Tumbleweeds Ch. 01

I see this as being a two chapter story. I have tried to make my grammar and vocabulary suit the era and the setting as much as possible. I don't think I was too successful with it. I didn't want it to be too hokey. But, you're the judges. Let me know what you think. Comments and votes are always appreciated.

All participants in the sexual activity are over the age of 18.

The three of us were standing at the side of the freshly dug grave. We lost my father that day. I wish I could say he had passed as a result of a gun battle or some such but that wasn't the case. It was a simple accident that took him away from us.

Pa was cutting wood for the winter and his axe slipped, tearing a huge, deep chunk of flesh from his leg. Ma had worked hard to cleanse the wound but it just wasn't enough. Within a week, gangrene had set in and all that was left for us was to wait. Wait for him to die.

I set to digging a hole for his final resting place under a mighty oak sitting atop a knoll near the house. It was ready for him when needed. When that day came, Ma washed his body and the three of us struggled to get him into his best set of clothes. It was a struggle to get his dead body from the house to the gravesite. Pa had not been a small man.

Finally at rest, and the grave filled in, Ma read a few words from the good book. She fought hard and held back the tears but Sissy was less successful. Wracking sobs could be heard from quite a distance. They, in turn, set off Ma's sobs. The two women hugged each other tightly, drawing comfort from their closeness.

I had learned from Pa that a man must be tough and strong for his women. I did my best to stand there with a stoic look on my face. It was a losing battle though. Tears trickled down my face.

Eventually, we three walked back to the house. I set off doing the nightly chores around the ranch. There was stock to be fed and watered. More wood needed to be cut for the night's use. Which reminded me I needed to plan to drag more fallen trees and limbs back to the house for winter needs. Finish Pa's final chore.

Evening chores completed, I headed back to the house, ready for my supper. I had worked up a considerable appetite. I was disappointed to find my mother and sister sitting on Ma's bed, arms around each other, and still crying. That was ridiculous. Pa was gone, never to return, but we still needed to survive.

"Ma! You need to stop this crying and such. Pa may have passed but we still need to go on," I said.

Ma and Sissy broke apart to look up at me standing close by the bed they were sitting on. The emotions of losses felt by each could be read clearly on their faces. The tracks of their falling tears glistened in the lantern light. Their sniffling could probably be heard as far away as the knoll.

"I'm hungry, I've done all the chores, and I want to eat now," I declared.

Sissy started crying anew. Ma tightened her embrace of the young girl sitting beside her. Her tears started dripping again as well.

"Ma, Sissy! You need to stop this! Sissy, you are a grown girl, not a baby. Wipe your face, blow your nose, and set the table for supper. Ma, get to cooking. I'm here, alive, and hungry. You need to take care of me now."

I don't know what came over me. I would never have spoken to my mother in this fashion prior to my father's passing. It just seemed natural to take control of the current situation and speak in such a commanding tone. Whatever the reasoning behind my change in attitude, it worked.

The two women were going about their own work to get supper on the hewn wood table. I stepped back to the porch to wash myself up in the water filled bucket left sitting on a small dug up tree trunk for that purpose.

Returning to the one large room, log cabin, I faced another dilemma. I started walking towards my regular place at the table. As I passed Pa's seat at the head of the table, I hesitated for a moment. Since I was now the man of the house, the sole support for my women, I should sit at the head of the table now. So, I did.

I cast my gaze over the two women working together to produce a meal for us. They were beautiful women. They could well be sisters in terms of their bodies. Their shapes and bodies were pretty similar. Both were blondes, petite, and well built. Height wise, they were somewhere right around the five foot mark, more than a foot shorter than me. I could only guess at their weight being about one hundred pounds, give or take a few pounds. Sissy had just turned eighteen a few months earlier, making her an old maid by Western standards. Ma must have been thirty something.

I seen enough men admiring their forms over the past couple years. I heard their snickering comments to each other. My women had good sized bosoms, their breasts seemed full and stood up proudly from their chests. More than a handful, I guessed. My women? Where did that come from?

Their blonde hair hung long on their backs, close to their bottoms. Their faces had similar features too. Piercing blue eyes, small noses, and full, inviting lips. Ma showed the twenty year age difference between the two though in the lines and creases on her face.

Turning towards me, a pot in her hand, Ma gave me quite the look seeing where I had chosen to sit. I waited for her to say something about not being in the appropriate place at the table. She didn't say anything, just carried the pot to the table. Sissy brought a meat filled pan to the table as well.

"Ma," my sister started, "Rick is sitting in Pa's place."

Hesitating for just a moment, Ma replied, "That is no longer your father's chair. That chair belongs to the man of the house. Your brother is now our man."

With the pan and the pot on the table, I started to reach for the serving spoons as usual.

"No, son," said my mother.

She took my plate from me. Wordlessly, just as she done with Pa, my mother put heaping portions of food on my plate before laying it back on the table in front of me. Just as she done with Pa. I guess this was confirmation of my new role in our household.

I dug into the fried venison steak and beans before me while considering, maybe for the first time since Pa gotten sick. There was much to be done around the ranch. Pa and I always divvyed up the chores, with him taking the brunt of the work. He was responsible for taking care of the cattle, moving them from one part of the range to another depending on the grass, keeping the beavers from damning the stream that ran across our property, and more. He would gather up logs and fallen trees, using the oxen to drag them back to the house. And, with the oxen, he would work over our small but growing farm patch. He was also the hunter in the family, using his rifle from time to time, mostly though, a bow traded from a passing group of Indians and arrows he fashioned hisself.

My chores kept me closer to the house. I set traps in the bushes near the stream, catching rabbits for the most part. I kept the wood bin filled at the side of the house, using the axe on smaller pieces of the wood Pa towed to the house. I was also responsible for keeping the vegetable patch free of weeds and anything around the house that needed a man's touch. We only had the one horse that Pa rode, so the distance from the house I could travel was limited. I did shoot pheasant and ducks though with the shotgun.

Things were definitely going to change now. I would have to take on Pa's work as well as my own. Ma and Sissy would need to add some of my chores to their own workload. The three of us would need to talk about this in some detail in the coming days. But, not today.

There was only one bed in the house, separated from the cooking and eating area by a blanket hanging from a rope tied to the rafters. Sissy and I slept on the floor with horse blankets under us rather than mattresses. The close quarters meant that we often heard our parents having congress behind their blanket.

There was also only one chair in the house besides the kitchen chairs. That was, of course, Pa's chair. Every night after dinner, he would sit himself down in that chair. Ma would bring him a cup of coffee from our store bought supply. Westerners loved their coffee. Usually, I would pour myself a cup after the kitchen had been cleaned and the fire set up for the night.

Of course, I sat myself down in that chair waiting for my coffee to be delivered by Ma. I was not at all surprised when she brought me my coffee before helping Sissy with the cleaning work. The coffee was good with a real healthy helping of chicory in it. We only added the chicory which grew naturally in patches near the stream when we were running low on the store bought stuff. This reminded me we needed to make a trip to the town for additional supplies soon.

I drank my coffee slowly while pondering the new responsibilities entailed by me being the new man of the house. I guess it was only usual at the end of the night to realize, I couldn't assume all Pa's rights and responsibilities. I went to my normal place, spread out my blankets, stripped down, and crawled into my bed.

Just before closing my eyes, I saw Ma standing near the woolen room divider giving me a strange look. I was too tired to ask her what she was thinking. I closed my eyes, falling into a deep sleep.

Waking the following morning to the raucous sounds of the chickens and the roosters, I dressed, rolled up my blankets, and went to the table for breakfast. As usual, Ma and Sissy were up before me preparing our food. I heard the sound of bacon crackling and eggs sizzling, igniting my hunger. Taking my new seat at the head of the table, I waited to be served.

Ma spoke up as she carried my plate over.

"Rick, we need to go to town for supplies soon."

"I know, Ma. I want to go check on the cattle today. It's been awhile since anyone was out on the range. How about we go tomorrow?"

"We can do that. I'll fix you some lunch to take with you today."

Mom knew that I would be gone for most of the day. I set out for our open range right after breakfast. As usual when I was going to be away from the house for a time, I gave Ma a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. She had that peculiar look on her face as I stepped away from that embrace. I wished I knew what she was thinking.

I took Pa's pistol and gunbelt down from the hook by the door. For the first time ever, I secured it around my waist. With rifle in hand, I headed to the stable to saddle up the single horse we owned. Riding past the house, I saw that Ma was standing out on the porch. She still had that peculiar look on her face. Giving her a wave, I rode out.

The cattle were a ways away from the ranch house. Riding around the range, I saw that nothing was amiss. We had about fifty head of cattle, some longhorns and some whitefaces. The grass was growing good, it had been a snowy winter meaning the range was well watered. We didn't have enough cattle that they were overgrazing the land. I didn't think we, me I guess, would need to move them to a different spot any time soon. I saw that we had a few calves adding to the herd. That would mean branding them before the next snowfalls.

I was sitting on some rocks near the stream, eating the sandwich Ma had packed for my lunch. Only a fool wouldn't keep his eyes peeled for problems on the open range and I was no fool. It was as if my head were on a swivel. I didn't see anything to be concerned about. In the distance, I saw some tumbleweeds being shoved by the blowing breeze.

Our family was like those tumbleweeds. We moved frequently since I was about eight years old, leaving the big cities of the east behind us. It was almost as if Pa wanted to take us all across the country to the western sea. Every time we tried to settle in a place, he would find an excuse for us to move further west. Just like the tumbleweeds, we went where the wind and Pa's whim took us.

This place was different. We had been here for almost two years now. It was beautiful country. From the mountains on the horizon to our bright green grasslands with trees and wild flowers every place a body could see. Pa had staked a claim on our land, riding south to the biggest city around, three days ride away, in order to register the claim. That meant the end of our tumbleweed days.

Not pushing the horse hard, I took my time moving back in the direction of the ranch house. I went by a huge forested piece of land keeping my eyes open for game. I never used Pa's rifle when he was alive but I had used his bow and arrows with some success. Returning home, though, I was empty handed.

After stabling the horse and wiping the gelding down with handfuls of grass, I set out a bait of corn for him before heading to the porch to get washed up for supper.

Oddly, Ma was standing on the porch waiting for me with a towel in her hand. This was something different from our usual routine. Realizing quickly that Ma always met Pa at the door like this, I knew this was going to be a part of our new routine going forward.

Ma would always stand by the wash bucket waiting for Pa to clean himself up from the day's travails. Then they would hug and kiss hello. Coming from out of nowhere, I wondered if I would be given the opportunity to hug Ma just like Pa did. Surprising me even more, my cock began to harden at the thought.

When I completed my wash up, Ma handed me the towel to dry off. When I was done, she stepped closer to me, putting her arms around me. I made to kiss her on the cheek but Ma turned her head causing our lips to meet.

In the last place we lived, there had been a girl around my age that I met at church. We found opportunities to be together without any prying eyes being around. During those times, we made out like the teenagers we were. It didn't take us long to move from closed mouth kisses to full on, tongue dancing, soul kisses. We also learned how to embrace each other. I loved the feel of her body crushed against mine with my hands cupping her ass cheeks.

Kissing Ma on the mouth brought those memories immediately to mind. Our kiss was tender but without the passion shared by me and the other girl. I don't know if I was disappointed or not when we broke apart.

As I was sitting at the table waiting for dinner to be served, Ma reminded me we were going to town the following day. It wasn't a long ways off like the big city Pa had gone to in order to register our land claim. We could be there and back in the same day.

I guess you could call it a family tradition that we always bathed the night before going to town. Before the sun was completely set, the entire family would troop down to the stream and would take turns bathing. First the women and I would go in while Pa would stand guard with the shotgun. He would jump in the water after we were dried and dressed with me standing guard.

I was taken aback standing on the bank of the stream wondering how we should handle bathing and guarding now. Ma suggested how we should proceed.

"Rick, I think we should all get in at once. Leave the shotgun close to the bank so you can reach it if needed."

All of us in agreement, we stripped down and jumped in the cold, cold stream. Usually, Ma and Sissy would stand in the water with their backs to me while we all washed. I was shocked when Ma didn't turn away from me in order to wash her stunning body.

She was obviously better built than the girl from the church. Ma's breasts were bigger for one thing. They sagged just a little and the nipples, hardened by the cold water, pointed straight at me. Ma washed her boobs, almost caressing them with the washcloth. Her eyes seemed locked on mine.

Sissy was the first out of the water. Standing in the shadow of a large aspen, she was mostly hidden from view while she dried off and dressed in clean clothes. Ma didn't join her. She stood close to me on the bank of the stream, drying herself off while I took a long look at the surrounding area making sure no intruders, man or animal, had found their way to us.

When I turned back, I expected to find Ma dressed. She wasn't. She had a towel in her hands and began to dry me off with it. Just as she done with Pa. When she worked her way down to between my legs, she took a long look at my dick still in recovery mode from its time in the chilly water. Mom smiled at it and me before drying my cock and balls.

All the while, Ma remained naked. Her tits bobbled from the motions of her arms drying me. The chilly water had the opposite effect it did on me. Her nipples stood out, rock hard. Watching them reinvigorated my dick, bringing it back to its regular length and growing. Watching my prick grow in my hands turned her smile into a grin of appreciation. Sissy called out that she was going back to the house, leaving Ma and I alone.

Ma handed me the dry towel indicating with a nod of her head that I should use it to dry her off. I wish I could say that I used masterful strokes on her, but, in fact, my hands trembled at the mere thought of touching a naked woman. Let alone a naked woman that was also my mother.

Sensing my ill ease, Ma turned her back.

"Dry my back first, son."

I nodded my agreement even though she couldn't see me standing behind her. My eyes flitted from her hair down her smooth, supple back. She lifted her arms straight up in the air giving me access to her underarms. I must have near rubbed her pits raw as I wasn't paying any attention to them. My eyes were locked on my mother's ass.

I had no experience with women's asses. I seed Ma's ass was absolutely beautiful though. It was firm and muscular, stuck out some, and invited me to touch it. With one hand still wrapped in the towel drying her armpit, my other hand reached out very tentatively to touch her ass.

Oh my gawd, it felt wonderful. Something inside me told me it was alright to rub it. My other hand stopped all motion, still glued to her armpit. Ma sort of cocked her bum back at me telling me she was in favour of me caressing her ass. It was all a new experience for me. I saw the crack between her cheeks and ran my finger along it from top to bottom. My finger bumped against her asshole.

I didn't know what I should do with it. So I jumped past it and continued to track down her crack until I found my finger at her slit. It was already wet. I stuck my finger in her pussy. Ma was startled and jumped a bit. My finger pulled out as if it had just been bitten. It came out wet.

There was no further pretense at drying Ma. The breeze had done what me and the towel failed to do. She turned to face me, wrapping her hands around my neck, and stepping close enough that her tits were pushing into my chest. Ma pulled my face tight to hers before replacing her arm around my neck. It seemed like the natural thing to do when I completed our embrace by clamping both my hands to her ass.

Ma's lips met mine, delivering an extremely passionate kiss. There was no way this was a typical mother and son kiss. It was the kind of kiss, she and Pa shared from time to time. The type of kiss me and the girl from the church had shared as well.

I wasn't surprised when Ma's lips parted and her tongue moved between mine. I welcomed it by spreading my lips and allowing my tongue to meet hers. The two tongues began a dance, wrapping themselves around each other, sometimes in my mouth and sometimes in hers. She was only the second girl I had ever kissed and Ma was much better at it than the other girl.

Between the kissing and the fondling of my mother's ass, my dick was as hard as it had ever been. It was sticking up between our two naked bodies demanding, I knew from experience, relief. Even when it began paining me some, I didn't step away from Ma or break our kissing. I wasn't that stupid.

Hearing a noise from off to the side, I saw that Sissy had come back from the house. She was standing still watching what me and Ma were doing. Thinking I should say something to either one of them, the thought was driven from my mind when Ma broke apart from our makeout session.