William Redman Carter: Chapter 13

Posted: October 31, 2005 - 12:02:38 am



The students trickled out of the classroom in ones and twos as they finished

their final exams. William sat on the floor across from the door watching them

leave. Some looked confident, others angry, and a few as if they didn't care how

they did in the class. Those who looked blurry-eyed or were sloppily dressed had

spent the previous evening cramming in the hopes of learning the material at the

last minute.

When Lucy stepped out of the class, she rolled her eyes and smiled. Closing the

door behind her, she said, "No surprises on that one."

"So what would you like to do until classes start this summer?" William asked

while climbing off the floor. His eyes flicked over her conservative outfit, the

skirt falling to below her knees. He appreciated the fact that she didn't dress

like most of the women on campus.

Lucy stepped over to him and pressed against him while his arm reached around

her waist. The year together had brought them to the point of casual intimacy.

After his growth spurt during the preceding fall, he was now a couple of inches

taller than she was. She answered, "I'd like to visit my parents for a couple of

days and then I thought we might go visit your family."

"That would be nice," William said. They walked down the hall towards the exit

of the building. He asked, "Where to now?"

"How about to your place for a swim?" she suggested. She had learned an

important lesson from the Carter Clan. Swimming after a stressful event was an

excellent way to relax. If the last exam of the semester didn't constitute a

stressful event, she didn't know what did.

"I wonder why I didn't think of that?" asked William with a smile.

Looking over at him, she knew that he had thought of that. He always anticipated

her desires, sometimes before she even had them. She said, "I bet that Ken is

waiting outside in the Hugger and there are fresh towels by the backdoor of your

house."

"You'd be right," answered William hugging her a little harder. He added, "There

are always fresh towels by the backdoor of the house now that the weather is

good."

"That still doesn't explain why Ken is here," Lucy said.

"True, but he doesn't have to take us to my house."

They walked along in comfortable silence. William was thinking how nice the past

year had been. Having Lucy in his life had given it an entirely new dimension.

Sitting around and studying with her in his arms had changed an isolated

activity into a shared activity. Where he had been alone, he now had company.

Dining, shopping, watching movies, going to lectures, and campus gatherings were

now attended as a couple.

Where he once had to be satisfied with his thoughts alone, he now had an

interesting partner with whom he could share his thoughts. Their debates on all

kinds of topics were often long, but seldom heated. She challenged him like no

one else he had ever met. Her mind was sharp as a razor and she could cut to the

heart of a matter with a single question.

Reaching the car, William opened the door for Lucy. She slid over to allow him

to enter without having to walk around the car. He took his seat next to her.

Ken asked, "Home?"

"You bet," answered William. Settling back in his seat, he asked, "So are you

going to miss driving us around when we get our licenses?"

"I hadn't really thought about it. It's usually just two trips a day to the

university and back," answered Ken with a negligent shrug of his shoulders. He

also knew that Ling would insist on him driving them when they had a long trip.

He maneuvered the Hugger through the campus streets and then onto the main

street. It wouldn't take more than fifteen minutes to reach the house.

"I'm looking forward to driving," Lucy said. It wasn't that she minded Ken

picking her up or taking her home, it was the shopping that was uncomfortable.

She didn't like trying to buy a present for William with Ken waiting around

watching what she purchased. It wasn't true, but she felt that it undermined the

surprise. When she bought a new dress, she wanted William to be the first to see

her in it, not Ken.

"Same here," said William with a grin. Wiggling his eyebrows in a bad imitation

of Groucho Marx, William said, "It is rather hard to go parking with my

girlfriend when Ken is sitting in the front seat."

Ken chuckled when Lucy lightly slapped William's thigh and jokingly said, "I'm

not that kind of girl."

"You're not?" William asked in pretend shock. She was actually a very chaste

young woman.

"Okay, I want to be, but it is hard with Ken sitting in the front seat of the

car," Lucy replied with a giggle. It had been a sad fact of their relationship.

Getting time alone with William was virtually impossible. Ken and Lisa were

always around the house since they timed their vacations for the times when he

was away. They couldn't drive off alone. Her dorm didn't allow men on her floor

and William obeyed the rules of the house stating that undermining the rules

could lead someone else into harm.

From the front seat, Ken said, "I could take a nice nature walk if you desire."

Lucy didn't answer, but looked out the window until the car pulled up in the

driveway. Looking at the front yard, she noticed that the burn circle where

William had said he'd had a bonfire was gone. She said, "The burn mark has

finally disappeared."

Nodding his head, Ken said, "Yeah. The grass has come back and is greener than

the rest of the yard."

"That burn mark bothered my father more than anything else about this house. He

loves a well groomed lawn, even if his falls far short of the mark," said Lucy.

Her father had been waging a lifelong war trying to get the grass to grow under

the large oak tree in their front yard.

Entering the house, Lucy headed towards the guestroom to change into her

swimming suit. She paused when William asked, "Where's Tim?"

"He's at a pizza party with some of his friends from school. He won't be home

until eight," answered Lisa. After a long pause, she asked, "Would you mind if

Ken and I go out for dinner tonight?"

"No problem. Have a good time," answered William as he removed his clothes by

the door. He stretched as he waited for Lucy to finish changing her clothes. He

smiled when he saw her walk into the room wearing her robe. It was a warm day

and there wasn't any need for a robe, but he chose not to comment.

They walked down to the pond holding hands. Lucy looked at her surroundings.

Flowers were in bloom along the path. The leaves on the trees shook in the very

slight breeze. Patches of blue sky were visible through the canopy of leaves

overhead. The rays of the sun cast patches of light and dark on the ground.

Birds were chirping and butterflies were flitting about. Magic was in the air

and the name of that magic was spring.

When they reached the pond, William let loose of her hand and waded in giving

forth a squeak when it reached his private parts. He called back, "The water's a

little cold today."

"William."

William turned to look at Lucy wondering why she had called his name. Standing

hip deep in the water, he watched as she dropped her robe. At sixteen, almost

seventeen, Lucy stood before a man naked for the first time of her life. She

trembled slightly as he gazed upon her body. The past year had transformed her

body from looking fourteen to that of a young woman.

"You're so beautiful," said William in a reverent voice. She had taken him

completely by surprise.

His words chased away any doubts that she had about the rightness of the time

and place. Rather than move, she spread her arms to her side giving him full

view of her body. She said, "I'm glad you like it."

"I love you," he said. He felt young and inexperienced looking upon her body.

Unable to decide if he should approach her or stand there, he ended up standing

there.

Lucy could see the indecision on William's face and knew that he was as lost as

she was. She stepped into the water and, surprised by the cool chill, said, "Oh,

it is cold."

William waded through the water to where she stood. As his genitals left the

water, Lucy could see that he was erect. A sense of power washed over her at the

realization of the effect that she had upon him. He put his arms around her and

hugged her.

Words were not enough to convey the feelings flooding through him. Taking her

head between his hands, he kissed her softly. Lucy moaned as his lips brushed

against hers. She pressed her body against his, feeling the heat from his hard

cock against her skin.

Her body was on fire. When he released her, she knew what she wanted. She wanted

him to take her then and there. It wasn't a rational desire, she wasn't on birth

control and they didn't have condoms. It was her most fertile time of the month

and she knew it. At the moment, it didn't matter. She whispered, "Take me."

As far as William was concerned, no man in history had ever had such a

temptation placed before him. William picked her up in his arms, cradling her

across his body. He kissed her. Rather than walking towards the shore, he fell

backwards into the cold water. The cold water washed over them, chilling their

passion. It was the hardest thing he had ever done. Breaking the kiss, he said,

"Not yet."

The cold water crashed through her hormone-induced insanity. She realized what

she had almost done and understood the consequences that would have followed

from their actions if she had followed her desires. Relieved that he had been

strong enough for both of them, her love for him grew even stronger. She said,

"I love you so much."

"I love you," said William. The cold water might have chilled his passion, but

it hadn't killed it. He loved the feel of her body in his arms. His erection was

sending out constant messages that it had a biological function to perform. He

said, "I need to calm down a little."

Reaching down between them, Lucy ran a hand over his cock. Giggling nervously at

her first encounter with a hard cock, Lucy said, "You're right. I do too."

They slowly separated although their eyes never left the other. They swam a

little in the pond to allow their passions to abate. When they finally exited

the pond, William's erection had disappeared. They dried side by side, not

talking but communicating through looks, gestures, and light touches. Picking up

her robe, she reached out with a hand. He took her hand and they walked up to

the house.

As they walked, a question that had bothered Lucy for a long time came to mind.

She asked, "What are the two scars on your chest?"

"I cut myself when my Great Grandfather died as a sign of mourning and respect,"

he answered while pantomiming how he had performed the act.

"How old were you?" asked Lucy shocked at his answer.

"Three," answered William. Seeing the look on her face, he said, "I knew what I

was doing. I knew that I was the first to honor him in that fashion."

The idea that a three-year-old boy would take a knife and cut himself in that

fashion was staggering. Frowning, she asked, "Did it hurt?"

"Yes, it did."

When they reached the backyard, Lucy said, "I'd like to lie out in the sun for a

little while."

They spread their towels and lay down on the ground with their backs to the sun.

William, his dark skin giving him greater protection from the sun, said, "We

can't stay out too long. Your fair skin will burn easily."

"Ten minutes should be long enough."

"Long enough for what?"

"To warm up," answered Lucy. Supporting her upper body on her elbows, her

breasts hung down with hard nipples barely grazing the towel. She glanced over

at his naked back taking in his muscular build. Clothed, he looked like a

typical kid his age. Undressed, he looked like a highly trained athlete.

Inside the house, Lisa and Ken were preparing to leave for their night out. Lisa

looked out the back window and saw the pair sunning themselves. In a soft voice,

she said, "Ken, come here and look at this."

He stepped over and looked out at the young couple. Putting a hand on his wife's

shoulder, he said, "It's about time."

"They look so cute," she said. Her maternal feelings were set on high.

"Our little boy is growing up," he teased.

With a slight smile, she said, "Yes, he is."

"Let's leave them their privacy," suggested Ken. A few minutes later, husband

and wife slipped out the front door for their evening out.

Wondering what they would find inside the house, Ken opened the door and let

Lisa enter first. Seated comfortably on the couch, William was reading a book

while Lucy rested her head on his lap reading a different book. They looked up

at the couple entering the house. William asked, "Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, we did," answered Lisa with a blush. Over dinner they had discussed the

conversation that William and Lucy had in the car about going parking. Leaving

the restaurant, Lisa had giggled like a schoolgirl when Ken announced that they

were going to do a little parking of their own. It had been a lot of fun and

reminded them of why they had fallen in love in the first place.

William was about to ask why she was blushing when his cell phone rang. Fishing

it out of his pocket, Lucy sat up to allow him to move. Answering it, William

said, "Hello. This is William Redman Carter."

For several long minutes, he listened to the person on the other end without

making a comment. Lucy watched his face trying to determine if he was receiving

good news or bad. Finally, William asked, "Are you sure?"

Another minute of silence passed until William said, "The end of August."

"Thank you," said William after another minute of silence. He folded up the cell

phone looking thoughtful.

Lucy tried to determine if he was upset or happy. The neutral thoughtful

expression gave no clue. Concerned, she asked, "Is something the matter?"

"A White Buffalo was born," William answered absently. Turning to Ken, he said,

"Turn on the news."

"What's so special about that?" asked Lucy puzzled by the announcement. Lisa,

curious as well, waited for his answer.

"It is a sign that has long been awaited by the Sioux," answered William.

Snapping out of his introspective thoughts, he explained, "It is not my story to

tell, but I shall tell you a shortened version of it."

"Once when the Sioux were hungry, two young men went out to find food. They

encountered a beautiful woman dressed in White. One of the men desired the woman

and reached out to take her without regard to her desires in the matter. He

crumbled into dust at her feet. The woman spoke to the other young man telling

him to return to his people and announce her coming.

"The woman in white came to his people bringing with her a bundle. Unwrapping

the bundle, she gave the people a sacred pipe decorated with eagle feathers. She

taught them how to pray using the pipe.

"She explained to the men the importance of the Buffalo, of women, and of

children. To the women, she explained that what they did was as important as any

action taken by the strongest of warriors. To the children, she explained they

were the future of the tribe.

"After giving them her wisdom, she told the people that she must leave them, but

that she would return one day. When she walked away, she fell to the ground and

rolled over four times turning into a White Buffalo.

"The day after they honored the pipe, game turned plentiful. The Sioux have been

waiting for her return since that day."

"That's a nice story," said Lucy.

"It is more than a story. It is the spirit of the Sioux," said William. "Each

tribe of the plains has a different story of the White Buffalo."

Now that William had finished telling the story, Ken turned on the television.

He flipped through the channels until he found one that was giving the news. The

group watched the news without talking until a short thirty-second clip about

the birth of the White Buffalo was aired. Seeing the calf, a shiver went through

William. He grimaced when they pointed out that this was the first generation of

calves conceived after he had destroyed a curse over the Native Americans. His

picture had been displayed for a third of the broadcast.

After the news clip had been played, William said, "You can turn it off now,

Ken."

Having seen the faces of the people looking at the Buffalo calf, Lucy understood

just how significant the event had been. The reference to him removing a curse

reminded her of the high profile he had within the Native American community.

She had witnessed occasions in which Native Americans had greeted him with awe.

William stood and went to his desk. Opening the drawer, he pulled out a pack of

cigarettes and a lighter. He slipped out the back door to smoke and think. The

Sioux Medicine Man had requested that he come to the ranch where the calf had

been born. It would be August before he would go and he wondered what would

happen when he went there.

Watching him leave the house, Lucy wanted to run after him. She held back

knowing he needed to be alone with his thoughts. There were some things that he

had to face alone.

Ann said, "I think it is wrong for someone so young to have such

responsibilities."

Nodding his agreement, Ken said, "And such public responsibilities, at that."

"Would you make some hot chocolate?" asked Lucy thinking that William would

appreciate it.

"How about I make some brownies?" asked Lisa.

"Can I help?" asked Lisa hoping that she wasn't imposing.

Smiling, Lisa said, "Sure. Come on into the kitchen with me."

While the two women prepared the brownies, Ken left to pick up Tim from his

party. Sitting in the backyard, William stared up at the darkening sky. He

exhaled and watched the smoke from the cigarette disappear into the dark.

The various tales of the White Buffalo came to mind. Among the tribes of the

plains, this was the most popular subject of their stories. In all of them, the

buffalo represented a return to prosperity for the tribe. He couldn't help

wonder if his time in the dark pit was related to the birth of the White

Buffalo. It was such a powerful symbol. He knew that others would wonder the

same thing.

He planned his trip to visit the calf. Before he could visit the ranch, he would

have to spend time in a sweat lodge. The real question was where he would go to

a sweat lodge. His choice could have significant repercussions. After

considering all of the options, he decided there was only one choice. He'd go to

the Native American College and use the sweat lodge located there. Politically,

it would be an act that emphasized the unity of all tribes rather than giving

preference to any single tribe.

His hand went to his chest seeking his medicine bag and finding nothing. He had

never replaced the medicine bag that had been destroyed in the pit. Taking a

deep breath, he knew it was time to replace it. For that, he would have to

return to Arizona. He snuffed out the cigarette and put the butt in his back

pocket.

It was an hour and two cigarettes later when Lucy opened the back door. As the

spring night air chilled her, her eyes sought him without luck. In a soft voice,

she called out into the dark night, "William."

"What is it, Lucy?" he answered, surprising her with the fact that he was seated

near the door.

"We made some hot chocolate and brownies. Would you like to come in and have

some?" she asked.

William grabbed his cigarettes and lighter before standing. Walking towards the

open door, he answered, "Sounds perfect."

His words reassured Lucy and she held the door open for him. As he passed

through the door, he paused just long enough to kiss her. Needless to say, both

wished that the kiss had lasted longer.

William sat down at the dining room table while Lucy brought out steaming cups

of hot chocolate. He grabbed the cup and wrapped both hands around the base

appreciating the warmth given off by it. Seeing Tim sit down across from him, he

cautioned, "It's hot."

Giggling, Tim answered, "That's why they call it hot chocolate."

Chuckling at the obviousness of the answer, William said, "Thank you, Tim. I

learned something new today."

Lucy brought out a plate of brownies and placed it in the center of the table.

Looking at him, she said, "I hope you like these. We added walnuts to the

batter."

"They look great," said William reaching out to take one.

Giving him a motherly slap on his hand, Lucy said, "Wait until you get a plate."

"Yes, mother," replied William with a grin. Looking with longing at the

brownies, he said, "You should have brought out the plates before the brownies."

"I just wanted to make them taste better. Haven't you ever heard of

anticipation," she teased.

Lisa came out of the kitchen with a stack of plates. She set them around the

table and everyone sat down. Lucy made a great production out of setting a

brownie on William's plate. Tim just grabbed one and started eating.

The conversation flowed around the table with ease. No one mentioned the White

Buffalo. Lucy discussed her vacation plans. The conversation turned to the

summer sessions at the university. It was her plan to take enough courses to

finish out her junior year, but it would be difficult. Of course, the real

reason for going to school was to stay close to William over the summer. Last

summer had been torture and she didn't think she could survive this summer away

from him.

William shocked everyone at the table when he said, "I'm going to talk to your

father about having you live here over the summer."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Lucy said despite the fact that she really

liked the idea of living with him. She wasn't sure how her father would respond

to the request.

"I don't think that your father will have a problem with it," said William as if

reading her mind. The one who he was really concerned about was her mother, but

he knew her objections would last only a minute at the most.

"You don't?" asked Ken looking at William as if he were mad.

"No."

"Why?" asked Ken.

"Why?" asked Lisa sharing her husband's view.

"Why?" asked Lucy.

Grinning at the conversation, Tim decided to add his voice to the chorus, "Why?"

"Because I intend to ask his permission for me to marry you," answered William

just before biting into his brownie.

Author's note: The White Buffalo appearing in this story is a fiction, as are

all of the events and characters depicted within it. The legend of the White

Buffalo is found in many forms and variations. I constructed an abbreviated form

of the story for William to tell based on a version that I heard decades ago. It

is my hope that no one is offended by the liberties taken with a legend that is

important to so many people.

The birth of a White Buffalo in modern times is not a fiction; it is a fact.

Miracle, The Sacred White Buffalo, was born on August 20, 1994 at the Heider

Farm in Janesville, Wisconsin. It was an event that was celebrated by many

Native Americans all across the continent. Some openly wept on hearing news of

the birth. Miracle died a decade later on September 19, 2004.

The Heider family did not allow commercialization of the White Buffalo. They

allowed visitors to come by the farm seven days a week to see Miracle. Visitors

were admitted free of charge. Thousands came to see Miracle and few left

unchanged by the experience. Visitors are still welcome at the farm to visit the

grave of Miracle.

It should be noted that the members of the Heider family are not Native

Americans. Despite that, they opened their farm and hearts to the world. I'm

sure this great gesture of respect for the beliefs of others was not always easy

to make. Visitors, no matter how well meaning, are often a burden.

I have never met a member of the Heider family, but I would like to extend my

heartfelt thanks to them. Thank you for reminding me that generosity, respect,

and understanding still exist in this world.