‘Where have you been? What took you so long?’ No, I did not say anything of the
sort. I may have felt like saying it… but I had learned the relative merits of
honey and vinegar back when I was still a virgin – a long time ago indeed. Instead I
took his hand, kissed his cheek, and said in my warmest voice, ‘Sergeant Theodore…
it is so good to have you home.’
I played Cornelia and her jewels before and during dinner – held my peace and smiled
while all my children vied for his attention… including Father who wanted to talk
soldier talk with him. At the end of dinner Father suggested (by prearrangement with
me) that Staff Sergeant Bronson take me for a spin, and then squelched attempts by
the younger children to come along especially Woodrow who wanted both to play chess
and to be taken to Electric Park.
So at last Sergeant Theodore and I headed south just at sundown. In 1918 there was
very little south ff 39th Street on the east side of Kansas City even though the
city line had been pushed clear south to 77th Street in order to include Swope
Street in order to include Swope Park. Swope Park had many popular lovers’ lanes but
I wanted a place much more private – and knew some, as Briney and I searched all the
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back roads one time and another, looking for what Briney called ‘poontang pastures’,
grassy places private enough to evade the buzzard eye of Mrs Grundy.
All along the east side of Kansas City runs the Blue River.
In 1918 it held many delightful spots – as well as thick bushes, deep mud, chiggers,
mosquitoes, and poison ivy; one had to know where to go. If you went south but not
too far south, and knew where to cross the tracks of the St Looie and Frisco, you
could work your way into a wooded, grassy dell as nice as anything in Swope Park but
utterly private, as it was surrounded by river and railroad embankment save for one
narrow lane leading into it.
I wanted that particular spot; I was sentimental about it. When in 1912 we had
become footloose through Briney’s having purchased El Reo Grande, that was the first
place Briney had taken me for outdoor loving. That delightful picnic (I had fetched
along a lunch) was the occasion on which I became pregnant with Woodrow.
I wanted to receive my new love into me first on that very spot – and then tell my
husband about it in every detail, giggling with him over it while we made love.
Briney did so enjoy my trips over the fence and always wanted to hear about them
before, during, or after our own lovemaking, or all three, as a sauce to encourage
us in more and heartier lovemaking.
Brian always told me about his own adventures, but what he liked best was to hear
about mine.
So I took Sergeant Theodore to the spot marked X.
Time was short; I had promised Father that I would stay out, at most, only long
enough to tumble him, then wait another half or three-quarters of an hour for that
wonderful, relaxed second go at it – cal it ten-thirty or eleven. So I should be
home about the time you get back from the Armoury, Father.’
Father agreed that my plans were reasonable… including our need for a second
engagement if the first one went well.
‘Very well, Daughter. lf you have to be later, please telephone so that we won’t
worry. And… Maureen.’
`Yes, Father?’
`Enjoy it, darling.’
`Oh, mon cher papa, tu es aimable! Je t’adore!’
‘Go out there and adore Sergeant Ted. You will probably be his last piece for a long
time… so make it a good one! Love you, best of daughters.’
My usual method of letting myself be seduced is to decide ahead of time, create or
help create the opportunity, then cooperate with whatever advances the nominal
seducer makes. (Contrariwise, if I have decided against it, I simply see to it that