority vote and a crew member could be banished from the ship or spanked over the Captain's knee. In any case the procedures were listed so everybody knew where they stood.

Lines in ink were added for names and dates. When I was done I went to the lines I made to put more in between as if the crew would get very large. I wasn't even sure of why I did this.

This document was put to the side and I began to mix a large batch of pancakes. We had a good sized griddle and a few cast iron skillets. Stainless steel was out but not common yet. A Teflon coating wasn't even thought of.

All of our plates were brought out but there was not enough room at the table or even enough seats. In between pouring more batter I closed the curtains on the windows and brought out the small bottle of syrup and two bottles of jam. Crêpes were just thin pancakes with anything served with anything sweet. It took time to cook all this so the cakes went into a warm oven.

I made tea. Mom didn't like coffee and didn't buy any. Putting the hot pans aside on a rack, I hurried upstairs to my room. Waking Susan with a lover's kiss her eyes opened with shock. "Wash up my love. Get my other girls up and hurry downstairs. Breakfast is ready and leave your clothing off. I like to see beautiful skin."

"But — "

I put my finger gently over her lips and said, "I have my reasons. Your beautiful body is not the main one this time."

I woke Maggie the same way. She must have been talking a long time last night and I didn't have any pity for her. "Get up Honey. Today is important. Susan is much better now but still fragile. She and the other two are going to try hard to make everything as good as we can make it. There will be no more whip. She will not hurt you or anybody else. We are going to be running around the house naked for a while. Wake the other girls and tell them to hurry down and without clothes."

"Yes — master."

I gave her a kiss with a smile and left.

Seven girls and one bathroom was difficult. I continued the job of building my tower of pancakes while I sipped my tea. Maggie and Sandy were the first down. Sandy was naked but she hung back behind Maggie. When Maggie came close so did Sandy. I kissed my sister like I loved her but not as a brother. She responded to me but then pulled back as if remembering that I was her brother and not her lover.

I put out my arm and Sandy came reluctantly to me. Again I kissed her like a lover that wanted to show his true feelings. When my tongue traced her lips she held me to her then. When I coaxed my way in she pulled me tighter to her.

We were both surprised when she was poked just between her legs. When we pulled back we both saw a short harpoon that looked far from dangerous.

"See what you girls do to me and it will only get worse as we get older. What is going to become of the little boy?" I got some giggles from both of them. I went back to work. I flipped and stacked pancakes and put the freshest on the two plates.

Maggie gave me a quick kiss then after a bit of hesitation so did Sandy for making their breakfast.

Soon the others started to arrive and the kitchen filled up. I kissed and was kissed in return by everybody. Susan got a better kiss because I thought she needed it and she held me tight to her. I thought of myself as a life preserver now and not a possible lover. Incest was not what I was after but I realised, well over fifty years ago, that I loved each of my sisters and not as just a brother.

My little erection didn't go down for a while and the girls giggled about it, even Jennifer. I gave my interpretation of a young girl that was being humiliated by her friends and this made them giggle more.

I spoke now in French about the crêpes and the proper way to eat them. I made a variety with what supplies I had and fed the girls by hand. On the second trip around I cleaned their lips with a small lick of my tongue and made approving comments about the taste. Even Jennifer was not upset at this.

The Bristol board was picked up but they were unable to see what it said. I wanted it to be this way. The dishes were left and I directed the girls into the front room. Being naked now didn't seem to be a problem for them. I at least stopped pointing a deadly weapon at them.

They all sat on the couch, chairs or the arms while I stood before them. "I want to apologise for my actions last night. The only thing I can say is that drastic action had to take place before a great deal more anguish came about. This group was heading for a precipice that would result in suicide, failed marriages and premature death through drugs, alcohol and cancer. What I saw recently was a need for a guiding hand."

Looking at Susan I added, "It is usually better for a male to lead but a female can do just as well. It is a family's perception of our customs that will have the most to do with their success. This leadership cannot be imposed but needs to be agreed to by all participants. The idea I am putting forward is very similar to what used to be common on a trading vessel. The crew had to know what gains it would get for their labour. There are some checks and balances implied but I chose to write these out."

Taking the paper I read from it as if making a proclamation, which I actually was. My obligations were listed and then those of the crew. Punishments along with bonuses were added for a carrot had to be used with a stick. The captain was subject to these selfsame rules and even a way of removing a person from this office. Physical violence by any member apart from a type of corporal punishment in the form of a hand on the posterior of the guilty party was expressly forbidden.

Everything was couched in terms of a sailing ship where possible without steering from the legality of the document. The aims of the charter would be to provide protection and succour for all those involved. The financial terms favoured me because I needed the money to grow and provided the means of making the money originally. When it listed new dependants only a few understood what this meant. Finally there was a procedure to opt out of this agreement and take a portion of the accrued profits.

"Below all this text is a place for each of us to sign. Even with our signature this document is not legal in Canada because we are all underage. I see it as a way of each of us making a promise to the rest of us that we will comply with a few extra rules.

"I want you to read this document and discuss it. There is at least one more person that should join today. Susan, will you come here and read this out loud for the rest to get a better understanding of what this means?"

"Yes Je — Captain." The inserted word was said with a big smile that I was very happy to see.

I phoned Paige and spent a few minutes talking to her father. We had been distant but I could see some of his reasoning now from my perspective of age. When Paige came to the phone she said, "What happened?"

"Everything appears to be working, and all the points I wanted covered happen to be done. I have had to alter some minor points a few times and now it is far from what I originally envisioned. The future has to be plotted and to do this I wrote out some rules. These cover me as well as my family. I have found that Susan's gang is as dysfunctional as she is. To help them I have to guide them. I want you to come over now. Go to the back door. Once in, I want you to take off all your clothes and come to the front room to be with us."

"What?" A few seconds later she almost screamed while whispering, "You want me to go naked in your house?"

"You will do as I say, woman. Nobody here is wearing clothes anyway. You will fit in. You can ogle my body while I see yours. This will be the first time but not the last. I will be admiring yours till you are old and wrinkled."

"Really?" She said in a mild voice hoping for another compliment.

"Yes really. Get your pretty body over here."

"Yes Jeff."

I walked to the back door and waited. I heard Susan's voice still voicing my words then having to do sections of it again. Paige came running up and stopped as she saw me naked just inside the open doorway. She took a moment to admire me and I posed in different ways until she smiled and came in.

"Is everybody really naked?"

"As naked as I am. Now strip. Well actually they are more naked. I have some bandages."

She removed her clothes but paused as I made some comments about how beautiful she was. When the last of her clothing was on a chair I took her hand in mine and brought her to see the rest. The others started to hide but then stopped when the saw that Paige was naked too. She was the youngest girl here but could compete with any in looks.

"Paige is my woman. It is only fitting that she be here to discuss these articles and have the opportunity to sign with the rest of you."

Everybody looked at me then at Paige. Paige stood with her mouth open wondering where all this would lead. I thought that being called 'my woman' was even more of a shock.

Paige read what had been written and listened to the discussion. She was too meek to volunteer any comments unless pressed. I pressed her. In years to come I didn't want her to say she didn't understand or wasn't sure of a particular point.

Maggie went to the bathroom and when she came back she whispered, "Why are we all naked?"

I smiled at her and explained, "Each and everyone of you are beautiful. It is a way for me to appreciate the view. More importantly, a person acts differently when naked. It is as if we are more defenceless. We will not make any great pretences when we talk, as we would if we were hiding behind our clothing."

Since I was the one to write the declaration, I was the one that had to answer all the questions. The questions though raised more ideas. The most striking one had to do with children in general. I mentioned how they would be cared for. Sandy asked, "When are these children going to come about?"