CHAPTER 9
They say that time flies. That may be true for some people in some circumstances, but it wasn’t to be for Cinda and me. Time dragged over the next two days. At times I thought the clock was moving backwards. We spent every second together which was some consolation and we made love at least twice every single day. We tried new things, even going fishing in one of Grandma’s boats. I had a much better time in the Gulf than I did the last time. I knew that Cinda had the same thoughts when she gave me a brief kiss and ran her finger along my scar. My hair was almost an inch long now.
Finally, our day was here. Grandma insisted on taking us out for breakfast before driving to the little white church. “Wait here for Pastor Robbins, Ty,” Monroe commented, his suit hugging his muscular body. “He wants you to walk Momma and your grandmother up the aisle to the first row. Then Juanita will go and I’ll follow with Cinda.” I took a deep breath. I was nervous, but I wasn’t. Does that make any sense?
Finally, Pastor Robbins entered, taking his time and shaking hands as he went. “I have the finest, most wonderful responsibility this morning. I can tell by the size of the congregation that all of you know what is on tap. I know that many of you should be in school. Oh, well—it’s a good reason to miss. I know you’ll be back Monday.” He raised his hand; Grandma took my left elbow and Momma took my right. Slowly we walked up the aisle. I was amazed at how many people were in the church. I recognized many of my friends from the park on the way forward. I released Grandma; she hugged me and kissed my cheek before entering the front row pew to my left. Momma did the same, joining Grandma on the bench.
I stood erect to Pastor Robbins’ left and turned to await Juanita and my bride. Pastor rested his hand on my shoulder. I watched Juanita come up the aisle to stand off to my right, exactly in front of Momma. Finally, Monroe led Cinda up the center of the aisle. I could see how beautiful Juanita was, but she was nothing compared to my bride-to-be. Monroe kissed Cinda’s cheek and handed her to me before moving off to my side. Holding Cinda’s hand tightly we turned to face Rev. Robbins.
“Brothers and sisters, we are here this morning to witness the joining of two of the finest young people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. I’ve known Cinda ever since she was a tiny baby. I remember rocking her on my knee. We met when Ty had to leave, returning with his mother to Indiana. I recall telling her that she’d get over Ty. Care to guess what she told me? ‘He’ll be back. Pastor; Ty will come back for me.’
“This is the time when I usually speak about the importance of commitment, but not today. I met with Cinda when Ty had to leave last year. ‘He’ll be back for me,’ was the first thing she said. I know that neither of these two dated or expressed any interest in anyone else since they first met even though Ty was almost a thousand miles away. How often did you talk to each other, Ty?”
“Every single day, Pastor.”
“I thought so and right now I believe everyone is thinking I should stop speaking and get the show on the road.” I glanced at Cinda and could see that she agreed. We listened to a few passages from the Bible before we got down to the nitty-gritty. I agreed to love, cherish, and honor Cinda and said ‘I do’ then Cinda did the same. Monroe produced the rings; a minute later it was done—husband and wife forever.
We retired to the pew next to Momma holding hands. Truthfully, the entire thing was a huge blur. Finally, I knew it was over when Pastor Robbins surprised us. “My good friend Emma Walker would like to invite everyone present to her home this afternoon to help celebrate the union of her only grandson to our Cinda. Anything you’d like to add, Emma?”
“Thank you, Ralph; as you said I only have the one grandson, but today I received a special granddaughter, as well. I do hope you will all join us.”
Grandma sat as Pastor continued to speak. “You can see that Emma and I know each other well. While her husband was spouting racist nonsense Emma was helping me behind his back at every turn. I always knew where to go whenever I needed money to help one of our families and Emma never once turned her back.” He finished with a blessing and led us out into the bright autumn day. We thanked everyone for coming and were soon back in my rental for the brief ride to Grandma’s.
I was amazed to find a horde of caterers running back and forth from trucks to the back yard. Cases and cases of soda and beer filled hand trucks. Tents and canopies covered flaming charcoal grills. I turned around to Grandma in the back seat in awe. “How often do you think I’ll have an opportunity like this, Ty? I certainly couldn’t do it while your grandfather was alive. I suggest you change your clothes and relax. We’re all going to have a great time, right Joanna?” That was the first time I’d ever heard Cinda’s mom called anything other than “Momma.”
Cinda and I rushed to my—our—room, changing hurriedly, me into a golf shirt and shorts, Cinda into a tight sleeveless blouse and short shorts; the temperature was in the low eighties—a perfect day. “You aren’t going to wear that in public, are you?”
“Of course! I want all those other guys to be jealous of you. They might look, but only you can touch.”
I pulled her to me to whisper, “I can’t wait to touch you.”
“Me neither, you know how much I love that…almost as much as I love touching you.” She kissed me and led me outside. Momma was seated under a big canopy. The jacket to her suit was thrown over the back of her chair. Grandma had changed and led us around the yard. “Ribs over here, steak over there, and in this tent are all the seafood. Boiled shrimp and raw oysters to start; later we’ll have some crawfish, too.” I almost choked, but Cinda told me, “I want you to try one, okay? They’re really big here in Louisiana. I like mine with plenty of hot sauce.”
“That’s how I like you,” I whispered, but Grandma heard me anyway. She laughed and then she hugged Cinda, whispering softly into her ear. Cinda grinned and led me away. “What?”
“You’ll find out…later when we touch each other. Sorry, but you’ll have to wait.” She kissed me and we walked to a shady area under a big old tree. I left her for a moment to get us some ice cold Cokes. I was back only a few minutes when Monroe, Juanita, and some of our school and park friends began to arrive. They sat around us and we talked. They all wanted to know when we were leaving.
Cinda excused herself about a half hour later, returning with a big plate full of boiled shrimp—one of my favorites—and another covered with what looked like some red spiders. All the kids laughed when I called them that. “Would I let you eat a spider?”
“I hope not!” Even Cinda laughed at that. She pulled the tail from the body and held it up for me. “Am I supposed to eat the shell?”
“No, silly…just push it here and the meat will come out.”
I took one look and picked up a shrimp, ran it through some cocktail sauce and popped it into my mouth. Cinda shook her head in mock frustration and ate the crawfish herself. “Delicious.”
I gave her a quick kiss. “I agree…you are absolutely delicious.” She laughed again and pulled me in for a long deep kiss.
Monroe was the first to speak, “You know the best thing about this, Ty? I won’t have to threaten to bash anybody any more. That’ll be your job from now on. Cinda told me you took on four muggers once. Was that true?” I reluctantly nodded. I hated bragging.
The party went on and on and, finally, just before ten the catering company began to clean up. Everybody took their last ribs or shrimp or—yes, even crawfish—and drink, soda for us kids or beer or sour mash for the adults. Grandma stood and walked around, thanking everyone for coming to celebrate her new granddaughter. The party began to thin out and by eleven everyone had gone, Monroe and Juanita being among the last. “Any idea when you’re going to head north, Ty?”
“Tomorrow morning; we want to find a place to live on Friday.”
“What’s your hometown like, Ty,” Juanita asked.
I gave the matter a little thought. “From what I’m told the entire area used to be farms, but about twenty years ago farmers began to sell out and big upscale housing was built. The whole area grew like crazy. My grandfather was one of the farmers, but he didn’t sell. My parents still live on the farm, but my dad has a regular job. He hires two men to do all the farm work which I guess makes him what’s known as a ‘gentleman farmer.’ Schools there are a top priority. The high school is only three years old and the facilities are fantastic. The library is huge. So are the gym and pool.”
“You have a pool…right there in the school?”
“Yeah, remember that we’re in Middle America. There are some lakes and streams, but it gets cold early. You can only swim outside from June to September unless you’re a real masochist, although it’s been really hot all Fall. Anyway, the school is really modern; it has everything.”
“What about black kids?”
“Not many, but more than you might think; there are a bit over 1,300 students and maybe seventy or eighty black kids. I know most of them; their parents work at one of the universities or in hospitals as doctors and nurses. It’s not that much different than it is here other than no gators, no hurricanes, and less humidity. On the other hand we do have the occasional tornado, but everyone has a basement shelter, even the school. Sorry, but I’m beat; I need to get to bed.” I wasn’t trying to be funny, but everyone laughed, even me once I realized the implications. They finally took the hint and left; Cinda and I retired to our room.
Cinda put her hands to my chest. Slowly she pulled my shirt from my body. Dropping it to the floor her hands moved to my belt. My shorts and boxers joined my shirt seconds later then she knelt to remove my sandals. Now I returned the favor to her. We stood there unmoving, naked as husband and wife for the first time. “Happy,” I asked.
“More than I could ever tell you. We’ve waited a long time for this, Ty. I would have waited forever, but I’m glad I didn’t have to.”
“I look at you and wonder how I ever got to be so lucky. You’re smart and beautiful, too and you’re incredibly sexy.”
“You forgot the most important thing—I’m in love with you. C’mon, let’s get clean so we can get dirty again.” She pulled me to the shower. She tried to wash me, but I kept pulling her into a close embrace, kissing her cheek and neck and suckling her breast. Eventually she gave up, dropped the soap into the holder and gripped my head. Cinda kissed me with incredible passion, backing me into the wall.
“I’m obviously not going to wash you tonight so I think maybe I should just make love with you.” She bent over to grip the sides of the bench built into the corner. Turning her head she laughed. “Surely you don’t need directions, do you?” She spread her legs and wiggled her ass as I walked up behind her.
Placing my feet behind hers steadied her as I reached for her hips. My cock found her slit; I rubbed it in a few times before pushing slowly and gently into my love. Leaning forward I whispered even as the hot spray covered our bodies. “You’re unbelievable…incredible…fantastic…oh God!” It was the first time I’d been in her naked and I knew now what I had been missing.
“You can cum in me, Ty. I’m due for my period in another day or two. I’m always regular, but don’t worry…we can still make love every day. I like the way it feels, too. Your skin feels so hot inside me.” I kissed her neck and moved back, both hands on her hips for leverage. Cinda moved against me and there was obviously something I was doing right. It definitely wasn’t her clit; I wasn’t anywhere near it. I wondered if it had something to do with that thing I’d read about—her G-spot.
We moved together and soon she was shaking. I was glad because the sensation of contact with her flesh was doing it to me, too. Leaning over again I brought my fingers to her clit. A rub with the back of my fingernail threw her over the edge. I had to hold her—keep her from falling—even as I exploded into her. Cinda looked over her shoulder. Her expression told of love and lust, of desire and need. My shrinking cock slipped from her as I turned her body and slipped my arm under her legs. I turned the water off as I carried my love out to the bathroom. Setting her carefully on a stool I reached for a towel to carefully dry my love—my wife.
“You were incredible, Mrs. Feldner.”
“That’s right—I have a new name, don’t I?” She smiled up at me still a bit out of it as I dried my body. I carried her to our bed for our first night as man and wife.
CHAPTER 10
We were up early the following morning—Thanksgiving– at five. Grandma was up, too even though we’d told her to sleep in. She made us a good breakfast while I loaded the suitcases into the rental. Saying good-bye to Grandma was harder than I’d thought. “I love you, Grandma—you’re the best.” I hugged and kissed her and stepped aside for Cinda.
“You take care, Granddaughter…you, too Ty.” She stood and waved in the brightening day as I drove away. Driving with Cinda was a lot different than driving alone. We talked about everything—books, music, even about making love. She wanted to know what I liked; that was easy—I liked everything she did with me. I asked her what she liked. “Everything,” she replied with a smile. Then I asked her about our sex in the shower.
“What was I doing differently? It seemed that I was really stimulating you somehow. You began to shake almost immediately. Was that your G-spot?”
“I don’t know what it was, but it was great…even greater than what you usually do which is wonderful. Making love with you is nothing less than wonderful, Ty. I don’t know how it could be better.”
“I love you, too.” I leaned over a bit and Cinda took the hint.
She kissed my cheek. “That’s all for now. You have to keep your eyes on the road.” We made good time, arriving at the airport and returning the car by 7:00. We landed in Indianapolis around 11:00. It was almost 1:00 in the afternoon when I pulled onto the off-ramp to our town. Checking out the traffic to my right I noticed Cinda gripping her thighs so strongly that her knuckles were white. “Nervous?”
“A little…no, a lot; what will happen if your parents don’t like me?”
“That will be their loss. You’ll still be stuck with me.”
“Good!” She leaned over to plant a kiss on my cheek. “How much farther?”
“About three miles or so.” I reached over and took her hand in mine. I drove up the winding two-lane road until I slowed at the long driveway, making the left-hand turn once a big truck had passed. Parking the truck in front of a fence, I turned to see my mother stand from her rocker on the porch. It was one of her favorite places to relax. My dog Fred was already running to me, jumping the low hedge as he raced to the truck.
“Todd! Todd! It’s Ty; he’s come home!”
Opening the door I leaned out to greet Fred. His tail wagged wildly as he pushed his head into my hands. “Think he’s glad to see me?”
Cinda responded with a warm smile. “He won’t bite me, will he?”
“Never,” I replied as I walked around the truck and opened the door for Cinda, taking her left hand in my right. “Fred…protect.” Fred couldn’t do any tricks other than sit and stay and fetch, but he was very protective of my family and I’d trained him to protect us on command. He was a big dog, a black Lab-mix with a white blaze on his chest, weighing more than ninety pounds. He nuzzled Cinda’s hand as she bent over to pet him and rub his ears. She smiled as Fred’s tail wagged yet again.
We walked together toward my mother, Fred trailing closely behind. “Oh…hello Cinda.” We reached Mom just as my father emerged from the barn. He came to stand by Mom as she introduced Cinda. “Todd, this is Cinda…Lucinda Oates, Ty’s girlfriend.”
“Gee, Mom I’ve been here all of thirty seconds and you’ve already made three mistakes. I’m not home; we’re only visiting. Her name isn’t Cinda Oates; it’s Cinda Feldner. She’s not my girlfriend; she’s my wife. We were married in her church yesterday morning. Ask Grandma; she was there.” I held my left hand and Cinda’s to show our rings. The validated Marriage Certificate would be sent in another week or so.
“Why didn’t you tell us, Ty?”
“Let’s be honest, Dad—you would have flown down there and spent the entire time trying to talk me out of it. How long have I been telling you that I was in love with Cinda—almost six months for you, Mom and ever since I returned for you, Dad. You heard me—you’d have to be deaf not to, but you never listened.”
I saw Dad look at Mom and she nodded. “You’re right, Ty. We should have been more considerate. You did tell us almost every day and we should know what kind of person you are. You’re not the kind to make rash decisions. I know I speak for your mother, too—we’re both very sorry.”
“Um, Cinda dear–would you come with me for a minute or so? I’d like to show you something.” Mom took Cinda’s hand and led her off to the barn.
They had just disappeared when Dad spoke again. I was petting Fred’s throat. “I can understand why you’re smitten, Ty. She is a very beautiful young woman.”
“Yes, she is, Dad, but that’s not why I fell in love with her.” I went on to tell the story of how we had met and, as I did, I could see Dad understand. “She is beautiful, but probably ninety percent of her beauty is inside her. She’s a totally selfless person. We stayed the last five days with Grandma; she really loves her, too. You’ll see once you get to know her.”
I heard her then, “Oh, I love it; it’s great.” She appeared in the window waving at me. “Ty, come up. You need to see this!”
“C’mon, Ty; I’ll show you what your mother and I have been up to.” I walked with Dad into the barn and up the stairs to the loft. I recalled playing up here in the hay on many occasions. Now it had all changed. The bare walls now had sheetrock over them, rising roughly six feet until they met the sloping roof. The sagging worn floor had been covered with heavy-duty plywood and that with hardwood flooring. There were some extra windows—two in the rear and one on each side. A partition in the rear set off a future bathroom, the roughed-in plumbing jutting from the wall. There was a small kitchen off to one side and a bed on the other—it was a nicely-sized studio apartment. I recognized a lot of the furniture I’d grown up with.
“We bought all new furniture for the house and we thought we’d make a small apartment that we could rent up here. We don’t really need the money, but we figured we’d use it for a future vacation.”
“What your father is trying to say is we’d like for you and Cinda to rent it. You’d have complete privacy here. Cinda has told me she can’t cook so I’ll throw in meals—dinner, at least. I think a seven hundred and fifty a month is more than fair.”
Well, this was a surprise, but not one we’d accept. “We appreciate the offer, Mom, it’s going to be a beautiful apartment, but the answer has to be no. If there’s anything we’ve agreed on it’s our need to be independent. That’s the only way we’ll grow—individually and together. If we live here it’ll be just like my moving back home. Mr. Shulman has made arrangements for us to stay at the Maple Tree Inn until we can find an apartment or house. We’ll see him first thing tomorrow morning. I’m establishing an S-corporation to handle any legal matters like renting a house. He’ll be the treasurer so he can pay bills like rent, electric, cable and water.
“This doesn’t mean that we don’t want to see you or spend time with you. We just want to go our own way.”
“Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Feldner—I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”
“I guess we don’t have any choice, but Cinda I can’t have you calling me Mrs. Feldner—that just won’t do. Think you can call me Mom? I know you call your own mother Momma. Is that okay?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Think you could call me Dad?”
“I never had a father. Yes, I’d love to.”
“Well, Todd I think we should celebrate. Our son is a grown up man with a beautiful and intelligent wife. Let’s go to the Capitol Grille for dinner.” She pulled out her cell and called to see if we could get a reservation. We could, but only at 8:30. Cinda and I agreed, driving first to the Maple Tree Inn to check in and shower. We had returned by five, Fred greeting us with the same enthusiasm. Leaving the farm at 7:30 insured we’d arrive in plenty of time.
We entered and were seated only a minute or two when we ordered drinks—Margaritas for Mom and Dad, iced teas for Cinda and me. Cinda had just glanced at the menu when she leaned over to whisper, “This place is really expensive.”
Mom laughed. “Yes it is, Cinda, but we’re celebrating. It isn’t every day we get a wonderful daughter-in-law. We had a lot to be thankful for.”
“Right,” Dad chimed in, “just ignore the prices and order whatever you want.”
“My family never had much money. McDonalds was a treat for us.”
“Money is only good for two things—spending it now and saving it for your old age,” Dad continued. “It doesn’t make a person better or smarter. Your father, Martha, certainly proved that. You, Cinda, are probably a hundred times the person he was. Sometimes not having money makes a person stronger. It’s only within the past few years that we’ve had any. We can remember many times we struggled from paycheck to paycheck.”
“Dad, did Mom tell you what Grandpa’s last words were? After damning me to hell several times he told me ‘you’re even worse than your father.’”
Dad laughed and laughed. “He was right, Ty. There were only two people who ever stood up to him and they’re both seated at this table.”
“I only wish, Dad that you and Mom had told me what was going on.”
“Your mother told me that you heard us arguing. It was really more of a debate first whether you should go and, second, whether to tell you. We finally decided not to. You’re many things, Ty, but I doubt you’ll ever be much of a poker player. Your emotions show too clearly on your face. If you knew about your grandfather you probably would have killed him the first time you saw him. I know it was hard, but we did it for your protection. Obviously, we had no idea he’d try to kill you.”
I sat silently for several minutes, but I had the answer almost immediately. “You’re right, Dad. I’m sorry for misjudging you.” Cinda reached out for my arm; her touch was comforting. Our waiter came and took our order. Cinda was still unsure so she ordered everything I did—lettuce wedge with bleu cheese dressing, onion soup, and filet, medium rare. We agreed to split an order of mashed potatoes. She was in for a treat. The food was great here.
We had a wonderful meal and a better time as Mom and Dad got to know Cinda . I was pretty much full, but suggested that we share a cheesecake for dessert. This was a night of firsts for Cinda—First bleu cheese dressing, first onion soup, first filet, first cheesecake. We returned to my parents’ house around 10:30, stayed for a while and left at eleven. It had been a long day.
We were almost to the Inn when I told Cinda, “I’d like to have Fred with us. He’s my dog and there will be times when you’ll be home alone. I’ll feel better knowing that you have Fred for protection.”
“Would he really protect me, Ty? He barely knows me.”
“He will, don’t worry. Dogs can’t think the way people do, but he already knows that I think you’re special. He’ll take cues from me. I’m sure you know that dogs are pack animals. You’re the alpha female. He’ll give his life for you.”
“Well, I hope that never happens.”
“So do I obviously, but in never hurts to be prepared. Okay, Mrs. Feldner—we’re here.” I helped Cinda out of the truck then we unpacked our suitcases. We were in the tiny shower five minutes later and naked in bed ten after that. I tried to call Kenny, but he was probably busy trying to fuck his hot girlfriend. I left a voice mail telling him I was back in town and that I’d see him at church. “Bring Mandy. I want you both to meet Cinda—my wife. We’ll take you out to lunch after.”
“So how was your day?”
“It was wonderful, Ty. I like your parents and I think they like me, too. I even like Fred.”
“I can tell you—they all like you. In time they’ll love you almost as much as I do. Nobody could love you as much as I do.” Cinda leaned in to kiss me then climbed over my body to straddle my head even as her lips touched my cock. It twitched in response. Her hands found my balls to massage and caress them as she licked and kissed my organ.
I didn’t need any encouragement. I loved Cinda’s taste; I’d eat this yummy juicy pussy any time. My lips grazed her labia for a gentle soft kiss. She moaned into my cock. Cinda always knew what buttons to push for me, but I knew hers just as well. Pulling back just a bit I blew on her knowing how hot this always made her. “Ohhhh, Ty!”
“Never fear, baby—you know I’ll always take good care of you.” I blew some more and when I knew she couldn’t take any more my tongue plunged into her tunnel. I tongue fucked her for several minutes, even as she attacked my cock with energy and love. I could feel her getting to me—I had to act now or it would be too late. Shifting my energies to her clit I licked and sucked, pulling it between my teeth. I came into her mouth as she shook wildly on me. Eventually, as always, our orgasms ebbed and we lay together sated. I lifted my wonderful wife, laying her head gently on my shoulder as I covered us and we fell into a blissful sleep.
CHAPTER 11
We were a bit early for our meeting with Mr. Shulman, the attorney who had helped me manage my affaiirs. He asked us what kind of rental we wanted. “I think we’d prefer a house, preferably with a fenced yard because we’d like to have my dog, sir.” He arranged for us to meet with a realtor later that morning. She showed us a small three-bedroom home in a fairly new development. It was empty so we’d have to buy furniture, but that was okay with us. I still had more than sixty thousand in my account and even more in CD’s.
We saw four other houses, but that was the best in our opinion. The rent was reasonable at nine hundred a month. Mr. Shulman rented it on our behalf. We went out for lunch and then to the high school in the hope of registering Cinda.
“Well, hello Ty what a pleasure to see you.” It was Mrs. Roscoe, the principal’s secretary, a woman who’d always been extremely kind. “What a mess this place has been. I only hope they’ll be done before Monday. What brings you here in the middle of the break? Surely you have better things to do than visit us?”
“I do; I brought you a new student.” I pulled Cinda up to the counter as Mrs. Roscoe found the proper forms.
“Name?”
“Lucinda…Feldner.”
“Oh…are you related to Ty?”
“Yes, Ma’am…but only by marriage.” I laughed as Mrs. Roscoe did a double take that would rival the best Hollywood performance.
“That’s right, Cinda is my wife. Here are her school records from Louisiana.”
She checked them for a few minutes. “Oh my, you’re as good a student as Ty.”
“I doubt it,” Cinda said with a smile, “but I do try.” We waited while she made copies and told us to see one of the counselors first thing Monday morning. We left hand in hand as I showed her the school. All the classrooms were open as the custodians, maintenance staff, and people from the insurance company cleaned everything from top to bottom. Cinda was impressed by the labs and the library, but she found the pool and, finally, the gym incredible.
“I can’t believe this is so big, Ty. How many people can fit in these stands?”
“Almost 5,000–more than the entire population of the town–but remember that this is Indiana where basketball is king. These stands are filled for every home game.”
She looked around for a while then ran to the far wall where my photo was hung. “That’s you, Ty!”
“Yeah, but it’s no big deal. Anyone who makes All-State gets their photo up there. I’d be happier if we’d actually won the state championship.” We wandered around for another fifteen minutes before leaving for our final two errands of the day, driving to the bank where I made Cinda co-signatory on the account and provided her with a debit/ATM card. We finished by picking up a Driver’s Manual at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles then phoned Mom on the way back to the
Maple Tree Inn to let her know that we’d rented a house. She responded by inviting us for dinner.
We prepared to move in the following morning, first buying a queen-sized air bed, sheets, blankets and pillows. We checked out of the Maple Tree, transporting everything to the house. Mom joined us that afternoon as we shopped for a bedroom set. We found a store in Indianapolis that bragged about having everything in stock. We also bought a leather sofa, and two contrasting chairs along with some end tables, arranging for delivery on Tuesday afternoon. Next was a lighting store where we bought four lamps—two for our living room and two for the bedroom. We finished up at Office Depot for two desks and chairs I’d have to put together. We were home by five, turning down Mom’s invitation for dinner. We went to IHOP for waffles and then to Home Depot to buy some tools and a new gas grill, a Weber like the one my parents had. I used my cell to call the school hotline. It would open on Wednesday morning. Our Tuesday afternoon game was postponed.
Sunday morning Cinda and I stood patiently outside the church. Mom and Dad had already arrived and hugged the two of us before strolling in. They knew I was waiting for Kenny; he was always late. I heard rather than saw him as he walked up behind us. “Geez, how’d an ugly coot like you ever convince a beauty like this to marry you? Hi, you’re obviously Cinda; I’m Kenny. I’d recognize you anywhere. Ty talked about you every day.” He walked up to Cinda and hugged her.
“Hi, I’m Mandy.” She also hugged Cinda. We would have continued to talk, but it was time to go in. We met again outside and Mom and Dad joined us.
“Any plans for this afternoon, Ty? I think it will be warm enough.” I shook my head so Mom continued, “Why don’t the four of you go out to the lake?”
“That’s a great idea, Mom. Cinda, my folks have a little cabin on Lake Lemon near the state forest. It’s really out in the country, but it’s nice, too. Is there a blanket we can use in the cabin?”
“No, but stop by and I’ll give you one and some towels, too. Why don’t you take Fred? You know how much he loves the lake.” I asked Kenny and Mandy and they agreed to join us. They could meet us at the farm in about an hour. Mom agreed to make some sandwiches and we were all set.
We had loaded the truck when I called Fred. He scrambled into the back and Cinda volunteered to sit next to him. Mandy joined her so Kenny who was clearly the biggest of the group could sit in the front. Kenny and I had been best friends ever since we’d played ball together in fourth grade. He was better than me then mostly because he was bigger and stronger. He was still bigger and stronger than I was, but I’d passed him due to my skills, quickness, defense, and jumping ability. He was 6’4” tall while I was only 6’2”. I could dunk easily while he couldn’t. Kenny was an excellent rebounder mostly because of his bulk and strength.
The trip took us just over a half hour. It was a load of fun mostly because of Fred and Cinda. Like most dogs Fred likes his head out the window, but we weren’t five minutes away when he forced his head under Cinda’s arm. Once there he returned to the window so Cinda put her arm back where it was originally on her lap. Fred pushed his head under her arm again. Back and forth they went at least five times as Kenny and I howled. “Careful, Cinda he’s even more persistent than I am.” She finally gave up, draping her arm over Fred’s body and rubbing his ears.
Fred bounded from the truck as soon as I opened the door. Cinda followed as I helped her down. The cabin was anything but impressive–a single room with a tiny kitchen, an old table with four chairs, and a beat-up couch on the inside. There was a covered porch with some wooden Adirondack chairs running the length of the front and a small set of steps next to an outdoor shower in back. I unlocked the door and stepped inside, almost tripping over Fred. Kenny held the door for Cinda and Mandy while I found the fuse box. I switched on the electricity for the pump and water heater.
“Uh…Ty, where’s the bathroom?”
Kenny and Mandy laughed; they’d been here before. “Take a look out the back window; there’s an outhouse about thirty feet away. We only use this for day trips. The previous owner lived here, but God only knows how. Let’s get everything unloaded and go down to the lake. It’s a beautiful day. It’d be a shame to waste it.” Kenny carried the cooler while I took the blanket and towels. Cinda carried Fred’s bowl and a gallon of water; Mandy had some sunscreen and an old portable radio I always used when I came here. I’d bought it at Goodwill when I was in middle school.
We spread the blanket on the grass then I filled Fred’s bowl. The lake water was clean, but could still hold parasites or bacteria—why take a chance? We relaxed while Cinda opened the cooler and passed out the sandwiches and Cokes. We were eating and chatting when Fred came and laid his head in Cinda’s lap. “I think you’ve made an impression. I’m not the only one who loves you.” Cinda leaned over to kiss me, smearing mayonnaise over my cheek and lips. She cleaned it off with her tongue. I could only shake my head as Kenny laughed. Once we were done Cinda and Mandy cleaned up while I took Fred for a short walk.
Cinda was bent over a trash bag when Mandy asked quietly, “Can I speak with you, Cinda…privately?”
“Of course, let’s take this stuff up to the truck.”
They were almost half-way there when Mandy spoke again. “Um…this is so embarrassing. Do you know anything about, you know…oral sex?”
“Sure, we do it all the time. Well, not ALL the time, but often.”
“Kenny wants me to do it and I do, but I’m…did you ever, you know?”
“You mean…swallow?” She continued after Mandy nodded. “I’ve always swallowed. Ty never asked me to, but I thought it was something I wanted to do for him.”
“What does it…?”
“It’s kind of salty, but otherwise it’s okay. Are you afraid to do it?”
“Kind of; can I ask you another question? It’s kind of personal.”
“Sure…go ahead.”
“Does Ty ever…?”
“Does he ever do it to me? Yes, and I love it. You should see his face. My juice is all over it. He loves it as much as I do. Why do you ask?”
“Kenny doesn’t. Sometimes I feel that I’m the only one giving.”
“What about sex?”
“Not yet; I like Kenny a lot, but I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“My only advise is—don’t allow yourself to be pressured into doing something you’re not ready for. You’ll know when you’re ready.” Cinda dumped the bag into the truck bed and they began the walk back.
“Thanks, Cinda I feel a lot better. I hope we’ll be good friends.”
Cinda hugged her, telling her, “I’m sure we will be.”
I saw the women walking down the hill; so did Fred. He ran to Cinda, wagging his tail as he nipped at her shoes. He wasn’t trying to bite her; he was playing. Mandy and Cinda laughed and laughed. I was glad they were getting along so well.
“Can we go for a swim,” Cinda asked.
“We can, but you’re going to think the water’s cold. Remember—we’re not in Louisiana.”
“All the same I think I’ll give it a try.” Cinda pulled her top over her head and pushed her shorts down to her ankles. Even I gasped at my wife’s beauty. Her bikini was bright yellow and it hugged her magnificent 34C-23-33 body like it was glued in place. I took her hand and we walked to the water’s edge.
“Oooh, it is kind of cold.”
“You know there’s only one way to do this.” I reached down and picked her up. I stepped carefully into deeper water.
“Nooooo, Ty.” Cinda was screaming and laughing at the same time, kicking her legs. I turned around and fell backward, Cinda plunging into the water with me. She came up laughing. “It’s a good thing I’m in love with you or….” She gripped my head, planting a big wet kiss on my lips. Breaking the kiss she commented, “It’s actually not all that bad. It’s just not what I’m used to.” She moved in really close to me and whispered, telling me all about her conversation with Mandy.
We swam out about fifty feet and were treading water when Kenny and Mandy dove in. They joined us a minute later. Mandy, I knew, was an excellent swimmer. She had a slender body with smallish breasts, but like Cinda she was an outstanding person and that’s what was really important. Kenny and I were floating when the women decided to swim in. This was my opportunity to speak with Kenny. “I’ve received an official complaint about you, Kenny.”
“What?”
“Mandy told Cinda that you want her to swallow, but you won’t reciprocate.”
“Geez, Ty can’t you speak ordinary English?”
“You want her to suck your cock, but you won’t eat her pussy.”
“Well…it’s so messy.”
I laughed. “That’s the best part. It shows she’s turned on. Please believe me, Kenny. You have to give to get. I think you know exactly what I mean. I’ll bet you haven’t done it with her.”
“No, damn it—she says she’s not ready. You know I’d never force her.”
“All I can tell you is that Cinda loves it and I’m pretty sure that Mandy will, too. You can’t just go from step one to step ten. There have to be some steps between. Just some friendly advice and keep in mind that Mandy saw fit to tell Cinda of her concerns. Let’s go in; I’m getting cold.” We swam in and Cinda held up a towel for me. She wiped me down, grinning wildly as she ran her hands over my butt.
“Ty enjoys rubbing mine, too.”
We laughed until Kenny said, “I doubt there’s a man alive who wouldn’t. You really are gorgeous, Cinda.”
“Yeah, but I suggest you keep your eyes in your head or on MY butt.”
“I never said yours wasn’t great, Mandy—only that….”
“Kenny,” I said, still laughing, ”quit while you’re ahead. The more you talk the deeper the hole.” Kenny took the hint as I lay on the blanket. Cinda joined me, her head on my shoulder and her leg draped over my thigh. I rubbed her back and caressed her head. Fred walked around in three circles as dogs have for time immemorial and lay down next to Cinda, his head resting on her lower back.
“I understand now why people love their dogs.”
“Yeah, Fred’s just like any other member of the family. Remember what I said about pack animals; it’s in their genetics and has been for thousands of years if not longer.” Cinda pulled me up for a kiss and for that instant everything else vanished. We kissed for several minutes until we heard Kenny, “Get a room!”
“We already have a room, remember? You’re allowed to do this stuff when you’re married.” I turned back to Cinda and we kissed again. Soon Kenny and Mandy joined us. We spent the rest of the afternoon making out until the weather turned cool just before five.
We allowed the women to shower and then to change clothes inside while Kenny and I waited out back. Cinda and Mandy dropped their wet clothes and towels into the rear of the truck while Kenny and I stripped out of our suits and into shorts and tees. I closed up the cabin remembering to turn the electric service off and joined them a few minutes later. Cinda had obviously learned her lesson—she had her arm around Fred all the way home.
We stopped at a McDonalds on the way, buying an extra Big Mac for Fred. I brought out his leash and held him securely while I broke the burger into small pieces and placing it into his bowl. Cinda held him while he ate so I could pour some of the remaining water into his other bowl. We pulled into my parents’ driveway just after 6:30.
Kenny and Mandy took their leave once we had finished unloading everything. Cinda and I had hugged Mom and were getting ready to leave when Fred began to whine. “Go ahead, Ty. I’ll be with you in a minute.” I could hear her talking to Fred and soothing him, telling him we’d see him often and he’d be with us once we found a place to live. We knew he didn’t really understand, but Cinda’s voice and touch had an obvious effect.
Dad had walked up behind me. “I can see you’re right about her, Ty. She is a remarkable young woman.” He held out his hand, but I hugged my dad for the very first time since going to Louisiana. Cinda joined us and she hugged him then we were into the truck and gone.
CHAPTER 12
I spent a good part of that evening and most of Monday morning with Cinda putting everything together. I stopped when we received a phone call from the high school. It was Mrs. Roscoe calling for the principal, Mr. Whittaker. “Ty, Mr. Whittaker would like to see you and Lucinda today. He says it’s important.”
I agreed, saying we’d be there sometime around 11:30. “Something’s not right, Cinda. I can’t understand the reason for this meeting. If he just wanted to meet you he could do that when you came in Wednesday morning for your schedule.” I reached down to my phone, selecting the right app, and sliding it to the center of my abdomen just as I had done with my grandfather.
Mrs. Roscoe escorted us into the office. Mr. Whittaker didn’t stand; I had Cinda sit, but I stood just behind her and off to the side where my phone had an unobstructed view. “I wanted to tell you this so you’d have time to find another school. We won’t be accepting your wife here.”
“May I ask why not?”
“It’s simple enough—we don’t allow married women to attend our school. Sorry, but that’s my final word on the subject.”
“Truthfully, I don’t think you are and I don’t think it is. I suspect you’ll have a lot more to say. Of course, St. Ann’s will be happy to get us.” St. Ann’s was a private school about twenty miles away and our biggest rival. They’d love to get me for their basketball program. Our boosters would scream bloody murder if I went there.
“There’s no reason for you to change schools, Ty…just Mrs. Feldner.”
“Okay, we get the message, but if you think this is a done deal you’re badly mistaken.”
Mr. Whittaker rose from his seat and began to step around the desk. “Are you threatening me?”
“No, but it seems that you’re threatening Cinda and me. Truthfully, I don’t think you have a leg to stand on legally and if you think I’m just going to take your word for it you’re badly mistaken. C’mon Cinda.” We stomped out of the office en route to Dan Shulman’s office.
Dan Shulman had insisted we call him Dan. We saw him often enough that we wouldn’t need an appointment. We walked into his office twenty minutes later. A young boy was playing on the floor. Dan walked in from the other direction a few minutes later. “Hi, Ty…Cinda—this is my son Danny. I’m glad you’re here, Ty. How’d you feel about signing this picture from last year’s tournament? Danny is a big fan.”
I walked over to Danny and knelt, holding out my hand. “Hi, I’m Ty; how are you?” He shook it, but I could see he was awestruck although why someone would be in awe of a high school player was more than I could understand. “Sure, Dan,” I said as I rose to sit at his desk. I thought for a minute before putting pen to the photo. It was one I’d seen before of me dunking over one of the 6’8” giants. “To my friend Danny, good luck in basketball and in life is always the result of hard work and lots of practice. Ty Feldner”
I handed it back to Dan and he nodded, “That’s great advice, Ty. Thanks.” Then I explained why we were there, showing Dan the video from my phone. “I’m not surprised; Harold is an idiot. There’s nothing in either state law or school district policy to justify his position. In fact the State Supreme Court ruled more than forty years ago that married students are entitled to attend school, even up to age twenty-one, just like anyone else. What say I take you and Danny to lunch then go and pay Harold a visit?” That’s exactly what we did, dropping Danny at home before driving to the high school around two o’clock.
Mrs. Roscoe greeted us with a huge smile. There was no love lost between her and her boss. “Go right in Ty…Lucinda. Hello, Dan, nice to see you.”
“Thanks, Lucy…I always look forward to meeting with your boss.”
As pleased as Mrs. Roscoe was to see Dan that’s just how pissed off Principal Whittaker was. He protested about the impact Cinda would have on the morality of the female students and Dan laughed right in his face. He cited the two court cases, commenting that he’d be happy to sue both him and the school district on our behalf if Cinda was the recipient of any discrimination from him or any member of the staff. “It’s about time you retired, isn’t it, Harold? Lucinda here probably has higher morals than ninety-nine percent of your students and she’s a lot smarter, too.” We turned and left; we didn’t bother to shake hands. The message had been delivered. If anything, Mrs. Roscoe had an even bigger smile when we left. I was tempted to give her a high five, but I didn’t want to create trouble. Mr. Whittaker had already proved what a colossal jerk he could be. I just waved and told her thanks. We all laughed once we were outside.
“What a loser. If not for tenure he’d have been fired years ago. In fact, that’s still a definite possibility. I have a few calls to make once we’re back in my office. The Board President is my brother-in-law. I’m sure he’d love to hear about this. He shares my opinion of your principal.”
Cinda and I laughed all the way home. I was sure Mr. Whittaker would rue the day he heard Cinda’s name. I drove home prepared to spend some time organizing our garage. It was yetanother area of the house that still needed attention. However, Cinda had other ideas. “I think I need to destroy your morals, Mr. Feldner.” I laughed again as Cinda took my hand to lead me to the bedroom. I stood there while my wife stripped me to my skin, dropping my clothes to the floor. She pushed me onto the bed then did the most incredible striptease I’d ever seen, dancing in circles and pushing her breasts and ass in my face. Of course, I hadn’t seen any other stripteases, but I had an extremely fervent imagination.
Once naked, Cinda slithered up my body like a snake. I had a feeling she could be deadlier than a cobra, but she’d be a lot more fun, too. She began kissing my cock causing it to throb terribly which only amused my wife more. I watched as each of my balls disappeared into her mouth. “Dear God,” I whispered, “if only Harold could see you now.”
“He’s probably jerking off in his office dreaming about me.”
“I wouldn’t blame him. That’s what I did for almost two months.”
“That’s okay,” Cinda replied with a smile, “I did the same thing dreaming about you.” I pulled her up for a long deep and lingering kiss as our tongues dueled and our faces smeared with spit. Cinda looked down once we had broken the kiss. “Ready to be fucked?”
“Didn’t I tell you not to use that word?”
“Yes, but that’s what I’m in the mood for—raw animal fucking. And…I have a special surprise for you—something I’ve been practicing. “I learned about it from the internet.” She rubbed me into her slit; it was soaked with her nectar. She gripped me first with her fingers then with her pussy. Using her legs she pushed her body up until only the head was in her then sank back down until I bottomed out against her cervix. She had repeated that for about a minute, jerking and turning furiously, when I felt her squeezing me even tighter, something I had thought impossible. Her muscles flexed up and down my cock giving me the most incredible sensations. My eyes rolled back in my head as my cock exploded. Eight times I thrust up; thick ropes of semen gushing into her. I was exhausted.
“What…was…that? What did…you…do?” I was gasping rather than speaking.
“Ever hear of Kegel muscles? They’re in my pussy. By exercising and practicing I’ve been able to learn how to control them. I see you enjoyed my new trick!”
“Thank the internet for me.”
“Speaking of thanks, Mandy told me I should thank you. Kenny did it to her—you know, ate her out– Sunday night then she did it for him, even swallowing. She said it was better than she had thought.”
“Which?”
“Both!”
“Good. Now can we take a nap? I’ll take care of you later.” Cinda stayed on top of me, her head on my chest as we fell asleep quickly.
I took Cinda to the guidance office as soon as the counselors were back to work on Tuesday morning. She had her schedule—identical to mine—in less than an hour. We never heard any concerns about her being married.
Dan Shulman had ordered cable and internet. That was also done on Tuesday morning so Cinda and I shopped for some TV’s. I had them set up by Tuesday evening before we went to bed in preparation for school tomorrow morning.
CHAPTER 13
I drove the first day back, relieved to be back at school at last, and was waiting, leaning against a stone wall by the stairs next to Marty, a classmate I’d known since first grade. He was neither a scholar nor an athlete, just an average decent kid. We were talking idly, mostly about the explosion and our hopes for the rest of the school year, when I heard him exclaim, “Man! Would you look at her? Wow! She has it all—gorgeous and what a body! Oh, geez she’s coming over here.”
“I hate to tell you this, Marty, but I happen to know she’s already taken.”
“Already? Before school’s barely even begun? Doesn’t seem fair.” He fell silent as Cinda approached.
“Cinda, this is Marty—an old friend. He thinks you’re gorgeous.”
“Why, thank you, Marty.”
“He’s also sorry you’re taken.”
“That’s sweet, but I am…taken for life.” She held her hand up showing her rings. I held up my hand, showing the matching band.
“You two…you’re married? Damn, Ty…I feel like such a fool. I’m sorry.”
“No reason to be; you’ll probably be joined by a couple of hundred other guys before the day is out.” I clapped him on the back as the bell rang. Cinda and I walked into the building to another chapter of our lives together.
The only problems Cinda experienced occurred when we were to be seated next to each other. “Will there be any problems of you two playing around?”
“No, Ma’am—we have plenty of time to do that at home,” was her answer much to the amusement of our classmates. Our lives together became extremely simple—school, study, dinner, study, make love, and sleep. Of course we always made time to touch and kiss. The next day and the day after that were identical with only weekends free. Cinda came to basketball practice with me, studying in the bleachers while the team worked out. I was hopeful this season. We were a year older and returned four of our five starters from a very successful team last year. Kenny was up to 6’5”, 215 pounds, and I was almost 6’4”. I bought season tickets for Mom, Dad, and Cinda. They’d sit next to Mandy and a few other girls in the eighth row almost in the center of the court.
Our new home began to take shape by the weekend when Mom took Cinda and Mandy shopping while Kenny helped me with some shelves. Her SUV was filled when they returned in the late afternoon. “You’re all coming to dinner tonight,” she told Kenny and me. “Your dad’s taking us all out to Olive Garden.” Kenny and Mandy called their folks and we were in the truck en route to the farm thirty minutes later. Fred was understandably eager to see us. We had a surprise for him when we returned from dinner.
Dinner was typical Olive Garden—lots of salad and breadsticks along with basically okay food. The entire experience was made by the company. It was Cinda’s first time. She had rarely eaten out—Momma just couldn’t afford it. She and I had eaten in restaurants nightly, but that would end soon. We had to learn to cook for ourselves. I already knew how to grill, having done hot dogs and burgers probably hundreds of times and steaks dozens.
I drove back to my parents’ home where I loaded the truck bed with Fred’s food, bowls, leash, toys, and bed. Cinda and I hugged my parents and walked to the truck. We were halfway there when Cinda called Fred. He ran to her, climbing up into the backseat. Cinda and I waved to my parents as I drove down the driveway. Ten minutes later we were at our house. I gripped Fred’s collar as I walked to the door. Cinda took him in while I brought in all of his things. Cinda set his water and food into the corner of the kitchen. Fred waited until he was told to eat then he was wolfing down food like he hadn’t eaten for weeks, just as he did every day. I put his bed at the foot of ours. Once he was done eating we took him out into the back yard for the first time. Back in a few minutes later we headed for the shower. We walked, naked as usual, to bed a few minutes later.
“I have to warn you—Fred will take attendance when we go to sleep.”
“Attendance?”
“You’ll see. Now…what shall we do until then?” Cinda laughed then she was all over me—kissing me and rubbing her lush body against mine until I picked her up, flipped her onto her back and climbed between her legs.
“Will Fred bother us?”
“I don’t really know. I’ll scold him if he does.”
“Oh…don’t, Ty. We’ll work it out.” Fred did come to Cinda’s side of the bed when he heard her groan, but curled up into a ball on the floor when he saw she was okay. In time he would completely ignore us. Tonight he simply lifted his head when Cinda growled in her ecstasy. I lay onto my back and Cinda moved into position—the same position she took every night—and we closed our eyes. Soon she giggled as Fred pushed his cold nose into her shoulder. He walked over to my side where I petted him before he settled down onto his bed.
We woke early as usual. “I have to put Fred out so I think I need a tee and a pair of jeans, at least.” Cinda kissed me as she walked into the bathroom. She petted Fred on the way then he followed me to the back door, standing with his nose an inch away. He ran out, sniffing before doing his business, while I retrieved a shovel and trowel from the garage. Using them I picked up his feces and dropped them into the trash can
We ate a quick breakfast then returned to the back yard with Fred once again. Fred could see through the chain link fence; the neighbor’s kids were playing in their yard so he ran over. The girl, about eight, walked over asking, “Will he bite me?”
“No, honey he won’t. He loves children. I was eleven when I got him as a tiny puppy. I’m Ty and this is Cinda. What’s your name?”
“I’m Holly; my brother is Michael.” I looked over at the brother—he looked to be about twelve—as he was shooting baskets. He looked up and walked over.
“You look familiar. What’s your name again?”
“Ty…Ty Feldner. How are you?” I extended my hand, but he stood there stunned.
“Are you the same Ty Feldner who plays ball for the high school?”
“Yup…that’s me.”
“I don’t believe it. Ty Feldner could shoot all the way from here.”
“It’s pretty far, but I’ll give it a shot.” I held my hand out for the ball. It was a pretty decent one. I dribbled it on the lawn a few times, lifted it up and fired. At this distance—more than twenty-five feet—and under these conditions a miracle would be needed to make the shot. It hit nothing but net. Michael looked at me in awe then ran into his house screaming, “Dad! Dad! You’ll never believe who lives next to us.” His parents walked out five minutes later, his Mom wiping her hands on a dishtowel.
They introduced themselves as Mr. and Mrs. Warren, asking where my parents were. “They’re at home on the other side of town near the interstate. This is my wife Lucinda. She goes by Cinda.”
“You’re telling me we have a couple of kids living on their own next to us?”
“We’re both eighteen. We won’t be having any loud parties. We don’t drink alcohol or do drugs. We both have too much to lose. We spend most of our time studying or at basketball practice. Your kids can come over and play with Fred any time.” Holly showed interest so, with her mother’s approval I picked her up over the fence.
“He’s awful big.”
“Yeah, but he’s safe. Look.” I pushed my arm into Fred’s mouth. “Here, I’ll hold his collar if you want to pet him. Sit, Fred.” He did and Holly approached carefully while I held him. A minute later she was petting and hugging him. “The only thing you have to worry about is his tail. It goes a little wild.” We had to go back in so I lifted Holly back to her yard and we said good-bye. Fred followed Cinda into the house then he went exploring, settling onto his bed while Cinda and I stepped into the shower to prepare for church.
We were home a bit before lunch when we saw Holly playing again. “Can I come over to play with Fred, Mr. Ty?”
“Sure, but drop the Mr., will you? Just call me Ty, okay? How about a Frisbee? Fred loves to play.” Holly laughed when she saw the teeth marks in the Frisbee. I showed her how to have him sit. Fred took off after the Frisbee once it was launched catching it in midair and bringing it back immediately.
“Ewww, it’s all slimy.”
“Don’t worry, it washes off. Okay…have fun. Cinda and I will be inside.” I filled a bowl with water for Fred then returned to Cinda to arrange our cabinets. I’d never given even a second’s thought to how much “stuff” one needed to live in a house or apartment. She began to study for her learner’s permit that afternoon. The state was very strict, first on personal ID and second on driving experience. I’d hire a driving school for her once she had passed her exams for her permit.