Schleitz Farm

[wilhemiaschleitz]

Neither had spoken to each other when they arrived back home. Odis went about taking care of the horse and wagon, while Willa simply made her way inside. She saw to the hearth to warm up the cool interior of the small house. She stared for a long moment at the banked coals and before adding the tender then smaller bits of wood to bring the fire back to life. She would have dealt with the coarse words.. but it was that look of disappointment that made her feel so incredibly small. The sigh was blown out as she stood up and removed the wool cloak from her shoulders and hung it on a peg. The glance to the door was given before she trudged off to bed.

Odis stripped down the tact and gear from the horse, a simple mundane task, before leading the draft horse back to its stall. He thought over the events of the evening and while he had the moments alone he boiled on the inside. He wasn't so blind as to not see the expressions on the faces of some of those people. The pity for Willa to have to deal with a man of such a strict temper. But damnit, he knew what people were capable of. He didn't want his daughter to end up in a mess.

The thick hand passed over the short hair receeding hair as he looked to the horse that was staring at him. " You think I did wrong too? " He question the horse , who.. obviously didn't answer. The man shook his head, he would make it up to her, somehow. The shake of his head was given as he made his way back towards the house. The flickering of the candle light up within her room told him she had always sought her bed. Which was likely all for the best as he stepped inside. It wasn't easy, raising the girl, with the best of intensions in mind. And while some of the village not far off had commented.. yes she should have been married off and dealing with her own family by now.. he wasn't about to use her as some pawn, nor allow her to marry some plowboy that could offer her no more of a future then what she had here.

He seated himself at the hearth, heart wary and troubled. There were times the army didn't look so very bad. After a glass of whiskey, he too made his way to bed. But not before checking on her. The door opened just enough to allow him to peer inside. And there lay that pretty little girl. No, beautiful young woman.. he had to constantly remind him. Regardless his eyes and heart still saw the braided little girl with deep dimples and fresh eyes. He wanted to keep her that way. Safe, innocent.. allowed to look at life without so much as a moments regret. Willa had changed into her night dress and curled up beneath the blankets, letting the soft glow of the tallow candle slowly burn down. If she heard his whisper goodnight, she made not a movement , which was all for the good.. what would he have to say to her?

The following morning was met with the awkward silence as Willa moved about the small kitchen , having collected a few eggs from the chickens and pulled a bit of the bacon stock from the larder. Odis said nothing as he seated himself and quickly ate, before heading out to milk the heifers. The cup of hot tea was sipped at as he regarded her a moment.
" I'll be needing help in the barn today. " He commented as the girl merely nodded and pushed the food around on her plate. Odis wasn't sure he deserved the silence, but couldn't very well command her to speak with him. The sigh escaped him as he gave a little nod and pushed himself up. " When your done here" And with that he caught ahold of the heavy wool coat, then set off for the sanctuary which was his barn. The cows had already begun to gather , lowing with the need to be milked as he moved the first into place and seated himself on the low stool. Muttering all the while his hands set to work.

< to be continued>>

[wilhemiaschleitz]

Willa could only see the whole injustice in it all, she was left muttering and cleaning up after her father closed the door. She lagged along as long as she dared before tugging on her own heavy coat and heading out the door. The booted feet tromped through the mud as she made her way to the barn. The lulling of the cows heavy with milk didn't seem to do much but irate her even further.

While her father worked in one stall she lead one of the other heifers into another. The pail and stool taken with her as she patted the old marm on the flanks before settling herself into the task. The silence seemed a bit heavier with the only sounds coming from the cows and the milking. Both wanting to talk about it, but neither willing to be the one that brought it up. Such went the morning hours as soon the eleven cows were milked and the processes going into cleaning up that, and preparing the milk. There was cream to take off the tops.. and so forth.

Odis released the last of the cows to the field as he walked back in to barn and sighed. " I'm not a monster Willa. " He stated finally as he moved to clean his hands. The young woman looked up at him and said nothing as she only nodded. Not wanting to look at him. Being as stubborn as a woman could be as he worked to stifle that growl.

" I don't know how much you saw when we lived in Rome.. but ... " He faltered as he attempted to explain himself. All the while questioning why he was explaining himself. And , Heaven he wished Brittany were still alive to help him in this. Not the first time in six years either as he closed his eyes and reigned in the temper as the lass cast him a flat stare.

" You don't know what men are capable of. " He stated firmly as she rolled her eyes, he might just throttle her!

Oh she knew that look, that gotten under his skin deep enough for him to roll his shoulders. She picked up the last of the pails to set to cleaning it as well as she spoke.. finally.
" Ya was wrong Da.. I wanna doin nothin wrong.. I was tryin ta find out whut we can. .that the heads o' that village ain't been able ta find out. " She stated as she went on with scrubbing the pail. The man gave her a confused look as she huffed and scrubbed a bit harder. Were all father's so dense?

" I took da cheese ta the kitchens.. an gots an agreement outta the Cook dere fer sellin our cheese ta the castle.. Like I tol' ya I would.. I also asked one of them Ladies abouts whut rumors we be hearin. " She explained softly as she rinsed it and set it aside to dry. The young woman turned to look at him. " I asked her about the war folks be whisperin about. I figured iffin anybudy knowed.. be those that live up in that castle. "

" You should not have asked, Willa that is men's talk and has nothing to do with you.. " He began as she turned and looked at him. The indignant fury all but exploded in the pretty blue eyes.
" Nothin ta does with me? Whut.. I dun't live.. breath.. Fer all that I do here.. ya'd think I has a right ta knowed just as much as yerself er any of the men that lives about here. " She spoke up heatedly as she braced her hands onto her hips.

" That isn't what I meant. I do not want you clouding your mind with rumors of war . Thats my place to worry over that. " He stated firmly.

" An whut.. I'm supposed ta acts like I dun't see the worried look on the womenfolks faces.. that all that ya men be talkina bout dun't affect us? Who the hells thinks takes cares o' things while ya'll off killin each other off? The cows dun't milk themselves, land doesn't get plowed but its own hand.. an "

" You will mind your tongue young lady.. " He warned her in the dark tone of his.

" I am mindin my tongue.. an it be rightly tired o' bein bit. " She countered as Odis rolled his shoulder once more. " I ain't a baby naw more Da. Ya seems ta think that all that fightin ya did in Rome.. didna effects us , me and Momma.. but it did. Ya think the whole household seemed ta disappear cause ya wasn't about ta takes care o' it? An who ya think tooks cares o' it when Momma got sick? " She blurted out once more. Though even in this she knew she had gone too far. Bringing up her Mother. The pain flickered across Odis' face, instantly she wished she could have just taken those words back.

" I know. " He stated quietly and took a step back. He hadn't been there when his beloved Brittany fell ill. He hadn't been there to hold her while the life passed from this to the heavens beyond. He had been standing in mud , killing men all in the name of the Roman Empire. He didn't need to be reminded.

"Da I.. " She tried to apologize, but this time it was his turn to offer the silence treatment and to retreat from the conversation. The young woman stood there and watched the middle aged man seek his solace in tending to the rest of the herd. She thought to follow him out, but it was best to let things just settle before either of them hurt each other even more. She had her chores to finish.. and dinner to make sure was ready when , and if he came back to eat it.

There were still so many things that Willa had never told him about his time away from their home, while she was growing up. By the expresson that seared its way onto the man's face. She would likely take most of that to the grave with her when she grew old. Secrets were a sin.. or so she had been told. But there were some that were well worth the price she'd pay at Heaven's gate.