“I’m…I’m Tavera.” She was frowning now and her heart was pumping harder than when she had run from the village boy, though all she had been doing was talking quietly. She wondered why she felt so hot all of a sudden.
“I know, Tavi, I know,” he said quietly, real names usually reserved for behind closed doors. He got up from his chair and sat beside her, hugging her shoulders. When he did she noticed she had been shaking and when he offered the mug of beer to her she took it, gulping from it noisily. “You still want to stick by me? Even when others think it’s a bad idea? I’m sure some family here would be happy to have another daughter, especially a smart one, Though you’ll have to change your britches.”
Tavera smacked him, wrinkling her nose at him and laughing. He had asked the question but when she looked at him she knew what he wanted her to say. She thought about the people in the town and the villagers and their lives and shook her head. Tavera’s ear perked up as the flute player and the singer started up again, several patrons walking over to the small dance floor they had set up. “Pa, what was you like as a little boy?”
Derk puffed out his cheeks and blew out his breath, seeming to search for an answer he could give. “Well blond, for one.” Tavera sighed with exasperation and tried to smack him again but he grabbed her hand before she could, pushing it away. “Like most children, I guess. And much like myself today. I looked for adventure and disobeyed my pa. Liked to climb trees, hide from people. Liked girls a lot.” He smiled down at her before he pushed her hat back, kissing her on the forehead. Derk stood up from his seat and held his hand out towards her. “Now, the hour of eating has passed, my good sir. May I have a dance or am I going to have to take it from you?”
Tavera laughed and stood on her chair, taking Derk’s hand and jumping off the chair. They both walked to the small dance floor, Derk taking her hands in his and leading her in a lively four-step. Tavera rolled her eyes as the singer began to sing. The song was about rabbits. Tavera danced anyway, stepping and hopping to the beat and laughing uproariously when Derk grabbed her by the hands and spun her around till the room turned into one big happy blur.
CHAPTER 5
Misconceptions & Miscommunications
“By Her paps, girl, what in the hems are you doing?” Derk placed a hand over his eyes and entered the room, closing the door firmly behind him. Tavera stopped mid motion, looking over her shoulder at her pa, then to the onion in her hand, her face void of shame but instead painted with the annoyance of most adolescents. She took a deep breath and resumed what she was doing, not caring if Derk was in the room or not.
“What’s it look like I’m doing?” she asked. “I’m rubbing an onion on my tits to make ‘em grow bigger.”
Derk half succeeded in stifling a laugh, almost dropping the cigarette he was starting to roll. He finally didn’t bother to hold back but instead let out a highly amused guffaw, crossing the small room they were sharing as he did. “You mean to say to make ‘em grow at all,” he chuckled, avoiding the evil look that Tavera gave him. Her pa laid on the bed and brought the end of the cigarette to his mouth, not bothering to light it but letting it dangle there as he spoke to her, a look of contentment on his face.
Tavera had grown quite a bit since he had taken her under his wing. Her limbs which had once been gangly and too long for her body were now better proportioned and muscled lightly. Her mouth had lost its pathetic drooping and now was pert and full, more apt to be quick with a quip or joke than a sigh or a whimper. Derk had told her she’d be beautiful in a few more years, though more than likely she would lack in the womanly endowments she so desperately wanted. Tavera was doing everything in her limited power to prove him wrong and she continued to rub the onion
“I know, Tavi, I know,” he said quietly, real names usually reserved for behind closed doors. He got up from his chair and sat beside her, hugging her shoulders. When he did she noticed she had been shaking and when he offered the mug of beer to her she took it, gulping from it noisily. “You still want to stick by me? Even when others think it’s a bad idea? I’m sure some family here would be happy to have another daughter, especially a smart one, Though you’ll have to change your britches.”
Tavera smacked him, wrinkling her nose at him and laughing. He had asked the question but when she looked at him she knew what he wanted her to say. She thought about the people in the town and the villagers and their lives and shook her head. Tavera’s ear perked up as the flute player and the singer started up again, several patrons walking over to the small dance floor they had set up. “Pa, what was you like as a little boy?”
Derk puffed out his cheeks and blew out his breath, seeming to search for an answer he could give. “Well blond, for one.” Tavera sighed with exasperation and tried to smack him again but he grabbed her hand before she could, pushing it away. “Like most children, I guess. And much like myself today. I looked for adventure and disobeyed my pa. Liked to climb trees, hide from people. Liked girls a lot.” He smiled down at her before he pushed her hat back, kissing her on the forehead. Derk stood up from his seat and held his hand out towards her. “Now, the hour of eating has passed, my good sir. May I have a dance or am I going to have to take it from you?”
Tavera laughed and stood on her chair, taking Derk’s hand and jumping off the chair. They both walked to the small dance floor, Derk taking her hands in his and leading her in a lively four-step. Tavera rolled her eyes as the singer began to sing. The song was about rabbits. Tavera danced anyway, stepping and hopping to the beat and laughing uproariously when Derk grabbed her by the hands and spun her around till the room turned into one big happy blur.
CHAPTER 5
Misconceptions & Miscommunications
“By Her paps, girl, what in the hems are you doing?” Derk placed a hand over his eyes and entered the room, closing the door firmly behind him. Tavera stopped mid motion, looking over her shoulder at her pa, then to the onion in her hand, her face void of shame but instead painted with the annoyance of most adolescents. She took a deep breath and resumed what she was doing, not caring if Derk was in the room or not.
“What’s it look like I’m doing?” she asked. “I’m rubbing an onion on my tits to make ‘em grow bigger.”
Derk half succeeded in stifling a laugh, almost dropping the cigarette he was starting to roll. He finally didn’t bother to hold back but instead let out a highly amused guffaw, crossing the small room they were sharing as he did. “You mean to say to make ‘em grow at all,” he chuckled, avoiding the evil look that Tavera gave him. Her pa laid on the bed and brought the end of the cigarette to his mouth, not bothering to light it but letting it dangle there as he spoke to her, a look of contentment on his face.
Tavera had grown quite a bit since he had taken her under his wing. Her limbs which had once been gangly and too long for her body were now better proportioned and muscled lightly. Her mouth had lost its pathetic drooping and now was pert and full, more apt to be quick with a quip or joke than a sigh or a whimper. Derk had told her she’d be beautiful in a few more years, though more than likely she would lack in the womanly endowments she so desperately wanted. Tavera was doing everything in her limited power to prove him wrong and she continued to rub the onion
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