100 In The Shade

"Daddy, corn here yeah," Molly finally called out through the rear door of the shop.

"See that," he agreed.

Early waited until Bob Tillman's truck was out of sight, waited another twenty minutes, then locked the front door of the shop, walked quickly through the rear door of the shop and replaced the padlock on the rear gate of the yard.

Then he unlocked the smokehouse and both girls resolutely entered the nearly pitch black interior.

Then he padlocked the door again.

(There was an escape route through the wall next to the corn crib, which backed up to the smokehouse. The corn crib did block the door from sight.

But, unless they used the escape door, Polly and Molly would be locked in the smokehouse for the next six hours.

Polly tested the door; sure enough, it was securely locked. Then she stripped off her smock. as Molly opened the hatch to let the first ears of corn fall into the sweltering hot room.

"Polly!" Molly scolded when the light coming in through the hatch disclosed her sister's nudity.

A large bucket of water sat next to the pit and molly dropped the corn husks into that, and then threw the wet skins onto the smoldering embers. Soon, the room was filled with the smell of the husks smoldering and the sounds of the wet vegetation sizzling.

Just when Molly was about to beg Polly to open the escape hatch, they heard their father knock twice on the door.

Polly stifled her squeal as she hurriedly pulled her dress on.

They rushed out of the overpowering heat into the late afternoon sun, gasping and wheezing for breath. Their father went into the smokehouse, lay some more logs onto the pit and nodded in satisfaction as the cooker slowly heated the water.

"Supper already ready yeah, y'all done good," he praised, coming out and again padlocking the door.

Twice more, Early ran across Sam and his smaller companion. On these jaunts, he did not have Molly and Polly with him; they had no interest in the Siegel home in Hardington Acres, Louisiana. They did like to look at Jack Mills' home in Jack's Creek, Louisiana. but Jack's nephew made the girls very uncomfortable with his lecherous comments.

knowing the roads, knowing the topography, where the ground was firm or soft , Early was able to elude Sam and his companion, even on the second delivery when they used separate vehicles in an attempt to box his truck in.

Chapter 4

"Afternoon, Mr. Chopin," Sam said amiably as he and his smaller partner entered the shop.

"Good afternoon; got yourselves stuck in any fields lately?" Early smiled.

"No sir," Sam chuckled. "Mighty glad you came along with that truck of yours; we'd probably still be there."

"Especially after that rainstorm," Early agreed. "Why you don't just call me Early, huh?"

"Well, Mr. Early, just wanted to stop by and tell you 'so long,'" the smaller man said.

"Oh?" Early asked, eyebrows raised.

"Daddy, here's them plates," Molly called out, bringing the two dinner plates with her.

She stopped and she and Sam stared at each other for a long moment.

"Uh, yeah, yes sir, I've been called back to the main office in Baton Rouge," the smaller man said, staring intently at the girl's breasts in the damp cotton smock.

"And you?" Early asked Sam.

"I uh, I'm going back to Lafayette," Sam finally said, tearing his eyes from the warm brown eyes of Molly Chopin.

"Well, I'm miss you," Early said. "Might get kind of quiet around here, y'all not following me around as I stop by my friends. Wait here; I get you something, hear?"

He opened the door to the ice house and stepped inside for a moment. Sam and Molly continued to stare at each other.

"Here you go, little sausage for your trip' something chew on, hear?" he said, holding out two greasy papers.

"Thank you, sir," Sam said and shook Early's hand.

"Yeah, thanks," the smaller man said, also shaking Early's hand.

He leaned close to Early.

"I know you was running some liquor, Mr. Early, I just know you was," he said.

"Now, you know that ain't legal no," Early smiled.

"But, that was twice you could have just left us out there all night and you didn't," the man conceded.

"Leaving y'all out there ain't right; you don't do people like that," Early said

"But since we ain't never caught you, hell, we ain't never seen nothing, they want us back," Sam said and again shook Early's hand.

Outside, the two men stood in front of their separate automobiles.

"You going tell Mrs. Meche good bye?" Sam asked, nodding across the road at the older woman's shop.

"Naw, going show her how I poke holes in doughnuts back in Baton Rouge," the smaller man laughed.

Inside the shop, Molly watched as Sam climbed into a large black sedan.

"That corn about ready, huh?" Early asked.

"Polly says it is but I tasted it and it got another day," Molly agreed, tearing her eyes away from the window.

Three days later, Anna, Lady Emily's servant, was picking up some links of sausage and placing another order for a run of alcohol when the large black sedan came to a stop in front of the store.

"Thought he was gone," Early muttered when Sam got out of the automobile.

Unlike Thomas David, Sam didn't groom and preen in the car window's reflection. He did straighten out his necktie, but otherwise came into the store as he was.

"Hello; they send you back out here?" Early smiled.

"Sir, no; I'm out here on my own accord," Sam admitted.

"And what can I do for you?" Early asked.

"Sir, I'd like your permission to come calling on your daughter, uh, Molly; I think that's her name, the brown haired girl?" Sam said, blushing hotly.

"Fine by me; let's see what she got to say 'bout it," Early agreed.

Early whispered a time that evening to Anna, then went to the rear of the shop.

He opened the door and Polly was once again caught with her dress up to her waist, fanning her private area with her painted fan.

"Molly, come see," Early barked. "Polly, I talk with you later, hear?"

"Yes sir?" Molly said.

"Put them shoes on and come see," Early barked, still frowning at Polly.

Molly stumbled slightly when she saw the handsome man in the shop.

"This here's Sam Davis; he wants to come calling on you," Early said, pointing to the hopeful man.

"Oh," Molly said, feeling quite lightheaded.

"That all right?" Early asked, fixing her with a squint.

"That all right with you?" Molly asked.

"When you ain't working?" Early asked Sam.

"Well, I'm off coming Sunday," Sam said.

"You taking Molly fishing off Huval's Levee," Early said.

He smiled.

"You know how find it yeah, you ran right into it other night," Early said.

"Daddy!" Molly giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Yes sir," Sam nodded. "Molly, I'll see you about nine Sunday, all right?"

"We'll have us a little picnic out there," Early agreed.

Polly sulked when Molly gave her the exciting news and was surly, earning herself a belt spanking for her indecent behavior, and her sassing at the dinner table.

Early would have liked to use his hand, but the girl's surly behavior called for the strop. Ten swats did improve her attitude. As always, after he put her on her feet again, Early demanded and got a kiss from the sobbing girl.

Sam had expected a 'girly girl' when he came calling but was pleasantly surprised to see that Molly Chopin was indeed ready to go fishing. She wore a clean pair of overalls and a man's shirt along with hard soled boots. She also had her own fishing rod in her small hand. Her long brown hair was piled on top of her head, her one concession that this was more than just a fishing trip.

Early and Polly followed the pair in their truck as Sam and Molly drove toward the levee in Sam's sedan.

"We'll be over there," Early said, pointing about twenty yards further east. "'Bout noon, we be back for us a little lunch yeah,"

"Think he like you yeah," Molly whispered as Polly and Early walked away.

"Why you say that?" Sam asked and looked again as Molly sent a beautiful cast out over the brackish water of the Atchafalaya.

"He didn't like you, they'd be right there," Molly pointed at the brass between her and Sam.

Sam smiled and Molly smiled too.

They talked quietly, two young adults getting to know each other. Sam managed to catch a branch and Molly caught a small fish that they both decided was too small to keep and they threw it back into the waters.

They heard Polly shriek excitedly and Early's encouragements. They continued to chat and even held hands for a moment.

"It time for lunch yeah, Polly show them what you caught you, huh?" Early said, tromping over to the two lovebirds.

"Would you look at that, huh?" Sam whistled as Polly proudly held up a twelve pound trout.

This time, it was Early and Sam that talked quietly, while Molly and Polly listened.

At three o'clock, Early declared an end to their fishing; Molly had managed to catch a fish while Sam had nothing but another branch to show for his efforts. Polly had added another nine pound to her twelve pound trout.

"You sit out on the porch; Polly come get you when the fish ready," Early said.

"Yeah he like you," Molly giggled happily as they sat on the upper porch that looked out onto the dirt road in front of their shop and home.

"Why you say that?" Sam smiled.

"He didn't like you, I'd be in there doing the cooking," Molly said.

Early did like the man, but still kept the curtain parted so he could look on the two from time to time.

"What they doing?" Polly asked.

"You don't know what kissing look like?" Early asked as he stopped and looked at Sam and Molly.

"Well yeah, but that ain't kissing," Polly said, watching.

"Come see," Early demanded and Polly came to him.

"They doing it like this," Early said, and pulled her to him.

"No, no, open your mouth," Early said and Polly did.

She gasped and stepped back, shocked, as she felt her father's tongue enter her mouth. It had felt odd, sensual. She had felt the kiss on her lips, on her tongue, all the way down to her chest and below.

"That why it look funny," Early said and glanced at Molly and Sam again.

He made quick work of fileting the fish, and quickly fried the fish, along with some potatoes and some corn meal.

"Tell them we fixing eat without them yeah," Early said as he pulled the last of the fish filets from the hot oil.

"We fixing eat without you yeah," Polly said, stepping outside, catching a glimpse of Sam's hand quickly jerking away from Molly's breasts.

"All that work Molly put in catching that fish?" Sam said, pulling Molly to her feet. "That ain't happening."

"And don't forget them two branches you brung up," Early smiled, letting them know he may have been 20 yards away, but he'd paid attention to them.

After the meal, Early brought out the coffee and again, it was he and Sam that talked while Polly and Molly cleaned up the kitchen.

Then Molly and Sam were again allowed to sit out on the porch to talk.

"They kissing funny again," Polly announced.

"Polly, you come see," Early ordered.

"Yeah, they kissing funny, it feel good," Early whispered. "Just leave them be, huh?"

Polly squinted as the couple continued to chat in between kisses, until a little slap on her backside from Early convinced her to find something else to occupy her time. The third time he saw Sam's hand go where it shouldn't be going, though, Early made a good deal of noise walking to the door.

"Will we be seeing you again, Mr. Davis?" Early asked, stepping outside.

"If Molly will have me," Sam agreed, getting to his feet.

"When your next day off?" Early asked.

"Uh, hmm, that would be this coming Friday," Sam agreed.

"I heard they playing a talking picture show over at the Westgate; how about we see you there?" Early stated.

"That would be wonderful," Sam agreed. "Molly?"

"Oh, I like the talking picture shows so much!" Molly happily nodded.

That night, as she lay in the bed she shared with her sister, Molly reached down under the hot, sticky bedsheets, raised the hem of her sleep shirt, and sought out the little button at the top of her furry cleft.

"Mmm, oh!" she whined as she replayed the hot, sensual kisses she and Sam had shared.

She grabbed one of her breasts with her other hand and let out a lo moan as her pleasure overtook her.

With a final shudder, Molly was still.

In a small office in Lafayette, Louisiana, Sam Davis negotiated around one of the many desks crammed into the small room.

"Hey, Sam, you know a Thomas David Daigrepont?" Charlie called out.

"Yeah, little weasel," Sam agreed, sitting down at one of the less cluttered desks. "Why?"

"Just came over the telegraph," Charlie said and handed Sam the note he'd scribbled out.

Sam stared as he read about his former acquaintance being found mutilated. Anna Korsakov calmly admitted to the mutilation.

"He kiss other girl," she said in clipped English when they asked her why she'd sliced off his lips.

"He hug other girl," she shrugged when they asked her why she had hacked his arms off.

"He schtupped other girl," she shrugged when they asked her why she had removed his genitals.

Thomas David Daigrepont begged, as best he could without lips, for them to please put a bullet into his head, please end his suffering.

"Hey, Guys, how about y'all turn your backs for a moment?" Barney Feldman asked, half-joking. "I just want to introduce Anna here to my wife's friend."

"She still seeing that singer?" Joe Weddington asked sympathetically.

"They're just friends," Barney snorted. "Just friends, my eye."

Chapter 5

Father James O'Toole smiled wearily as Earl Chopin proudly walked Molly toward the altar. Even though it was a beautiful November day outside, inside St. Elizabeth, it was suffocating.

At the altar, Polly stood, ill at ease in the snug dress.

Molly tried to smile when her father lifted her veil, but she couldn't meet his eyes.

And her private area itched horribly, despite a liberal dusting with corn starch.

"Molly, come see," Early had called out the previous evening. "Polly, need you pick out four chickens and a piglet for tomorrow, hear?"

Then her father had taken her into his bedroom, holding his razor strop and straight razor.

"I done this with your Momma and oh! At first? She hated it yeah," Early said as he shaved off a bit of the lye soap into a mug.

"But after a bit, got where it just felt better being that way," Early said and poured some hot water into the mug.

He beat the water and soap with a stiff brush until foam was almost dripping out of the large mug onto the floor.

When he had her pull dress and shift off, Molly wanted to die of embarrassment. When he used the brush to lather up her most intimate area, she knew she would die of mortification.

Her father made several passes with his razor, reapplied the foam and again scraped at her flesh with his razor.

But when he had her turn and put her hands on his bed, she very nearly ran from the room. She felt the brush where she had never felt anything but pages from the Sears-Roebuck catalogue.

Outside, she could hear Polly as the girl hammered up the stairs. Molly prayed that her sister would see the closed door and respect their privacy.

"It start growing back, you tell your husband take him his razor and do this, Early said, and wiped away the foam with a clean flannel cloth.

A dusting of corn starch, a kiss to the lips, and Molly was allowed to put her shift and dress on again.

Now, in the stifling heat of the church, Molly turned and smiled up at Sam and his happiness shone through his eyes. Looking into his eyes, she very nearly forgot about the infernal itching.

Then the twenty three people made a caravan from the church to Early's home, for a lunch of fried chicken and ham and potatoes and corn and biscuits.

Early served iced tea and lemonade with the hot meal.

If Sam and his law enforcement buddies noticed that many guests were stepping outside onto the back porch, with their glasses in hand, they said nothing. If they noticed that these guests were returning a few moments later, glasses holding more liquid than before, they said nothing.

Lady Emily DeGarde did not attend either wedding or party, even though she had been invited. But she did send Anna and Lucas to assist Mr. Early. And Lucas brought along the photographic equipment Lady Emily DeGarde had purchased for such occasions.

"And big smiles; this a happy day," Lucas encouraged as the bride and groom stood with the bride's father and the groom's father and mother.

Swapping out the plates, Lucas posed them for another portrait.

Then, the party was over.

Polly found her father, sitting on his bed, weeping. He had done something he very rarely did; helped himself to some of his own liquor.

"Why you crying?" Polly softly asked, sitting next to him on the edge of the bed.

"My baby gone," Early moaned. "I held her day she came into this world, I held her when she just learning walk, and now I never hold her again."

"But you got me yeah," she said, hugging him.

"And then some man come and take you away too," he sobbed out, squeezing her tightly.

"Daddy ain't no man even say nothing to me no," she sadly said and put her small head on his shoulder.

"Then they all stupid yeah; you a beauty," he said firmly.

Night fall came early, being November; Polly made as much progress as she could with their animals, now being the only set of hands. Then, sweating despite the cool breeze blowing in off the Atchafalaya, Polly climbed the stairs.

Anna and Lucas had cleaned up the plates and silverware; it had belonged to Lady Emily DeGarde, and had also taken much of the leftover food with them. But Polly scrounged together a large plate of the food and took the platter to her father's bedroom.

Father and daughter sat up in his large bed, eating off the same plate, until there was nothing but chicken bones.

"Thank you," Early drunkenly mumbled.

"I don't know why Molly want get married leave all this behind," Polly declared.

"Being married feel good," Early chuckled at his daughter's childishness.

"How it feel good?" Polly asked, putting the large plate on the bedside table.

"Know how they was kissing funny?" Early asked, smiling.

"With their mouths all open," Polly said.

"Well, they do that all over and it feel good," Early said and took another sip of his whiskey.

"All over?" Polly asked, freckled face wrinkled in confusion.

"Here," Early said and touched her breasts.

"Daddy!" Polly gasped, and then giggled. "They do not?"

"And here," Early smiled and touched her belly.

"For real?" Polly gasped.

"And here," Early said and touched her crotch through the material of her dress.

"They don't!" she gasped, sure that her father was just making that up.

"And here," he said and touched her knee, which made her giggle.

"And here, he said and playfully wiggled one of her toes.

"Just that one toe?" she asked, now sure he was just being playful.

"Oh, yeah, just that one," he said and sipped some more of Early's Finest. "The other ones all taste rotten."

"Sometime they smell all rotten," she agreed.

"And when they all finished kissing all that, then they kiss here," Early said and poked her round backside.

"Aw Daddy! Oh that ain't right no!" Polly protested.

A few moments of silence passed. Early took another sip of his drink.

"Why you, why you shave all Molly's, you know?" Polly asked and pointed to her crotch as she blushed hotly.

"So when her husband kiss her he don't get no hair," Early said, drunk enough to blurt out the truth.

"You mean they really do..." she gasped, shocked.

"Well yeah, I done said they do that; why I tell you a falsehood?" Early asked, chuckling at her scandalized expression.