Chapter 2 - Secret Love in the Back Woods.
He rode through the back fields and into the woods. Nearing the river he tied the horse, climbed the rocks and slowed to stop as the rushing water grew louder. Hidden by trees he stood silently watching her just as he did the first time he saw her. He relived the excitement of discovering her bathing in the falling water then making love in the woods, in the water and wherever they could the rest of the afternoon. Every thought, every sensation reintroduced itself. She sensed his presence and looked down. Grabbing a brightly colored blanket she covered herself as she hurried over to him, kissed him then pulled away quickly.
"You're early."
Jonathan had no intention of being pulled away from and held her tight releasing the blanket around her. She was still soaking wet as he kissed her neck and shoulders, his hand sliding between her thighs.
"We're married you don't need that." Sidi's expression didn't encourage the playful mood. "On a piece of paper maybe." She pushed him away and reclaimed the blanket.
Ouch. He knew what was coming. They had eloped. Technically they were legally wed. They thought keeping it a secret was for the best at first. Now Sidi felt different. She didn't want it to be a secret. She wanted to be his wife in his culture and in hers. Abiav was a gypsy wedding. She wanted a gypsy wedding with a family, a tribe and a pregnant bride. Oh God. It just wasn't that simple. He wasn't a gypsy. His being a non-gypsy, making love before being married and getting Sidi pregnant pretty much made him the biggest abomination he could be in gypsy culture. So, approaching her family for the first time was a frightening thought.
(Hello Mr. Ross it's such a pleasure to meet you. I am Jonathan Sparrow. I'm having it off with your daughter and she's going to have a baby. May I have a cup of tea?)
He was pretty sure that gypsies shot men who got their daughters pregnant at least the men that were stupid enough to tell them about it. Sidi knew what he was thinking. "He won't shoot you."
He sighed. "I'd shoot me. Maybe he'd shoot us together."
"No, He'll just put a curse on you. Just tell him we're married." Her voice thickened and dropped to a whisper as she tightened the blanket around her.. "The baby part can wait."
He could hear tears welling up in her voice. He felt for her. "Marime" he said angrily and put his arms around her. "You're not dirty Sidi. You know that's not true." "We are already a violation of the code but a baby too. It would be so bad Jonathan. Romany women are to be virgins for their husbands. Or at least we're supposed to make everyone think we are." He pressed against her.
(How could she think she was unclean when she knew how much he wanted her? He smiled and kissed her gently "Well you were."
She pulled away. "You're not helping." She was angry. She walked over to the bank of the river and slid into her skirt.
"O.K. so tell me what to do." His voice showing the frustration he was trying to hide. "What do I do? What do I say to your father? Sidi I have no idea what I'm doing here." His hands were fluttering through the air as he spoke. He was getting emotional now. "This would be hard enough with a normal girl let alone .." His voice trailed "Damn. I don't mean you're not normal."
She fumbled at the strings of her blouse as the tears refused to be restrained any longer.
"Oh, Sidi you know I didn't mean it like that please don't. Not now. We're just having a conversation."
She was sobbing now. "No you are yelling at me. You don't want me. You don't want our baby. I can't help it. It wasn't supposed to happen like this." He pulled her to him and just held her letting her cry it out.
No. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. He felt so stupid and ignorant and for the first time in his life so liable. He didn't know what to do. He considered himself a man but now he chose to be the boy his mother wanted him to remain. "We're going to talk to my mother. "
Sidi wailed.
Next - Black Pearls
He rode through the back fields and into the woods. Nearing the river he tied the horse, climbed the rocks and slowed to stop as the rushing water grew louder. Hidden by trees he stood silently watching her just as he did the first time he saw her. He relived the excitement of discovering her bathing in the falling water then making love in the woods, in the water and wherever they could the rest of the afternoon. Every thought, every sensation reintroduced itself. She sensed his presence and looked down. Grabbing a brightly colored blanket she covered herself as she hurried over to him, kissed him then pulled away quickly.
"You're early."
Jonathan had no intention of being pulled away from and held her tight releasing the blanket around her. She was still soaking wet as he kissed her neck and shoulders, his hand sliding between her thighs.
"We're married you don't need that." Sidi's expression didn't encourage the playful mood. "On a piece of paper maybe." She pushed him away and reclaimed the blanket.
Ouch. He knew what was coming. They had eloped. Technically they were legally wed. They thought keeping it a secret was for the best at first. Now Sidi felt different. She didn't want it to be a secret. She wanted to be his wife in his culture and in hers. Abiav was a gypsy wedding. She wanted a gypsy wedding with a family, a tribe and a pregnant bride. Oh God. It just wasn't that simple. He wasn't a gypsy. His being a non-gypsy, making love before being married and getting Sidi pregnant pretty much made him the biggest abomination he could be in gypsy culture. So, approaching her family for the first time was a frightening thought.
(Hello Mr. Ross it's such a pleasure to meet you. I am Jonathan Sparrow. I'm having it off with your daughter and she's going to have a baby. May I have a cup of tea?)
He was pretty sure that gypsies shot men who got their daughters pregnant at least the men that were stupid enough to tell them about it. Sidi knew what he was thinking. "He won't shoot you."
He sighed. "I'd shoot me. Maybe he'd shoot us together."
"No, He'll just put a curse on you. Just tell him we're married." Her voice thickened and dropped to a whisper as she tightened the blanket around her.. "The baby part can wait."
He could hear tears welling up in her voice. He felt for her. "Marime" he said angrily and put his arms around her. "You're not dirty Sidi. You know that's not true." "We are already a violation of the code but a baby too. It would be so bad Jonathan. Romany women are to be virgins for their husbands. Or at least we're supposed to make everyone think we are." He pressed against her.
(How could she think she was unclean when she knew how much he wanted her? He smiled and kissed her gently "Well you were."
She pulled away. "You're not helping." She was angry. She walked over to the bank of the river and slid into her skirt.
"O.K. so tell me what to do." His voice showing the frustration he was trying to hide. "What do I do? What do I say to your father? Sidi I have no idea what I'm doing here." His hands were fluttering through the air as he spoke. He was getting emotional now. "This would be hard enough with a normal girl let alone .." His voice trailed "Damn. I don't mean you're not normal."
She fumbled at the strings of her blouse as the tears refused to be restrained any longer.
"Oh, Sidi you know I didn't mean it like that please don't. Not now. We're just having a conversation."
She was sobbing now. "No you are yelling at me. You don't want me. You don't want our baby. I can't help it. It wasn't supposed to happen like this." He pulled her to him and just held her letting her cry it out.
No. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. He felt so stupid and ignorant and for the first time in his life so liable. He didn't know what to do. He considered himself a man but now he chose to be the boy his mother wanted him to remain. "We're going to talk to my mother. "
Sidi wailed.
Next - Black Pearls