*********************************
It was mid-summer and seventeen-year old Jalen
Brooks was wrestling with a stubborn steer that had wandered into the creek and
was now stuck fast in its muddy bottom. He had been working for Dallas Kincaid
now for about four months. He had been learning to read and write and was
making good progress despite his struggles and own stubbornness because his
boss wouldn’t put up with any of it. He’d learned his lesson about not doing
his assignments once Dallas had put him over his lap and heated his bottom just
as he said he would when they had first talked about this arrangement approximately
three months ago after his first major lapse in judgment which had ended up
with him being involved in a Saloon brawl
*****
Jalen was brought out
of his musings by the steer he was trying to free bawling. The teen grabbed the
animal by its horns and tried to pull as hard as he could to free it. He
cussed, “Come on you damned son of a bitch…move!” The youngster tugged harder
and when his feet slipped out from under him and he landed on his backside in
the muck shouted, “You fucking bastard! Now look and see what the hell you made
me do!”
*****
Dallas Kincaid had
ridden out to the pasture to check on his young cowhand’s progress with removing
the steers that had been spotted stuck in the creek by his Forman Jake Burns. He
didn’t like the string of swear words he heard floating on the air as he
approached the spot where Jalen was working. He didn’t approve of vulgar
language and didn’t use it himself except rarely and only then in extreme
circumstances. Most times if he did indulge himself in using those sort of
words it was generally when he was by himself and then only under his breath,
or softly so they wouldn’t reach the ears of others. On the rare occasion a
swear word was uttered by the owner of the ranch and heard by others, those who
heard it knew the man was bothered to the extreme by whatever it was that had
caused those expressions to fly out of his mouth.
*****
The hands knew about
their boss’s aversion to the use of vulgar language and curbed their tendency
to swear when he was around, but when he wasn’t there; they felt free enough to
allow the words to fly. In this instance Dallas surmised his young cowhand had
heard them both from the men he worked with as well as from others in his
travels and during his checkered past. He was going to work on helping him to stop
that behavior.
Dallas shook his head
as he came upon the scene with the steer still in the creek and the boy sittin
in it cussing a blue streak. He hid a smile. Dallas wanted Jalen to grow up to
be a respected citizen because he’d go much further in life then one of the
raggedy cowhands which people tolerated, but viewed as coarse, uneducated and
not well respected, although as long as they behaved themselves while in town
were tolerated by the citizenry. Dallas wanted more for this youngster. He could
see the boy had potential and he wanted to help him realize that.
*****
The sight of the
young man reminded Dallas of himself and it brought him back to a time when he
had been on this ranch as a youngster and the Smoking K had been owned by his
Uncle Justin Dawson Kincaid, who had never married. Dallas had inherited the
ranch about four years ago when his uncle and his foreman were killed by a
landslide while riding back from a cattle sale. It had been a tragic event for
him and Dallas missed his Uncle Justin terribly. . His uncle had been the man
who had helped him to understand his sexuality and how to live the life of a
rancher.
*****
Dallas thought back
to the summer he was fourteen. He had been here at the ranch for a few weeks.
He had come as he always did every summer since he was five years old and the
school year finished. He was growing each year and his uncle had been giving
him more and more responsibilities. His father had told him it was good for him
to be out of the town for the summers and on his uncle’s ranch he’d learn how
to work hard and be in the fresh air and remain healthy. He’d be able to
exercise and learn about God’s good earth and creatures. Uncle Justin was his
father’s younger and only other sibling. Dallas remembered his father telling
him his grandfather, Marshall Kincaid, had been a wandering soul from very
young, traveling from town to town when he was older, uprooting his family all
the time.
Dallas recalled that
his father Jonathan Layton Kincaid received his calling to the ministry in his
late teens at one of the tent Bible revivals he had attended with his family.
Dallas had always thought it odd that although his grandfather was a wandering
man he was a believer as well and attended all manner of churches and revivals
in his travels. Once his father had finished school he went to a seminary to
study and got his degree in divinity and had preached the word until the day he
died, along with his mother about six months ago when they both succumbed to
typhoid fever. He had always felt closer to his uncle than his father, but he
missed his parents as well. Dallas thought back to how he had hated writing
Bible verses as punishment for his misdeeds. It usually had been coupled with a
sore bottom as his father hadn’t believed in sparing the rod.
Dallas remembered
fondly that his Uncle Justin had been much more tolerant of little boys. He’d
swat Dallas from time to time if he got too far out of line, but had never
really spanked him. He had thought Uncle Justin would that day his uncle had
caught him with his newly hired ranch hand Drake Hansen. He was instead a bit
surprised by his uncle’s protectiveness of him. Instead of a spanking Justin
Kincaid had cuddled him, reassured him and then gave him a good firm talking
to, concerning boundaries, saying no when those boundaries were crossed and
touching, what was appropriate and inappropriate and information he had needed
about sex, girls, boys and men.
*****
Dallas recalled that
Drake had been about ten years older than him. He hadn’t understood why he had
a fluttery feeling whenever the man came near. He was tall, well built from his
work, had hazel eyes that could change colors with his mood and whenever he was
near and especially when he had touched him in a certain way, it made him all
filled with goose bumps. No girl had ever made him feel that way and up until
then, no boy either. He remembered having wondered at his response to the older
man and his curiosity as to what else he might feel. He found himself shivering
a little at the memory of that particular day.
*****
Drake Hansen had
worked his magic on Dallas slowly wooing him. He had seen the youngster’s
responses to his advances and thrilled at what he could have from the teen. He
approached Dallas and caressed him, lightly at first, then more boldly. He had
made sure Justin Kincaid wasn’t around when he did these things though. He
didn’t think the boss would like him making advances toward his nephew, even
though the boy seemed more than willing as he hadn’t ever told him no.
*****
Justin Kincaid had
gone to the barn to retrieve a hammer and screwdriver he needed from the tack
room in order to make a repair to the kitchen pump in the house. He heard low
voices and moans and quirked an eyebrow. He stayed out of sight hidden by the
shadows as he peeked into a stall where the sounds were emanating. What he saw
and heard made his blood boil. He wasn’t a man unused to such things, he
himself engaged in such activities with his ranch foreman with whom he had a consensual
relationship, but this was his innocent nephew who was still a boy with little
to no understanding of what was happening. He watched and listened a few
moments more and when Drake released his nephew’s organ from his jeans stepped
out of his hiding place and growled, “Just what the hell is goin’ on here? What
do you think you’re doing’ Drake Hansen?” Justin’s Brown eyes darkened and
narrowed dangerously.
Both the younger man
and the teen jumped apart at the unexpected intrusion. Dallas quickly stuffed his
engorged organ that was quickly deflating into his jeans buttoning them up.
Drake stammered, “Umm…n-nothin’ boss.”
Justin arched an
eyebrow. “Don’t lie to me Hansen…pack up your things. You’re fired. Come and
collect what’s owed you. I want you off my ranch within two hours or I won’t be
responsible for what happens to you…get goin’!” Justin roared.
Drake Hansen quickly
ran off toward the bunk house to pack up.
Justin, watching the
man go turned to his nephew. “You young man…get up to the house and wait for me
in my study. We have a lot to talk about.” He said quietly, but in a dangerous
low voice Dallas had never heard his uncle use toward him before.
*****
The teen could tell
his uncle was angry and was holding in his temper. His own father would address
him in a similar manner when he was extremely displeased with Dallas’s
behavior.
The youngster hurried
past his uncle, but not without a hard swat to his backside which caused Dallas
to yelp, rub and then run off to the house.
*****
Justin took several
deep breaths. He realized he had to calm down before dealing with his nephew
and sort-out is own thoughts. He began to clean and organize the tack room
thinking while he worked. He realized the situation wasn’t his nephew’s fault.
He remembered as a younger man when he and his now foreman Nicholas Robinson
had first began to experiment together and found that they had something
between them neither had realized and both had learned about as their
relationship grew. Even the spanking…Nick had needed that from time to time and
it had been a bit of a surprise to them both, but Justin had found he could
give that to his partner when needed. Whatever they had together they found it
worked for them. It had been a slow growing process between them full of both
rocky and smooth places. They now had been together twelve years. At
thirty-four years old Justin had lived a life style with a man that was never
talked about and kept very secret. He hadn’t known anyone else besides him and
Nick that lived the way they did, so kept their relationship very quiet,
showing the rest of the world two men who were good friends and who had a good
working relationship based on mutual respect, while in private they exchanged
kisses that were sweet and hot, engaged in sexual practices that were frowned
upon and enforced discipline when necessary. No one would ever suspect that
either of them was anything but upstanding citizens of the community. Not even
his preacher brother knew of his relationship with Nick. Occasionally his brother
would confront him about getting married and having a family, but he’d just
maintain marriage and children just weren’t for him. He suspected it was one of
the reasons why his brother sent his nephew to stay with him every summer, to
get him used to the idea of having a child around. He enjoyed his nephew and
loved the boy to death. It was why he was so shocked by what he had just come
upon. He would never want anyone to harm his nephew. He felt angry at himself
for not recognizing that Hansen even had that kind of tendency, the one he and
his foreman Nick had…if he had noticed he’d have talked to the man and warned
him to keep his tendencies to himself and to not let them be known in any way,
but it was too late now. He had dismissed Hansen and had done it out of anger.
He would have to talk to Nick about things. He hadn’t known anyone else like
them and perhaps that may be why he hadn’t recognized the tendency in the man.
It was kind of an odd thing to realize there were actually other men out there
who might want, or share the tendency to like other men instead of women. He
felt rather naive that he hadn’t thought of it before and angry with himself
for not having done so…and guilty because now his teenage nephew had been
accosted by someone sexually. He felt it was his own fault for not knowing and
protecting his young nephew from such things.
Justin sighed and
finished his task, still not quite sure how he was going to handle things with
his nephew. The boy was the innocent one in all this. He decided he’d have to
talk to Dallas and help him understand what had happened and to be the one to
advise the young teen. It would be a delicate task, but his responsibility. He
headed for the house to pay off Drake Hansen and see him on his way and then speak
to his nephew.
Once Justin arrived
in the study he found Dallas curled up on the sofa and looking scared and
confused. He sat down next to him and took the youngster into his arms, cuddled
the boy, consoled him and talked firmly and frankly with him about what had
occurred, expressed his own feelings about it and listened to his nephew’s
concerns and confusion. Justin reassured him that there wasn’t a thing wrong
with him and these things were natural to some men and boys.
*****
Dallas smiled to
himself remembering just how worried and scared he had been about what his
uncle would say or do when he came to him. He was confused by everything and
was surprised by his uncle’s understanding and how he had clarified things for
him. He also recalled how relieved he was when he found out Uncle Justin wasn’t
really angry with him, but with the hand he had dismissed from his employ. He
was also relieved to understand there wasn’t anything wrong with him and that
there were others who had feelings like him as well, although he had wondered
at the time how his Uncle knew that. Dallas remembered how he had been very
uncomfortable talking about such things at first, but as the summer wore on he
grew to understand better and to trust in his uncle and his acceptance of his
feelings. He dared not reveal them to his preacher father as he knew he would
be judged and condemned for them.
Dallas grinned as
when he had grown older and had talked more about his sexual concerns he
learned that his own uncle had experienced the same feelings and realized that
it wasn’t something widely talked about, but kept to oneself. He still
struggled even today however with the conflict of his feelings and his Biblical
upbringing. He was happy that he had
come upon a young man like himself and perhaps one he too could teach and help
through this confusing thing.
*****
Jalen hadn’t notice
his boss approaching. He was just mad, wet and dirty and frustrated that the
steer he was trying to help wasn’t helping at all. “Come on you cussed beast!
Move your fuckin’ ass!” He pulled again on the horns.
*****
Dallas rode up
quietly and then called to Jalen, “Enough of that Kid…get up out of the creek
now and leave that steer where he is.”
*****
The teen looked up
startled at having heard the quiet, firm voice of his employer. “Yes Sir Mr.
Kincaid.” Jalen replied. He crawled up out of the creek. He blushed a little
embarrassed at his boss finding him not doing the task he was assigned to do.
“I’m sorry Mr. Kincaid…the steer is just too damned stubborn. He won’t move!”
The youngster said frustrated.
Dallas arched an
eyebrow at the explicative used by the youngster and nodded. “I can see that.”
He said dryly. “Cussin’ at him isn’t goin’ to help much either…you need to
learn to work smart Kid, Some men work hard and some work smart. Let me show
you how to work smart.”
At that Dallas took his
lariat, still mounted on his horse, floated the loop over the steer’s horns,
tugging the rope tight as it settled over them and then fastening the rope to
the pommel of his saddle, and gave his horse Hornet the command to back up.
The horse began to
back slowly and steadily. The steer eventually began to move forward with the
gentle but firm pressure on his horns and finally with sucking sounds clambered
up onto the bank of the creek.
*****
Jalen stood and
watched the older man rope the steer’s horns and then back his horse up until
the stubborn animal was forced to move forward and then clamber out of the
creek onto its bank. He shook his head feeling stupid. “I didn’t think of that
Mr. Kincaid.”
Dallas smiled at
Jalen. “I know Kid, ranchers much more experienced don’t think of it either.
It’s much easier to use the force of a horse to help than brute force. You
would have never moved that steer out of there the way you were goin’ about it.
You aren’t built up enough and don’t have the strength yet of a full grown man
to do that.” Dallas told the boy.
Jalen scowled at
first, but then realized what his boss was saying was true. “Can I try?” Jalen
asked, indicating a few more steers similarly stuck.
Dallas nodded. “Of
course you can.”
Jalen smiled and mounting
his horse took his rope and spun it, settling the loop over the horns of
another steer. He had Jasper back up and eventually the steer also made it onto
the creek bed and wandered over with the other one to graze. He turned to
Dallas and grinned. “That was so much easier Mr. Kincaid, Thank you for showin’
me.”
The older man
grinned. “You’re welcome.” He helped Jalen get the remaining steers onto dry
ground and then said, “We’re finished here…let’s go back to the house. I’d like
to talk to you about somethin’.”
Jalen eyed his boss
for a moment, but then nodded and looping his rope and hanging it on its place
on his saddle rode alongside him back toward the house.
The young cowhand had
become accustomed to Dallas coming to find him and then when the task he was
doing was completed, riding back to the house with him for a talk either about
the work he had done or the finished assignments he had left for him to correct
and go over.
Dallas glanced at the
teen and relaxed as they rode together. When they had untacked the animals and
cared for them Dallas led the way back to the house, going into the study.
Jalen seated himself on the sofa where they usually sat to talk about things
and Dallas went over to the desk and picked up the finished assignments and
brought them over to the sofa and sat down beside the boy.
“You’re doin’ much
better.” Dallas praised with a smile. “Your handwritin’ is getting’ much easier
to read and your arithmetic problems are mostly correct. You only missed two
this time.” Dallas told him.
Jalen smiled at the
praise and nodded. “Even I can read my own writing’ now. I only missed two?” He
asked.
Dallas nodded. “Yes,
these two multiplication problems.” The man went over them with his young
cowhand.
Jalen watched and listened
with more attention than he ever had before. He had grown closer to Dallas. He
liked the man more and more as time went by and was very comfortable with him that
was except when he found himself over his lap. That was always the last place
he wanted to be. He didn’t mind afterward being cuddled and hugged and held
close. He liked the scent of the man, the soap of his clothes, the smell of
sweat, horses and cows…and something that was uniquely Dallas. Many times the
youngster had wondered if this was what it felt like to have a father or uncle.
His boss had told him about Justin Kincaid and how he had inherited the Smoking
K from him after he died.
*****
Once Dallas had
finished going over Jalen’s assignments he gave the teen a direct look. “I want
to talk to you about the language you were using out at the creek today.”
Jalen blushed.
“Umm…you weren’t meant to hear that boss…we all know how you feel about usin’
those kind of words, but you weren’t anywhere in sight.” The youngster pouted.
The older man shook
his head. “It doesn’t matter if I’m in sight or not. You never know how close I
might be and hear you.” He told the boy. “I don’t want you usin’ that kind of
language at all Jalen Christopher Brooks and I’m giving you fair warning…if I
hear it again, it won’t matter where or how many or few swear words come out of
that mouth of yours I’ll wash it out with soap.” Dallas told the youngster.
Jalen’s green eyes
widened. “Soap?” He squeaked.
The rancher nodded.
“Yes…soap and if that doesn’t seem to work I know another tried and true method
to help curb it…a hot bottom.” He told him sternly. “You are a young man and I
want you to be respected. People who use that sort of coarse language aren’t
looked upon with favor and you have so much more potential in your life. This
is an area I intend to help you with. I won’t have such filthy words coming out
of your mouth.”
Jalen asked, “Umm…can
I have a warnin’ first, then the consequence?”
Dallas thought about
it and then nodded. “For the first week we enforce this, there will be a
warning first, I’ll say ‘language’ and you know I heard a bad word. If it
happens a second time…even if it’s a different swear word it’s the soap.”
Jalen nodded. “Yes
Sir Mr. Kincaid.”
Dallas gave him a
hug. “Are you agreeable to this Jalen?”
The youngster thought
about what his mentor had said and realized he was trying to help him curb bad
tendencies and he trusted Dallas to guide and direct him as how to become a
real man and nodded. “Yes Sir…I agree.”
Dallas hugged Jalen
once more and said, “That’s it Kid…I’m proud of you for lettin’ me help you with
this.”
Jalen beamed at the
older man’s praise. “Thank you Sir.”
“You’re welcome Kid.”
The rancher responded with a smile.
The youngster smiled
back.
*****
They agreed as to
when this new rule would begin and the first few days of the first week Dallas
had warned Jalen about the cuss words and the boy had responded well, not
repeating the explicative or any other one the rest of that day.
*****
As the days mounted
and then the weeks Jalen felt good about being able to curb his swearing.
Dallas hadn’t reminded him after the first week and the young cowhand knew
there would be no more warnings after that, just the consequence.
One day, after a hard
day’s work Jalen just finished putting up his horse. The other cowhands were
all joking around and one of them nudged him and he stepped into a fresh pile
of manure his horse had just let drop. “Oh shit!” He swore.
The other hands
laughed and said, “Yeah kid…that’s exactly what that is horseshit.”
The younger cowhand
took a handful of straw from the floor of the stall and tried to wipe the muck
off his boot. “If you hadn’t nudged me Sellers I wouldn’t have stepped in the
horseshit.” He groused.
Sellers laughed and
clapped Jalen on the shoulder. “It ain’t like none of us ain’t done that before
boy. It’s a hazard when you get around horses.”
The other men laughed
as well.
*****
Dallas had been
heading to the barn to give the men instructions for the next morning when he
heard his youngest cowhand let go with a couple of swear words and then heard
the other men joking about it with him. He stood in the doorway waiting for
them to notice him.
One of the cowhands
was teasing Jalen when the youngster looked up toward the door and saw his boss
standing there not looking so very happy.
Sellers glanced
around to see what the boy was looking at and seeing their boss grew quiet. “Hi
Boss.” He said.
Dallas said, “Hello
boys…I came to give you instructions for tomorrow…I’m not so very happy about
the words I just heard floatin’ around here.” He stated firmly.
Sellers said, “Sorry
Boss…we were only horsin’ around with the kid. We didn’t mean no harm.”
Dallas nodded. “I
know you boys didn’t. You know how I feel about swearin’.” He told them.
The men had the grace
to look abashed and Dallas went on. “I want the cattle moved to the North
pasture in the mornin’ so we can make repairs to the fencing in the South
Pasture.”
“Yes Boss.” Jake
Burns, the foreman replied.
Dallas nodded. “All
right boys…go ahead and head for the bunk house. Clean up. Supper will be in
about a half hour.” He told them.
“Yes Boss.” Jake
Burns said and the men trooped out of the barn.
Jalen went to leave
as well and Dallas stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “We have your
swearin’ to address before supper Kid.” He told the youngster.
The young cowhand
squirmed. “Please Mr. Kincaid…it was a slip up. I didn’t mean to swear…Sellers
nudged me and put me off balance and I stepped unexpectedly in a pile of very
fresh manure…I didn’t mean to swear, honest…it just came out.”
Dallas said, “I
understand that and it means you’re not thinkin’ about what comes out of your
mouth. We’ll take care of that in the house.”
Jalen begged.
“Please…I didn’t mean it and I’ve been doin’ so good.”
Dallas said, “Yes
you’ve been doin’ very good Kid, but we have an agreement and I mean to honor
that agreement.”
The young cowhand
huffed, turned on his heel and stomped past Dallas toward the house.
The ranch owner
landed a hard swat to the boy’s backside. “Lose the attitude Jalen or we’ll be
havin’ a discussion of an entirely different nature.” He warned.
The youngster dropped
his bad attitude immediately, knowing by now very well how that would be handled.
“Yes Sir.” He said quietly and went to the house to wash up for supper.
Once in the house
Jalen went to the wash basin and soaping up washed his face, hands and arms
well. He was drying off when his boss came in and went to the wash basin. He
also washed up good and then took a clean cloth and soaped it up good. He went
up to Jalen holding it. “Open your mouth Kid.” He said quietly.
The youngster’s green
eyes widened. “Please…can’t you give me another chance?” He begged.
The older man shook
his head. “No, we agreed that if this happened this would be the consequence,
now open up.” The ranch owner said firmly with a stern look.
Jalen reluctantly
opened his mouth and Dallas took the cloth and rubbed the soapy foam inside,
making sure to scrub the youngster’s teeth and tongue well.
Dallas cringed inside
as he performed this action remembering the times his own father had done this
to him and once his mother and even Uncle Justin. He knew from personal
experience just how vile this consequence was. He made certain not to make his
young cowhand gag as he washed, knowing just how awful it would be to end up
vomiting.
*****
Jalen’s eyes began to
tear and he couldn’t move his head the way his boss had it gripped in his large
strong hand. He thought a couple of times he was going to be sic as he felt the
soapy cloth scrubbing his teeth and tongue. The soap tasted very nasty and he
couldn’t even talk to beg. All he could do was endure the awfulness. He told
himself he wasn’t ever going to utter another bad word again.
*****
When Dallas was
finished with the soaping he left the sudsy cloth in Jalen’s mouth and said,
“Close your mouth and keep that cloth in there until I tell you can take it
out.” He said, not unkindly.
******
When the scrubbing
finally stopped Jalen thought to himself, ‘Thank God’, but his green eyes
widened when he was told to keep that nasty tasting soapy cloth in there and to
close his mouth over it. He thought he was going to be sick. His eyes watered
and he sniffed and eventually his own tears mingled with the ones from the
acrid soap.
*****
The older man watched
the time and felt bad at the boy’s miserable countenance, watching as the tears
streaked down the handsome young face. Once five minutes had passed, and
eternity for both of them, this being the first time Dallas had ever done such
a thing to someone else. He almost felt ill himself, but knew he had to stand
strong for his young cowhand.
When the time was up
he said quietly, “You can take it out now and you may spit.”
*****
Jalen was never as
glad as when his boss told him he could take that nasty cloth out of his mouth
and could spit and spit he did. His eyes continued to water and he gagged a bit
and felt a large warn hand on his shoulder and a soft rough voice saying,
“That’s it Kid, you’re goin’ to be all right.”
*****
Dallas watched as the
Kid spit and gagged a bit. He put his hand on his shoulder and spoke softly and
encouragingly. When the boy had spit as much out as he was able Dallas handed
him a glass of water he had poured before he had started the mouth washing. It
was enough to wash most of the suds and soap out of the mouth, but not quite
enough to get the taste out. “Here, rinse and spit now.” He told the youngster.
*****
Jalen took the glass
of water gratefully and rinsed and spit and rinsed and spit again until the
water was all gone. “Mr. Kincaid…I need more water. There’s still an awful
taste in my mouth.”
Dallas said, “That’s
all the water you’re going to get for now Kid. The taste will remind you that
if you don’t want that mouth washed out again anytime soon that you’ll think
about what comes out of it.”
The young cowhand
hung his head. “Yes Sir.” He said miserably.
Dallas squeezed his
shoulder. “Help me set the table and we’ll get the meal ready. After supper we
can read together if you like.”
Jalen smiled. He
loved to hear Dallas read to him. He loved the rough soft sound of his boss’s
voice. “Yes Sir Mr. Kincaid…I’d like that very much.”
Dallas smiled. “All
right…then let’s get supper taken care of and we can settle down for the night.”
Jalen nodded and
smiled, despite the tears that still lingered in his green eyes.
*****
With supper finished
and the dishes all washed, dried and put away Dallas settled down in on the
settee by the fire and invited Jalen to sit close to him so he could read along
and snuggled up together he read out of The Last of the Mohicans by James Fennimore
Cooper until the hour grew late and it was time for them to retire.
The end.
No comments:
Post a Comment