I sighed as I stretched my back, trying to ease the kinks in it. Leaning over mending was not easy on the neck and back.
It was warm already, being April in south central Texas, and I was dreading when summer would hit full-force. I went to the kitchen area of our small house and got a cool drink of water. Well, it was as cool as could be under the circumstances. The crock kept it fairly cool, at least better than the air temperature.
The chicken was stewing nicely on the stovetop. The vegetables were prepared and ready to add when it was time. I went back to my mending out on the porch. I don't know how two men could be so rough on clothes. Well, I guess ranching is hard work, even as small a ranch as my husband Matthew and I had. He and his hired hand, Caleb, were forever tearing cloth, or losing buttons. It was just part of my life as a wife in 1890.
Matthew had gone to Austin to take care of some business. He left Caleb here to take care of the ranch chores, and to watch out for me. I felt better with Caleb being there; it was kind of scary being out as far from town as we were. It would only be another day until Matthew came home. I missed him. We had only been married for 6 months, so the newlywed bloom was still fresh.
I did the mending until it was time to put the vegetables in the stew, then puttered around doing other assorted chores until the stew was finished. I went to the door to call Caleb; he was already out at the pump washing up. I guess he had smelled the stew and biscuits.
Caleb came in just as I was putting the food on the table. He was really a nice man. He and Matthew were about the same age, 26. I was 19 and very naive. Typical for a young woman of my day.
I smiled at Caleb and we sat at the table to eat. We really didn't have a lot to say; it was kind of awkward, really. He tried to carry a conversation, cajoling me into talking. Supper was soon over and we carried the dishes to the dry sink. I washed and Caleb offered to rinse and dry them. He even poured the hot water from the bucket heating on the stove into the dishpan for me. After the soap shavings melted, I washed our few dishes and he rinsed and dried. I hung the dishrag and towel on pegs and turned around. Caleb was standing just about a foot behind me.
"Oh! Caleb. I didn't know you were standing there" I laughed nervously. "You startled me."
"Miz Sarah, I didn't mean to frighten you", he said as he closed the short distance between us. I realized that I was trapped between Caleb and the dry sink. I was afraid. I had heard that some men would "take" women who were not their wives, do "things" to them. He put his hands on either side of me, leaning onto the cabinet behind me. He leaned down to my ear and whispered that he wasn't going to hurt me.
"Sarah, I just want to make you happy, to make you feel good." He was kind of nuzzling around my ear as he spoke quietly to me. "I know that Matthew doesn't make you feel really good, honey, and you deserve all the pleasure your body can stand."
I jerked my head back and looked at him, my eyes wide with fright. I asked him what he meant about Matthew.
"Oh, honey, I've heard what goes on...or rather what doesn't go on...in your bedroom at night."
"You've been snooping around our house at night?" I said with as much indignation as I could muster in my current state of nervousness. What was he talking about? What was he going to do?
"I didn't start out listening in on you two. It kind of just happened. After you and Matthew went to bed at night, I would sometimes sit on the porch swing out there and enjoy the cool night air, looking at the stars. One night I guess Matthew had forgotten to close the window, or maybe it was always open at night and I'd just never noticed before. But that night I heard the unmistakable sounds of "bed talk". I could hear Matthew murmuring things to you and I knew that he was going to be making love to you." Caleb looked at me, but I would not, could not, look at him. I was so horrified! Someone had heard what went on in my bedroom at night!
"You shouldn't be saying these things to me, Caleb. It isn't right." I tried to push him away, but he stayed in place and continued his story, whispering to me. I could feel the loose hair that had fallen from my bun tickling my neck, his warm breath making the tendrils move.
"I got up to leave, but found myself walking over closer to the window. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help myself. As I stood there, I heard Matthew talking and telling you that he would be quick, as he always was. I didn't hear anything from you. It sounded like he was consoling you or something. I listened, and heard Matthew grunting, the bed squeaking, then he groaned and it was over. I heard him thank you, then murmur some other things that I could not make out, and then it was silent."
"I can't believe you did that, Caleb. Please, let me go. I think you need to leave now. I won't say anything to Matthew if you leave, but I will if you are still here when he comes home." I was frightened, not knowing if he was going to do to me what men do to women, what Matthew did to me at night. I knew that men sometimes did that to women who weren't their wives. I kept trying to break free, but he just pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me.