Rud and the Damsel

Chapter 11 - "Easy Day"

Occasionally, Rud would declare what he called an "easy day" where they would do enough chores not to get behind, and then plan a fun activity in which they could all participate. An easy day also gave the mule a much-needed break, and he was usually allowed to roam free around the meadow.

When the weather was nice, one of the things they did for fun was to swim in the deep pool formed where the creek made a sharp bend. It was in a secluded spot with a small grassy area surrounded by tall trees and bushes. Rud and the boy would wear their regular pants when they swam. Patience had made herself a suit to swim in from an old pair of Rud's pants and one of his heavy cotton shirts. It was not very feminine, but she was well covered. Patience in the deep pool was a thing of beauty in Rud's eyes. The wet material clung to her shape and Rud had to work not to stare.

Mostly they just swam around and lay in the grass enjoying the sun. If they played tag, Rud was always careful about where he tagged Patience. Being close to her, touching her skin, or even the material of her suit was exhilarating. He noticed everything about her, every detail of her face, and her shape against the fabric, the graceful slope of her torso down to her waist, her thin arms, and small hands as she reached to tag him.

Sometimes in the course of playing tag, Patience's body would end up against his, and Rud would take it all in. He relished the feeling of her warm body against his. The smell of her clean skin was like a perfume. When they touched, Rud would say he was sorry, but in truth, he wasn't sorry at all. Patience always seemed indifferent, although Rud was sure not all the touching and bumping against each other was pure accident. Rud knew Patience was making the most of her opportunities too.

They would also go for long walks through the woods. There was a path down the center of the valley just wide enough for the cart. The boy and Rud used the path to quickly access different areas within the valley. On an easy day, all three or sometimes just Rud and Patience would walk down the path as a way to relax and enjoy the scenery.

Given a choice, the boy would always go fishing on an easy day. He was a good fisherman and would always catch enough fish for everyone. Rud did not like fishing and did not like eating fish. Patience liked fish cooked over a fire, and since the boy didn't care and to Rud one way was just as bad as the other, Patience got her way.

Rud or the boy would build a fire by the lake, and they would have a picnic. Then after dark, they would lie on blankets looking up at the stars. Patience loved looking at the stars and was amazed at the number of stars there were. On a clear night, you could see an endless number of stars against the dark night sky.

Patience believed the reason people were so captivated by the stars was in their hearts they knew the stars were their loved ones who had passed. Patience said, "It sounds silly, but I believe my parents are there right now, twinkling, so we know they are watching over us." Patience looked at Rud, who looked back up at the stars and said, "I never thought of it that way. I hope it is true." 

Everyone kept a lookout for shooting stars. They played a game where the first to see a shooting star earned a point. If possible, Rud would sit on the same blanket as Patience. When he did, Rud never won the shooting star game as his attention was usually on Patience. He could look at the stars anytime.     

Rud told Patience she looked very pretty in the starlight tonight. Patience smiled at Rud then looked up at the stars again. Rud complimented Patience on the things she did and how she looked because he appreciated her efforts and thought that was what men did around women. He remembered his father was always telling Rud's mother she was beautiful.

Patience had grown up being complimented by everyone she met and had quickly learned to tell the difference between when someone was being genuine and platitudes intended to curry favor with her rich father. Rud was nervous when he complimented Patience on how she looked. He usually stumbled with his words, and his timing was often horrible, but Patience knew Rud was being genuine.

When he got it right, though, Patience very much liked hearing Rud tell her she was pretty. Tonight under the stars, Patience felt pretty too. Still smiling, Patience told Rud he should have seen her back in the town when she was all dressed up. She had the most beautiful dresses and jewelry. Patience said she and her mother would spend hours picking out dresses and getting ready to go out, how she loved having her hair curled and fashioned with beautiful ribbons, and how she felt like a princess when they would go to events in town.

To Rud, her comments just confirmed she would want her old life back. Rud's smile was replaced with a look of disappointment. He knew he could never give her the life she had before, and she would eventually leave. Patience saw the change in Rud's expression and seemed to understand what he was thinking. 

Patience grabbed his arm, squeezed hard to make sure she had his attention, and said, "Rud, don't misunderstand what I said. I wish you could have seen me at my best, that's all. And thank you for the compliment. I like that you think I am pretty."

Rud responded, "I wish I could have seen you all dressed up like a princess." Patience asked, "Would you have asked me to dance?" Rud laughed, then said, "On my best day, no one would think I was a prince. They would have never let me in the door." Patience, wanting an answer, said, "You didn't answer the question. Would you have asked me to dance?"

Rud, smiling again, said, "Yes, I would have asked. And I would have been very disappointed I couldn't after your father had me thrown out." Patience said, "Don't be so sure, a princess always gets what she wants." The boy rolled his eyes. Patience said, "I saw that" and reached over and pinched her brother on the leg. A shooting star streaked across the sky. The boy pointed at the shooting star, but Rud and Patience did not see it. They were still looking at each other.