A Sunday in Georgia

Northern Georgia 1858

I first saw her at the market that Saturday in May when the skies opened up and unleashed a brutal rain onto villagers. The streets cleared of bodies but she took off her bonnet and extended her arms to the heavens. I watched from the butcher's window where I sought refuge and admired her pure, uncontained joy. It was as if God himself brought a touch of light into her heart where it radiated from her crooked smile. Mrs. Bluth told me, "that there's the new school teacher. I heard she come from a big city out east." But her name was not said, and soon, she was walking back towards the Wiester house where she stayed in their spare bedroom.

I lived with my brother, Arthur, and his wife, Grace, in their modest home that was free of children. Our Papa left the family house to the two of us, and I always assumed I would leave once I found a husband. But after twenty eight years, I was still no closer to marriage than a blade of grass in the yard. Grace had a cousin who was sweet on me, but I never liked the way he spoke. It was so harsh to the ears, when all I wanted to hear was something that could soothe me.

After I saw the schoolteacher enjoy an afternoon rain, I thought of her gaiety and felt a twinge of envy. How very rewarding life must be when one can see the good in any situation. I was always somewhat of a brooding spirit, but it was unclear why. Arthur told me once that a very sad goat bit me as a child, and that was why I suffered from persistent melancholy. I know he was chaffing though.

Every night, I would sit at my mirror and brush my long golden hair fifty times. But while counting, I would get lost within my delicate features and scrutinize every blemish I could find. My eyes were too dull, or my skin was not smooth. Once I even cursed the Lord for every freckle that dotted my cheeks. But doing so never made me feel any better. I suppose I needed something to place the blame on for why I felt the way I did-of which I could not see.

It was early June when I spoke with her for the first time-at the market once again. Our hands crossed as we reached for produce and an apology escaped both our lips.

"I seem to be overly eager for this squash," said the schoolteacher. "I didn't even notice your hand."

I snapped my arm back as if it had been threatened by a flame. "Oh, it's quite all right. Please, go ahead."

The woman grabbed a yellow gourd with a tapered end and fat bottom. She spun it a few times as if she were studying its potential, then a smile formed. A wonderful, crooked smile. "This one shall be perfect."

She took a step back and allowed me to grab some carrots, which I failed to examine. I was much too preoccupied with her energy.

"I saw you a few weeks ago. You'd gotten caught in the rain, but you seemed to enjoy it."

"Oh, I love a good shower," the woman sighed. "It's refreshing."

"Ain't you afeard of catchin' your death?" I gripped the carrots like they were my life source.

The schoolteacher looked as if she were thinking, but her smile remained the same. Soft strands of chestnut hair fell against her temple under her bonnet. She wore a patterned skirt and white blouse with puffy sleeves, and an arm carried a wicker basket full of goods purchased from peddlers and farmers at the market.

"I'm not afraid of a little rain. I suppose that's why I'm a teacher-my pupils feel the same." Her voice was so very calming, like a faint ripple on the still river outside of town.

I must have dropped my face, because she grew concerned as I lay silent in her presence.

"Are you all right? You look as if you're standing before a judge."

"Oh-ye-yes," I stuttered. "I was just thinkin' how your disposition is well suited for a school house. I'm sure the children love you."

Her smile returned and she gave a nod. "That's very kind. They respect me and that's all I can ask for." She held up her squash and pointed it towards the seller. "I ought to pay for this. I must return to Mrs. Wiester so she can begin dinner."

"I'm goin' that way!" I exclaimed. My, how very embarrassing I sounded in the moment. I cleared my throat and attempted to assuage my misstep. "My home is down yonder. Perhaps we can walk together? I'm finished as well."

The woman gave a chuckle and agreed before we both paid for our produce and headed in the same direction.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," she said.

I held my basked to my chest and felt my cheeks warm as though the woman breathed her words directly on them. "I'm Phebe. And you?"

"Ada. But my pupils call me Miss Henson." She walked with a skip in her step that gave her an air of nonchalance.

"Ada," I repeated-seared into my memory. "How are you enjoyin' the valley?"

"Oh it's lovely," said Ada. "Quite different from Boston. Much more quiet."

I found myself looking at her in favor of the road in front of me. The sun blessed her skin with a rich glow that gave it the appearance of fairy dust-almost magical. I knew at that moment, I needed to

know

this woman. And I wanted her to know me, although I thought perhaps only the good parts.

"I like the quiet," I said. "Sometimes I think the world would be a much better place if we didn't talk so much."

Ada laughed-the kind of laughter that comes from being caught off guard. "I must admit, I agree. There are so many things we can say with our eyes instead."

She looked towards me and met my gaze, causing my heart to beat inside my throat. I quickly looked ahead, wishing my home was not nearing.

As I slowed down, she followed my pace and gave a sigh. "This is you?"

"Yes," I replied. "I live here with my brother and his wife. It's my Papa's house."

She looked behind me and gave a smile. "How very wonderful it is to share a home with your loved ones."

I gave an awkward grin but my eyes found the grass at our feet and no words were thought of to offer.

"Well, it was so lovely to meet you," said Ada. She hesitated for a moment, as if her own thoughts perturbed her. "I-um..I hope it isn't an imposition to ask, but I've not many friends in town. Perhaps we could see each other again?"

My breath turned sharp as I nodded. "'Course, I'd love that!"

"Wonderful," she replied. "Sunday after service? We could take a walk along the river?"

The thought gave my chest the feeling of a thousand bluebirds fluttering within it. I tried to keep my excitement under the surface until I was in my room privately. "Yes! Shall we meet here?"

Ada hugged her wicker basket and gave a smile. "I'll be here. I'm looking forward to it, Phebe."

She turned and continued down the road, leaving me watching with a heart feeling light as air.

When I walked inside my home, Arthur asked me what I was smiling about. I told him I had just made a new friend, and he looked pleased to see me in good spirits. I had never touched a drop of liquor in my life, but I imagined that was what it was like to be three sheets to the wind. This woman was intoxicating and I was drunk on our brief interaction.

That night, and the following nights until Sunday, I thought of her. I thought of the sound of her voice-like the soft trill of bullfrogs by the river on a summer night. I envisioned her gray eyes looking into mine. They spoke a language I failed to understand, but I so desperately wanted to learn.

But I knew I had to keep my sentiments hidden, so when Sunday afternoon came, I waited for Ada while reminding myself not to appear too eager.

"Good afternoon," I said as she approached the white picket fence. "I seen you at church." I quickly wondered if she found my statement strange-like I was looking for her.

Ada beamed. "And I saw you! I do apologize though, I had a few people wanting to speak with me after service ended. I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

I shook my head as we began to walk towards the end of the village. "Not one bit." For a moment, I was feeling quite brazen. "You're lookin' rather fetchin' today."

She was wearing a cobalt blue bodice and skirt with a lace collar and sleeves. The color bore a striking resemblance to her eyes, which glistened under a mid day sun.

"Thank you kindly. I was feeling some excitement for our little walk this afternoon, and I wanted to look nice."

Her demeanor was much more reserved and she kept her eyes on the road as we made our way towards the river.

The grass was lush and fresh following an early spring. We went north towards a small forest of sugar maple trees, whose leaves produced a bright green canopy for villagers to rest under. Our discussion was that of service and the weather, but I was much too preoccupied with my newfound infatuation to provide significant insight. By the time we found ourselves hidden by the density of trees, Ada stopped and looked off into the river.

"Fancy a swim?"

"If only it wasn't so cold," I laughed. "Besides, girls ain't supposed to swim in the water. What would we even wear?"

Ada squinted as she looked up higher in the sky as a flock of sparrows passed over. "We'd wear nothing, of course."

I felt my cheeks redden and my ears grow hot at the thought. But being caught by others paled in comparison when I imagined swimming bare with Ada. The idea gave my whole body tingles.

"If only I were courageous like you, perhaps I'd give it a try."

Ada laughed and turned to face me. "Don't you ever feel like doing something like that though? Something that feels...freeing?"

"Well-" I stumbled on my words. "I reckon I've always lived my life safe. In truth, I'm not very brave. But I wish to be."

"But just jumping in the water doesn't make you brave," sighed Ada. "It's...doing the things you desire most, even if it scares you-no matter how small. For example, I'm expected to help prepare dinner after service, but this morning I told Mrs. Wiester I had an engagement I didn't want to miss."

My closed smile opened at her words. "I'd call that very brave, Mrs. Wiester is frightenin' when she's angry."

"And she wasn't happy," said Ada. "But it's all right. I feel very content being here with you." Her tone was so delicate, so flowery. It was like a touch of silk to my senses.

"My family goes to the McDowell's for dinner on Sunday after church," I responded. "But Arthur and Grace were all right to let me miss. I reckon they were just pleased to see me quite gay 'bout somethin' for once."

I continued to walk and she followed beside me, tearing at a fallen leaf to throw into the water. We had only just met, but something made me feel as though I knew her long ago-like an old friend. My heart shuddered when I watched her remove her bonnet to reveal a perfectly styled chignon.

"My skin enjoys the full breadth of sunlight without this silly hat," she said. "I encourage you to try it."

After untying the ribbon beneath my chin, I took off my straw bonnet and stopped as Ada watched.

"My, your hair is beautiful." She reached to my temple to take a curl into her hand. But her fingertips found my cheek and caressed the length of my jaw.

"You have a beautiful face as well."

My shuddering heart now thumped with fury at her touch, and I realized what it was that scared me. But I was much too fearful to act on it.

Ada removed her fingers and we continued walking along the sugar maples, now very far from our village. I had never felt such an outpouring of

want.

But I kept it hidden behind a few nods as Ada spoke of her travels from out east. Eventually she stopped and looked around. Between the trees on one side and the river on the other, there was only a small strip of grass in either direction as far as the eye could see.

"We're quite distant from everyone," said Ada.

"Yes, but I don't mind," I replied. "Ain't it strange we've just befriended the other, and yet I feel as though we've known one another for years? You're quite easy to get on with."

Ada chuckled. "It is. But...today wasn't the first day I noticed you during service. You caught my eye some time ago."

My throat gave a hard swallow and I fumbled with the bonnet in my hands. "Why didn't you say anythin'? Am I unapproachable?"

"No, no," said Ada. "Nothing like that. "I was rather apprehensive. I found you to be quite captivating if I'm being honest."

I thought of watching her in the rain. The crooked smile that followed. It caused me to stiffen my cheeks with a grin and I leaned against a tree with a laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Ada, her mouth now contorting into a bitten lip.

The tree bark against my back was rough, but I paid no mind. All I could focus on was watching her take concentrated steps in my direction. "I thought the same of you. In fact, after I saw you that day you enjoyed a spring shower, I thought of you often."

Ada drew closer to me, until our skirts were touching one another. She played with the ribbon of her bonnet before tossing it off to the side, and she had a look in her eye that seemed to suggest excitement for the turn of our conversation. "What did you think about?"

I placed a hand on the tree trunk and felt the coarseness under my palm. My own eyes grew heavy under Ada's piercing stare, and I felt my breaths deepen with thirst. "How I wished to know you. I envied your spirit."

"Hmm." Ada grew closer, her hand now placed above my head. "I thought of you after the market. Do you know what came to my mind?"

My trembling hand let go of my bonnet and rested against her bodice. "What came to mind?" I whispered.

She looked to my lips and pressed her chest against me, leaving no space between us. I could feel the warmth of her breath and my fingers curled in anticipation. Her other hand wrapped around my waist, holding onto the small of my back.

"How ardently I wished to..."

She leaned forward to kiss me softly at first, and I held my breath at her taste. But our lips soon parted, and I could feel her tongue dance with mine. My hands slid up her bodice and wrapped around her neck as I pulled her closer into me, and I felt her grip settle on my waist.

When my body gave a tremble, she pulled back and gauged my demeanor, then both hands held me firmly against the trunk as she continued kissing me deeply.

I felt a moan escape my lungs and enter into her mouth. She accepted it with enthusiasm and gave her own, which caused me to feel a pulse between my legs. My hips began to squirm under her hands, and she took notice as her lips found my neck.

"I desire to put my hand under your petticoat," she said between kisses. "To feel the state of your arousal."

"Oh, please do." I could not believe I had said such a thing. But I knew for certain I wanted to be touched. I

needed

to feel her.

She kissed the space under my ear and whispered. "Do you feel brave?"

I knew what she was asking, but this was something my fears could not prevent me from doing. The possibility of being seen seemed insignificant when in the clutches of a striking woman.

"Ye-yes," I said, though it sounded unconvincing.

Ada backed away to bend over and lift up my skirt and petticoat with one hand, and use the other to find the slit in my drawers. She chuckled when feeling how wet I had become. As her fingers began to rub me, I sighed and pressed myself harder against the trunk.

But after a minute, she removed her hands and stepped back.

"No. If I'm to bed you, I wish to do so elsewhere. You said your brother and his wife are at the McDowell's?"

In a daze, I nodded. "Yes. They ain't to be back until the evenin'. Shall we go to mine?"

She came close once more and kissed me hard for a few moments. "Let's not waste a second more."

We began walking towards the village while keeping conversation light, though I was still quite distracted with the vestiges of fingertips underneath my skirt. As we entered my home, I took Ada's hand and led her to my room upstairs. It was comfortable with a bed, washstand, and dressing table that belonged to my Mama. They, along with the wardrobe, were all made from mahogany and polished to a shine.

There was no hesitation from Ada as she unbuttoned her bodice and began stripping her many layers. I noticed myself shaking as I attempted to undo the button at my neck. Soon enough, our clothing had been strewn across the carpet and we looked at one another in only our chemises. Ada untied the string bow at her bust while maintaining her gaze, and pulled the garment over her head. Her figure was as breathtaking as her features. And I admit, I stared at her as if I were peering into the night sky. In that regard, she was truly celestial.

Ada tilted her head and smiled. "Have I spellbound you with my nakedness?"

I continued my unblinking gaze and fingered the fabric covering my hip. All words seemed to fail me.

She slowly approached and gave me a soft kiss. "May I?"

Only a nod was given in response.

With both hands, she pulled off my chemise, and her fingers ran along my bare body. "Mmm. Your skin is smooth and pale, like fresh cream. How I ache to drink from it."

I could feel the arousal return with a vengeance. With what little courage I had, I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her deeply, pressing our breasts together.

Ada sighed and rolled her hips into mine. "I wish to do something quite uncouth before we fall into your sheets."

"And what would that entail?" I licked my lips and grew curious.

She took me by the arm and led me to the end of the bed. While sliding her hand along the mattress, she raised an eyebrow. "Hold onto this and bend over for me, darling."

I did as she said and felt myself flush as she stood behind me and rubbed my backside. In an instant, her hand smacked me hard enough to result in a resounding slap throughout the room. I lurched forward and gasped at the initial sting, but it caused a throbbing between my legs as it settled.

Ada leaned over me and kissed my back. "You've been rather naughty. Do you think you require another?"

I felt each breath grow heavy in my chest with excitement. After an additional gasp, I was eager to join whatever schoolteacher game she wished to play.

"Yes, Miss. I need another."

With a second whack, I found myself leaning into the bed to accept more. Ada soothed my posterior before asking me again.

"Have you had enough of my hand, Phebe?"

"No, Miss" I choked. "Please don't stop."

Following a third strike, I cried out. It was electrifying and erotic, both sensations I had never before experienced. Ada was so wonderfully commanding, and her soft hand on my back brought me to focus.

"You're redder than a tomato now. Face me so I can kiss you."

I complied and turned around to accept her lips as she held me to her chest. We moved backwards and fell into the bed, panting heavily as our flushed bodies rubbed against one another. I lay my head on the pillow and gripped her thighs as she straddled me with confidence. Her fingers pinched my firm nipple and I groaned as she sucked on the other.

She shifted herself between my legs as her tongue traced the length of my abdomen. The feeling of hot breath against my sex collided with the chills that enveloped me. When I felt her sneak a taste, my usual gasps turned sharp.

I lifted my knees and placed both hands on her head as she used one to grab my breast. It was ecstasy unlike no other. My moans were low and dripping in satisfaction as she inserted two fingers inside me.

Ada sucked and flicked her tongue, causing a buildup to form in my core. I raised my hips and pushed into her fingers as deep as they could possibly go. She stroked my insides causing my whole body to shiver uncontrollably. As the feeling intensified, my chest heaved with every breath, but upon release, no breath was taken and only a groan escaped me.

I rested a forearm across my face as rapture rained down on me like a spring shower, but it was quickly taken away as Ada moved up to share my taste on her lips.