Willa's story
Chapter One
I was born and raised in a very religious family on a small farm in Manitoba. One brother was several years older, but my other brother, Sam, was my twin.
We were home schooled by Mama so we had very little contact with other children. As a result, Sam and I were very close. We played together and quite literally grew up knowing only each other.
The result of that closeness occurred one spring evening with awful results. Sam had been pestering me for a long time to see what my boobies looked like, and how they felt. To be honest about it, I was equally curious about the thing he carried between his legs, so we made a promise to each other. I promised to let him see my bare chest if he would drop his pants and let me see his thing.
One thing led to another until that awful evening. We had promised to meet in a secret place only we knew about down by the river. I'm blushing as I tell this, but the awful truth is, Sam and I were looking at each other when we heard a roar, "What the hell!!!?"
Papa was standing, like a bearded avenging Jehovah, on the edge of our secret clearing, a tree branch held over his head. Sam turned white and attempted to cover himself with his hands while I instinctively closed my eyes and curled myself into a tiny ball.
I heard the swish of the branch coming through the air and braced myself for the blow. Sam cried out instead as the heavy limb fell across his bare chest. He attempted to roll out of range of the next blow, but Papa was demented with rage, and as he pursued Sam, I quickly leaped to my feet and snatching my dress off the bush, began to run for home.
When I was out of sight of the two struggling men, I slipped my dress over my head, and continued to run for the safety of Mama's kitchen. The kitchen proved not to be so safe, after all. Mama knew something was wrong the minute I ran through the door and closed it as if the demons from Hell were after me. "What's wrong, child?"
I didn't know what to say. How could I explain what had happened? I turned and ran up the stairs to my room, but she followed me. Her voice had a harder edge as she strode through the doorway. "You'd better tell me what happened, child!"
I still couldn't find the words. The enormity of what Sam and I had been doing was beginning to surface in my mind. I threw myself into Mama's comforting arms and began to cry. "I've been awfully bad, Mama," I sobbed. "God will strike us both!"
Mama was not a fool. "Us? Who is 'us'? Just who are you talking about, child?"
"Me and Sam," I whispered.
Alarmed, she held me at arms length and studied my face. "What did you and Sam do?" I couldn't respond. The shame was simply too great! "You'd better tell me, girl, before your father comes home!"
For the first time, I wondered if Sam was still alive, and began to cry anew. This time I was mourning my lost brother. "Papa was beating Sam and I ran away," I said.
Mama suddenly realized I was wearing no undergarments. "Did you two have your clothes off? " Her voice was hard with suspicion. Dumbly, tears streaming down my face, I nodded.
SMACK!!
A white flash of pain accompanied the jolting blow as Mama slapped my face! SMACK!! Again, she hit me, and yet again and again. My nose was bleeding and my cheeks were numb. She eventually tired. "You're to stay in your room until I tell you you can leave," she ordered as she left, slamming the door behind her.
I flung myself on my bed where I cried myself asleep. The door burst open. ". . .RIGHT NOW!
The room was dark, but I could see it was Papa standing in the doorway. "The Deacon's waiting for us downstairs, you little Jezebel," Papa said contemptuously. "That's your mother's doing. If it was left to me, you and Sam would no longer belong in this house! But she sent Fred for the Deacon before we got home, and since he's a good Christian man, he came to see if either of you is worth redemption."
I was stunned. The Deacon, I understood. But Papa had never spoken that many words to me before in a single conversation. He turned and left. I padded silently behind him.
When I came downstairs, I was immensely relieved to see Sam. He was on his knees, his head bowed, as he and Deacon Nies prayed together. Fred was also on his knees, praying. Papa sat stony faced at the table watching the deacon and listening to his son pray for redemption.
I sat silently next to Mama, who wore a scarf over her hair. Little wide-eyed Rachel sat on the other side of her. I knew my turn would be coming next, but I was more concerned about the dried blood on Sam's face. I hoped nothing internal was broken.
The men's voices droned on and on, seemingly for hours. Then, abruptly, they stopped. Deacon Nies looked up in my direction. Mama handed me a scarf, and I joined the men, kneeling in front of the Deacon next to Fred. My memory of that next hour, mercifully, has disappeared. All I recall is how dreadfully my knees hurt and how my face stung where Mama had slapped me.
I do recall, however, the funeral atmosphere at the table that evening when Papa looked at Mama and said, "It's time she was married." No mention was made of Sam, who had disappeared while the Deacon pleaded with God to forgive my sins. Rachel later told me that Papa had ordered him to "live in the barn with the other animals," and that he was no longer a member of the family!
A week later, I was introduced to Mr. Enders, who Papa had invited to dinner. He was a member of the congregation, of course, a middle-aged widower whose wife had died in childbirth six months earlier. When I met him, I knew I was meeting my husband, and I saw a heavy set man with thinning reddish hair, a large mustache, crooked teeth and bad breath. Two weeks later, we were married. He, I later learned, was 46. I was barely 18.
I'd rather not dwell on my wedding night. Let's just say Mr. Enders was accustomed to getting what he wanted and was impatient with things, like my maidenhead, that temporarily stood in his way. Like the ordeal with the Deacon, my actual memory of that first penetration is lost. I only recall his enormous satisfaction when he saw my bloody night dress and the stains on the sheet. I also remember his comment. "I was taking a chance on you, little Miss. I knew about you and your brother, and I wasn't sure he hadn't beaten me to it!"
I met his brood, my ostensible step "children," the next day. Nels was the oldest and was several years older than me -- he was 22 or 23, I think. He was hired out to a farmer across the valley and I saw him only at rare intervals. Julia was next; she still lived at home. She was two years older than me, and all she could talk about was getting married. In that place and time, a girl who remained unmarried at 20 was getting dangerously close to spinsterhood.
Janice and I were almost exactly the same age, but she was mean and spiteful and watched me closely, looking for any missteps she could gleefully report to Mr. Enders.
Then there were the two little ones. Hester and John. Hester reminded me of Rachel at home. She was a shy child and needed mothering that neither older sister could or would provide. John was a delightful six year old who quickly began following me around like a puppy.
Mr. Enders also employed a hired man who took care of the farm while Mr. Enders was away on business. The hired man -- everyone called him Paul -- ate with the family but slept in the barn. He was a strange man who rarely spoke and never looked anyone in the face. In a rare confidential mood, Julia told me one day that Mr. Enders had arranged for Paul's release from jail and that if Paul ever gave any of us any trouble, we were to report it to the sheriff who would put Paul back in jail. Julia continued in her role of family cook, while I became the maid, washing dishes, waiting on Mr. Ender's children and trying to keep the house neat and orderly. Mr. Enders gave me an allowance each week to cover the family living expenses. Julia made the shopping list, while I was expected to harness the team and drive the wagon into Virden for supplies. Janice usually rode with me. The rest of my life lay before me like a well beaten track. But then one day, a kindly Providence intervened.