Mary and the Milkman

Mary

Even as a child, everyone who saw her agreed that Mary was beautiful. Her long hair glistened black, reflecting her part-Indian heritage as did dark eyes and her high cheekbones. Now, she was growing tall, and developing la full figure
The families living in Red Dog Hollow, at the base of the mountains in Eastern Tennessee, heard the news of the Great Depression, but most did not feel any effect. They were in a closed economy, where they fished, hunted, and grew their own food. True, Some of the corn they grew was made into Moonshine “Whiskey,” and some of the men would sell it to outsiders. Those who did saw an initial growth in sales which soon went back to less than their usual custom.
One who was affected was Rick Taylor. He still lived in a house the next hollow, where he was born, but he was a skilled carpenter, able to earn a good living by working for wealthier families in nearby towns. He was careful not to make a display of his earnings. His one large purchase, a brand new 1938 Ford Coupe, paid for itself by transporting him, and his tools to jobs he would not be able to reach on foot.
“The way I see it, I have saved my money from the big jobs I have done. The lack of work is as good an excuse as any to spend more time with my favorite niece,” he gave her an affectionate hug.
Mary showed her love for her uncle Rick, and he made no denial of the fact that she was his favorite. True, he made both of her brothers toy wagons, and tool boxes for Christmas, but he showered her with toys, not waiting for holidays. Her doll collection was a special point of pride for both of them. The heads, hands, and feet were fully carved, and attached to stuffed cloth bodies made by her mother. Everyone who saw them agreed that they were as good as any you could buy in a store.
For Mary's thirteenth birthday party, her mother made a special cake with icing, and Rick made her a very special doll, carving its arms and legs so that they could be posed. Rick said “Soon, you will be too big for dollies. I made this one so you can set it up, and look at it, and pass it on to your own little girls.” Mary was almost stunned by the thought but she could see from the misty-eyed pride displayed on her mother's beaming face that it was a good thing.
Rick had also made a special place for the two of them to sit: a clearing in the bushes that seemed a sort of roofless room in the woods on the hill behind the house where they thought they could see everything but not be seen by anyone. He had placed a log in a cleared space with bushes growing on all four sides. They loved to spend hours cuddling, and talking, mostly about his travels to work in strange cities like Shreveport, Louisiana and Atlanta, Georgia.
The next day they were back in their special place when Rick decided that this was a good time to make his move. He first asked Mary if she knew what married people did in bed at night.
“I reckon they sleep,” she said in a serious tone.
He tried again. “Do you know where babies come from?”
“Mama says she found me in the cabbage patch,” Mary spoke with conviction.
This was going nowhere. He stood up and opened his pants. “You ever see one of these?” he said with a smile.
“Oh sure. We ain't formal 'round here. The boys whip theirs out whenever they have to go... I squat, myself” She trusted Rick and answered simply.
Rick began to move his hand rapidly back and forth. “Ever see one do this?” Something white squirted out, landing on the ground in front of him.
“Can't say I ever did.” she spoke with a bit of wonderment.
He put it back in his pants. “Next time maybe you can taste it,” he suggested.
“Next time,” Mary agreed.
He wrapped his arms around her.“You are growing up,” he said with a smile.
She basked in the feeling of love she felt for her uncle, and was disappointed a few minutes later when he announced that he had to go, but satisfied when he promised to come back tomorrow.

Rape

She went into their house, and was startled as John, her older brother, grabbed her roughly. “If yer giving it away, I want some,” he said as he forced her down to the floor, pulled her dress up, and she felt something poke her painfully between her legs.
She screamed, and then felt her father yank her brother off her, and slam him to the floor.
“You've ruined her!” her father yelled, “No decent man will ever have her now!” He threw her brother out of the house. Her father went outside to yell some more. Their voices moved away as John retreated.
Her mother brought some clean rags and wiped the blood off. Then she helped Mary to her bed and went downstairs to the kitchen.
Mary slept until her mother brought her a plate of food. “Honey, you just rest,” her mother advised.
The rest of her night was spent in fitful sleep leading to deep sleep only near morning. She slept late, rising after the rest of the family was about their business, including her mother, who was cooking alone in the kitchen.
Her mother had baked a cake. She gave Mary a slice topped with strawberries and handed her a cup of milk. Both were quiet until Mary finished.
It was evident that her mother had decided it was time to provide some guidance to Mary. “What happened was your own fault,” she began. “Richard is harmless, but the way you traipse around with him gave John the wrong idea. You have to learn how to behave yourself around men.”
Mary knew better than to talk back to her mother, who continued to speak for several minutes. As she took the criticism, she seethed inwardly and a sort of plan formed in her mind.
When her mother finished, Mary excused herself and went out to the clothesline to retrieve her other dress. She headed out of the hollow to the main road, where she paused. To the left was Johnson City, but her uncle might be there. Mary was angry enough to want to never see another human being. To the right, the road was uphill, toward the mountains. She was an outdoors girl, comfortable in the woods. She turned to the right and started to climb.
Mary made good time, following the road, but headed for cover every time she heard a car approach. It was the season for berries and she was able to find plenty, enough to keep from being hungry.
Each night, she made herself a nest in the laurel thicket, peed nearby to ward off varmints, and slept soundly. The nights were warm enough that she needed no fire or cover.
Mary was used to clean clothes so she took advantage of the many small streams both to slake her thirst and wash her spare dress. While it dried on a bush, she foraged for food, looked at rocks, and enjoyed life.
She kept traveling. She knew there were caves in these woods. If she found one, she just might live there with no human contact. She imagined building a fire, using flint rocks and tinder, to keep warm in the winter. When the berries were gone, she could set snares for rabbits and squirrels and cook them with her imaginary fire. Their skins could be used for bedding or even clothing. Who needs people, I will be a wild girl, she thought. If I had only taken a knife or one of my father's lines with treble hooks, it would have made living in the woods so much easier. She looked as she continued on but she could not see any caves or anything that she could take into a settlement to trade for the knife or hooks.
She did not want any contact with people. When she came to a house or store, she headed into the woods to bypass it, but otherwise, kept following the road as it was easier to travel on.
Eventually, there was a settlement she could not avoid. A broad river to her right, and steep hills on her left, forced her to stay on the road. Having no choice, Mary kept her head down and walked quickly ahead. Her appearance was ordinary enough for the townsfolk to mark her as a local farm girl, of little interest to them. Mary continued on with renewed confidence and made no attempt to avoid walking through the next towns.

Asheville

Mary had been walking for more than a month. She had not bothered to keep track but it had to have been at least that long.
Gradually, automobile traffic increased to a steady flow, and the roadway became paved. Houses were close together and interspersed with stores. There was no place to rest, and she was getting tired, not just for the day's journey but of living in the woods.
It began to dawn on Mary that she had no plan. It was exciting to find herself in the town, but she did not know where to go, what to do, or how to survive.