"Yes,"
he admitted calmly. "Yes, we are." His blue eyes twinkled.
"I love you more than life, Dollie."
"Me
too. And I'll marry you just as soon as we can without shocking
everyone."
"I'll
be mighty proud to make you my wife."
Will
stopped singing and clattering around in the kitchen. He came out
wiping his hands on his jeans. Dollie excused herself to go to the
privy. She'd have preferred her civilized bathroom, but that wasn't
an option at the moment.
"I
got to get back to my place and get my suit. You set here?" Will
asked Lucius.
"For
now. I feel stronger now that I ate. I think I'll be fine. Got Dollie
with me."
"That's
what I'm afraid of, brother. You're stronger and you got a taste of
what married life would be like. She's a pretty girl and you're a man
ain't had none in how long?"
Luke
muttered something that his brother didn't hear.
"What's
that?"
"Reckon
I know how long a dry spell it's been, Willem. Don't need you tellin'
me. Would it worry you less if we went on down to her place? Her
sister'll be there. Got me two women to watch over me and each other.
That sound better?"
"Well,
I was thinkin' of taking Patty home with me." He laughed at his
brother's consternation. "I'm teasing you. Yes. And you'd be
closer to Doc if there's a problem. Go get your suit and we'll carry
it down with us."
Dollie
drove her car with Luke's suit hanging in the back. Will drove Luke
to the girls' dorm, helping him out of the truck. Luke didn't really
need help, but it made his brother feel better. Dollie carried his
suit into the apartment and set about ironing his shirt and creasing
his pants.
Patty
and Will had a soulful parting, with lots of hugs and kisses. Luke
wished his brother would go. Having them bill and coo like lovebirds
made him crazy.
"Luke,
would you like a shower?" Patty asked when she came back in.
"I
would," he agreed. After hours of sweating in his fever, he felt
a little gritty. He'd brought clean underwear and shirt with the
intention of asking. He was glad she'd invited him.
"You
can use the student's bathroom," Patty suggested. "The
girls have all gone home. There's no one here but us. You can take as
long as you like."
"That
suits me right fine," Luke agreed. He got his things together
and headed down the hall to the bathroom. It felt kind of strange
walking into a girl's bathroom, but he soon got over the strangeness.
There was fresh soap and a couple of towels on a rack. Patty must
have had this in mind all along. He started up the water letting it
warm up while he stripped off his clothing.
Stepping
into the shower stall, he pulled the curtain closed and let the hot
water run over him. The soap smelled fresh like Dollie and his mind
turned to thoughts of his beloved. Washing himself was torture.
Finally, feeling slightly ashamed, he relieved himself as quietly and
quickly as possible. Spent and embarrassed by his own weakness, he
stood in the hot water a few more minutes. It felt wonderful on
muscles sore from lying in bed the better part of twenty-four hours.
When
he had finished bathing, he dried off and dressed in his underwear
and t-shirt. Taking a shaving kit out of his bag, he went to the
mirror and shaved carefully, trimming his beard. A couple days of
neglect and it looked rugged. He neatened it up with scissors.
There
was a tap on the bathroom door.
"I
ain't quite dressed."
"That's
okay, it's just me," Will said as he walked in. He looked very
dapper in his blue serge suit with a white starched shirt and dark
red tie.
"Don't
you look too spiffy for a funeral."
Will
struck a ridiculous pose like the men in fashion ads. He and his
brother laughed loudly, the sound echoing in the tiled room.
"Feel
better?"
"Little
bit."
Will
nodded. He didn't have to ask and wouldn't make his brother tell him.
How often a man gave into his baser urges wasn't a matter for
discussion.
"Dollie's
got your suit and shirt ready. She said you forgot a tie, but found
you one."
"Why's
she got a man's tie?"
"Am
I gonna ask? Don't matter. Fact is, she's got you one."
"I
get all the soap?"
Will
checked his brother's ears and neck carefully, wiping a little bit
with his thumb. "Got it."
Lucius
slipped on his jeans. Wearing only his t-shirt, he walked down the
hall with his brother.
The
women were dressed in dark dresses with their hair put up. Each of
them had a hat with a veil. Luke's suit hung on the closet door,
neatly pressed, the shirt starched. A blue striped tie lay over the
ironing board. Dollie was giving it a sprucing up.
©
2019 Dellani Oakes
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