Love Knows No Color Pt. 16

"Edie is a dear friend, and one of my bridesmaids," Shavonda said. "And this is her first time here. Show the lady some hospitality. You disrespect her and you'll have four of us to deal with. Edie, don't mind Nora. Some people are stuck in the stone age."

Kenny and I left the ladies on the porch while we figured out where we were going to set up the amps and plug them in. There was enough room on the large back porch for us to set up our equipment on one end. We unloaded the amps and instruments from the trailer and carried them to the porch. Setting them up, we promised Mom we'd keep the volume down when we played. Kenny had brought his electric guitar and we set it up as well. We tested everything to make sure it all worked, then Shavonda joined us for a song. After some discussion, we decided to perform Macy Gray's Sweet Baby. Shavonda sang lead, with Edie backing.

After the song was done, we all sat back down on the porch. We didn't want to really start playing until after dinner. Dad would be home from the mill soon, and we wanted him to enjoy our music too. It wasn't the usual acoustic, almost bluegrass music we performed with Kenny and Calvin. Shavonda's gift of that bass guitar for my birthday had kindled something inside me. All the music we listened to, I now wanted to play. And as my skills improved, I sensed that eventually I would play it. Getting Shavonda her keyboard gave me somebody to play with on a regular basis, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We brought our instruments down because we wanted to share what we'd learned with the family. Obviously, Kenny was game. But Calvin was a folkie, and I wasn't sure how well his playing would fit in with our style. We'd find out Easter Sunday.

Kenny remarked, "You're getting pretty good on that thing. Ever thought of picking up a regular guitar?"

"I thought about it," I replied. "But for now I am going to stay with the bass. I'd rather feel the music. I like the way it flows through me when I play bass, and I don't think playing lead I'd be able to have that flow. It's almost like dancing, except that I am creating the sounds."

Edie said. "Kenny loves music, so I shared my favorites with him. Now he loves them too."

"That's the same way with me and Von," I said. "We liked a lot of the same stuff, but through each other we discovered even more music we liked. The latest one we discovered together is Lorde. But Von loves Mars Volta because of me, and I love Jill Scott because of her."

"Who?" Sally asked. "I've never heard of any of them."

"Maybe we'll bring the iPod down later, and we can play some of this stuff for you. You'll hear the recorded versions of what we are trying to play," Shavonda told her. "There is so much good music out there just waiting to be discovered. Jason and I combined our music collections on our iPods, and we have about 12,000 songs on there. We're running out of room for them all. There is so much music on there that even a year and a half later we are still discovering songs we didn't know we had."

Shavonda had put her bare feet in my lap, and I gently rubbed them, loving the way she sighed in contentment as I did so. Mom had gotten up and soon she brought out a tray with glasses of grape Kool aid. I tasted it, she'd made it extra sweet just like Shavonda had taught her last year. We watched as Nora tasted hers.

"Oooh, this is sweet," she said to Mom, "but I like it."

"Shavonda's recipe," Mom said. "She calls it ghetto Kool aid." We watched Nora jerk a little in shock.

Yup," Shavonda said to Nora. "I was raised on this stuff. Mama always said if the spoon don't stand on its own when you make it, not enough sugar. I usually put in double what the package calls for."

"it's not much different from what we do with sweet tea." Mom said.

A little later, Shavonda and I went off in search of the kids, who were running feral in the way country kids do. It was amazing how easily they shifted into country mode when they came here. We found them climbing a tree just above the middle pasture. Dad had rented the pastures out to another farmer, and there were cattle grazing there. Since we were family of the landowner, we still had full access to the land, and with the kids in tow and Shavonda wearing the baby, we took a short walk down to the old iron bridge. Shavonda had wanted to see it ever since I'd mentioned it to the engineer this morning.

The iron bridge had been put up by the railroad over 100 years ago to provide access between the upper and lower pastures. The primary reason for erecting it had been to provide access to a quarry on the mountainside above the pastures. The quarry had been abandoned for longer than anybody but Grandma could remember, and most people in the area didn't even know it existed. The land up there was National Forest property now, which meant it was public. But the only easy way to get to it was across my parents' land.

The bridge itself was a Warren truss, that spanned the three tracks of the railroad where it cut between the middle and lower pastures on a wide sweeping curve, about a mile below the Ray tunnel. Shavonda immediately recognized the place. "Isn't this bridge part of the extension on our model railroad?" she asked.

"Yes, it is," I replied. "Now you know why." Our model version of the area was coming along nicely, with the landforms in place. Soon our version would have the grass and shrubbery of the pastures, along with a herd of cows. Just like the real thing.

"Daddy!" Ethan yelled, jumping up and down excitedly, "Train!" He watched in awe as a long general freight slowly clawed its way up the mountain on the outside track, its wide variety of freight cars dominated by boxcars and tankers. Almost immediately, an intermodal train, laden with trailers and shipping containers came by on the innermost track, easily overtaking the slow-moving freight. Both trains had helper locomotives on the back, giving them a boost up the mountain.

"Jason," Shavonda said. "Why didn't you show me this place before? It's beautiful." And it was. The lower pasture sloped gently toward the small village of Waiteville, and towering mountains surrounded it all. Spring came earlier this far south, and the leaves were fully out giving everything a summer green look. It would be a couple weeks before the trees were out like that in Pittsburgh.

We began the trek up through the middle pasture, stopping to open and close the gates as we entered and left. "Kids," I said. "I don't want you coming down here on your own. These gates must be kept closed, or the cows will escape. You don't want that. If they escape, you'll be in a lot of trouble. They'll have to find them, round them up, and find a truck to haul them back up here." They seemed a little bummed out. I also pointed out the wire running on the edge of the pasture, and the detachable wire around the gate. "That's an electric fence. Never touch that wire. It will hurt you." I showed them the spark as I reconnected the detachable gate wire, just to make sure they got the point.

Dad was home when we got back, and Mom had made fried chicken for all of us, along with home fries. We enjoyed the dinner and the company, even Aunt Nora, who was still there. Evidently, she was staying the weekend.

It occurred to me that I had grown up on this chicken. I loved it since forever. But tonight, it seemed a little bland, as if something was missing. And I knew just what. I was so used to the way Shavonda cooked, the way she'd taught me to cook for her, that Mom's chicken just didn't taste the same. Shavonda used a variety of spices in hers, some I'd never heard of before her. And it was great. I loved her variety of spices, the way they flavored the meat without overpowering it, the way she did it without the heat of peppers. And that was what was missing here, the seasonings. It was yet another subtle reminder of just how much Shavonda had changed my life.

After dinner, we picked up the instruments again, while the rest of the family sat around the big round table on the porch, and listened to us. Kenny had fit in seamlessly, and Edie's voice was beautiful in its own right. She alternated lead vocals with Shavonda, the other's backup serving to accentuate her voice. We played a couple of hours, with even the kids listening to us. We ran through the songs we knew, including the Bob Marley ones, and finished up with In the Cage. When we were done, Dad looked me. "I never knew you could sing."

"Neither did I until Von and Kenny encouraged me to," I said. "We were playing a song that required a male vocal, and they insisted I do it."

"Well, you're pretty good," he said. "And Von, I knew you could sing but I didn't know you could play that well."

"We never had the right instrument for me to play," Shavonda said. "Jason bought me this for my birthday, just before I had the baby. We've been practicing for the past few months. Jason told me about stealing your Jethro Tull records, so I knew you would appreciate some old Genesis."

We moved the amps and instruments into the house for the night. Not that anybody was going to come up here and steal them, but I wanted to be safe. I brought the iPod down, and we listened and discussed the music with Kenny and Edie until well after dark. Nora remained on the porch the whole time, watching us. At one point, Miracle needed fed. Shavonda was wearing her, and discretely popped her breast out of her dress and fed Miracle the nipple. All of which was hidden from view by the baby's sling.

Eventually, the chill of the night air drove us inside. The day had been warm and sunny, with temperatures in the mid-70s. But it was, after all, spring. The nights could still get quite cold here in the mountains. Kenny left with Edie soon after. We knew they'd be back in the morning, and had made plans to do a little railroading the next day. I still hadn't shown Shavonda the other side of the mountain, with its numerous tunnels and large trestles. And the horseshoe curve at the very bottom.

We quickly fell asleep, cuddled naked in each other's arms.

We awoke just before dawn to the soft patter of raindrops on the porch roof. Shavonda told me to lay back and enjoy. She was taking what she wanted. I realized that while I was asleep she had tied my wrists to the bedposts, and had lit the pine candles she'd packed in her duffel bag with her clothes. She kissed her way down my body, taking care to avoid my genitalia, then worked her way back up. She dangled a milk laden breast in my face, laughing, then pulled away when I tried to raise my head to suck on it. She teased me like this before feeding me her nipple. I greedily sucked it, letting the deliciously sweet liquid fill my mouth. She moaned softly as I drained her, then abruptly pulled away.

"Jason, tell me what you want," She said. "Beg for it."

"Please, Von," I said. "I want you."

"What part of me do you want?" she teased. "I have many parts." She slid her hips up my body, her hot center leaving a trail of moisture on my body as she went. "This rain is making me horny. Are you horny, Jason?" Her eyes flickered in the candlelight as she looked down at me helpless on the bed. I was at her mercy.

"Von," I begged, "I need you. Let me taste you." Shavonda slid her body up toward my mouth, raising up off me as she did. She hovered over me. The scent of her arousal filled the air, and I stared at her moist lips parted slightly, just for me, her dark brown folds parted just enough to reveal a hint of the pink heaven within.

"Just a taste," she said, lowering herself onto my waiting mouth. I greedily licked at her juicy slit, sliding my tongue deep within her as she gasped in pleasure. She ground herself into my face for a minute, and it occurred to me she could smother me if she truly wanted, I was completely at her mercy. And I was loving it. She raised up off me, teasing me once more. "Now you have my scent," she purred. "And I know it's driving you crazy. Do you want this, Jason? How bad do you want me?"

"Girl, I need you bad," I pleaded. "You can't leave me hanging like this." I struggled against my restraints, but they only got tighter. Shavonda laughed. "You know you don't have to tie me up. I am already at your mercy."

"I know," Shavonda laughed. "But I wanted to see what you looked like tied up." She slid her way down my body until she hovered above my throbbing flagpole. "Is this what you want? Because it's what I want." She lowered herself until her slit just touched the head of my dick. It slipped easily between her lips then she lifted off it again. "Tell me, Jason. Tell me how much you want me." I bucked my hips upward, seeking entrance, but Shavonda laughed and lifted her body again.

"Dammit, Von," I said. "I need to feel you. I need to be inside you. Baby, please!" Shavonda laughed again. She was truly enjoying this. This time she grabbed my erect shaft, and rubbed the head of my penis against her swollen clit. She moaned in pleasure as her juices coated my head. I didn't know how much more of this I could take.

"Jason," she said. "I want another baby. I want a boy this time. Will you give me a little boy?"

"Yes," I whispered hoarsely. "As many times as it takes, I will give you a little boy."

"I'm not on the pill, Jason." Shavonda said. "And it's my fertile time. Impregnate me, Jason." She guided my head to her slippery hole, and gently lowered herself onto me. I groaned in pleasure. At last, I thought. Finally, she let me inside her little slice of heaven. I slid deep within her as her muscles contracted around me, squeezing me. Sitting on my lap now, she rocked back and forth, controlling my motion and penetration. Involuntarily, I thrust my hips upward into her. We rocked that way for a long time, Shavonda sensing when I was about to nut, and slowing the roll of her hips long enough for me to calm down, before starting her motion again. I could feel her tight cavern pulsing around me, trying to milk my seed. With one hand, she rubbed her clit as she rode me, eyes flickering in the candlelight as she watched my reaction.

She rocked faster as she approached her own self stimulated orgasm, moans becoming louder as she neared her peak. Shuddering, she closed her eyes as she let the waves of pleasure take control of her body. Her pussy throbbed around me as her rocking slowed. She spasmed in her aftershocks as she lifted just enough to let me thrust into her. "That's it, Jason. Come inside me. Give me your nut. Give me my little boy." Her words put me over the edge, and my release came as a relief. After all the teasing, the tension had built to an unbearable level, and I flooded her with a seemingly endless supply of potential baby boys. As my spasm subsided, Shavonda leaned forward, dangling her milky chocolate breast in my face as she untied me. She grabbed a pillow as she lifted off me, and placed it under her ass as she lay on her back.

"That's so your sperm will flood my womb instead of leaking out," she said. "Now bring me your dick, Jason. I want to taste our swirl." I quickly turned around on the bed, and straddled her in a sixty-nine position. If she wanted to taste me, I also wanted to taste her. "Jason," she said. "Lick my clit, but don't go inside me. I want to keep all your juice inside me."

We licked and sucked each other in the candlelight, our moans of pleasure increasing as we stimulated each other into another orgasm. It took every ounce of willpower I had not to plunge my tongue or fingers into her sticky depths, but I knew she was serious. I'd never actually tried to get her pregnant before. We hadn't known she was fertile. We still didn't know if she could conceive another baby, but we were going to try. I was aware that some scientific studies claimed that the contractions of orgasm actually helped sperm find its way into the uterus, and I was more than happy to do my part. Plus, Shavonda always tasted so damn good. It didn't matter to me whether or not it was just her or our combined juices, I craved her taste.

Shavonda herself willingly engulfed me with her mouth. She enthusiastically sucked me to another orgasm, milking me with her fist as she swallowed my essence. Both of us thus satisfied, we disentangled and I slid up beside her. Cuddling in the foggy light of a rainy dawn, we kissed passionately.

"What was that all about?" I asked her.

"I wanted you so bad. And I was feeling kinkier than usual tonight. I think I am ovulating," Shavonda said, looking deep into my eyes. "I love you, Jefferson Waite. And I want to give you a Jefferson junior. I don't know if I can actually have another baby, but I want to try. Miracle means so much to me, and you and the kids do too. But I want another little one all my own. I'm not getting any younger, Jason. The longer we wait, the more likely our baby will have birth defects."

Shavonda was serious. Unlike other times we had sex, this time she was actively trying to get pregnant. Logically, she had a point. She wasn't getting younger. And we were in pretty good shape financially. We also had the support of family. All told, now was a good time to have another baby.

After we'd cuddled and talked for awhile, we decided to take a shower before the others wanted to use the bathroom. Padding down the hall naked, we locked the bathroom door while we washed each other. The feel of our hands on our soapy bodies soon had us aroused again, and we made love standing up in the shower until the water turned cold and forced us out. I hadn't had this much of a sexual workout since Shavonda was pregnant with Miracle and the hormones were flooding her system.

Wrapping ourselves in towels, we padded back to the room and fell asleep in each other's arms until awakened by the smell of breakfast cooking downstairs. Reluctantly, we dressed and made our way downstairs. With the chill of a rainy spring morning in the air, I dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, while Shavonda opted for her tight jeans, a loose-fitting shirt, and her denim jacket.

Entering the kitchen, where Mom was cooking while Nora sat, we took our seats at the table. Nora immediately started in on us.

"Don't think I don't know what you two were doing," she said. "And in the shower of all places!"

"Nora," Mom sighed. "Leave them alone. They're married. That's what married couples are supposed to do." Shavonda and I smiled at Nora. I pulled her closer, my arm around her waist. Nora stared indignantly.

"In the shower, Julia!" Nora sputtered.

"Maybe if you'd have done it in the shower, Larry wouldn't have cheated on you and left," Mom said crossly. "They love each other, Nora. Can't you see that? Or are you so blinded by your bad attitude you can't see that? You better wise up fast, Von's parents will be here this evening."

"Mama's coming?" Shavonda asked incredulously.

"Yes, and your dad and Shaunice too," Mom said. "We wanted to surprise you, dear. Sorry, but I couldn't keep the secret."

"Oooooh, you in for it now," I said to Nora. "Althea don't play."

"You hear that?" Nora asked. "He's even beginning to talk like her!"

"What's wrong with the way I talk?" Shavonda said. Nora fell silent. Shavonda and I laughed.

"Give it up, Aunt Nora," I said. "There's nothing wrong with the way she talks."

"She'll never get a good job talking like that," Nora said.

"I don't need a job," Shavonda said. Nora gave Mom an 'I told you so' look.

"Aunt Nora," I said, taking the pendant from around my neck and handing it to her. "Von makes these for a living. She owns two stores. She doesn't have to worry about working for other people. She's her own boss." Nora stared at the pendant, with the S heart J design. "She made that one especially for me last year, as a token of her love. There are over a dozen pieces of stone and glass in that design, all cut so they fit together exactly. She knows her craft well, plus she is an excellent businesswoman. She built it all from the ground up. Did you know she has degrees in business and art?"