When I came in for dinner that night, Sherry wasn't there. Mary had a roast chicken which was served with baked potatoes and a salad made from the first of the spring's lettuce and spinach. Practically all of the food we ate came from the farm. Mary baked bread every day and always sliced it and placed it in a basket with a napkin. I loved her crusty bread especially with the fresh sweet butter.
I wondered where Sherry was but didn't want to ask. I didn't want her parents to know I was interested in her. I thought about our hot fucking in the barn that afternoon and her words, "how would you like some company tonight" and wondered what ideas she had in mind. These thoughts went through my mind as John handed me the plate of baked potatoes. I felt I was living in two levels of reality—the serious respectful apprentice and the horny guy who loved fucking their equally horny daughter.
Mary got up from the table and called up stairs. "Sherry, come down, dinner is on the table. "I heard Sherry call back, "Coming Mom" and heard her footsteps on the stairs. When she appeared, I could see she had just taken a shower because her hair was still wet and her face glowed and had that just scrubbed look. She wore a short tight denim skirt that came down to mid thigh. She had a white tee-shirt on that clung to her body and it was obvious she wasn't wearing a bra. I tried not to look at her but the sight of her tits and nipples made me gasp and whisper to my self, "Damn, she's a tease." Our eyes met briefly. She knew I liked how she looked, but we pretended to ignore each other.
John turned to me and asked, "Did you hear about the farmers in Mexico whose corn got pollinated with genetically altered corn."
"No! That's horrible," I responded, shaking my head.
"That's right," John went on. "Their corn is an ancient Mayan variety and the seeds have been passed down for centuries, but genetically altered corn planted nearby has spread through pollination and altered their ancient corn."
He took a bite of chicken and continued, "The same thing could happen here. That company and a few others are trying to take over the whole farm industry and make it so we have to use their seeds. If that happens, a farmer can't save seeds like we do for next year's crop because genetically engineered seeds are good for one year only."
While we talked, Sherry was listening, then added, "I saw this film at Brown in my Visions of the Future course called, 'The Future of Food' and that's what it was all about. It's disgusting what they're trying to do. They want to make us all dependent on them for seeds and say it's going to eliminate starvation in third world nations. What they're doing should be illegal but they have the full support of the government."
I saw the rage in Sherry's eyes as she spoke. "A group of us went to protest the WTO Conference in Quebec two years ago and got tear gassed by the police," she said. "The fact that our government subsidizes big agri-business farms so they can compete with farmers in third world countries is forcing those poor farmers to lose their land, move into cities to work in sweat shops for multi-national corporations."
Sherry was speaking with such knowledge and passion that I couldn't believe she was the same person I had fucked that afternoon. She took a deep breath and shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it is legal for those corporations and the government to do that. It's got to be stopped."
The conversation went on for awhile and I was impressed with how much Sherry knew about this issue and how passionate she was about the problems of globalization.
Just then Mary stood up and said, "Sorry to interrupt such an important discussion, but who would like apple pie for dessert."
I raised my hand and John got up to clear the table and follow Mary into the kitchen. When he and Mary left the dining room, Sherry looked over at me and smiled. Then she mouthed the words but without any sound so that I to read her lips, "I want to fuck you." I smiled, nodding I understood. Then Mary called from the kitchen, "Anybody like ice cream with their pie?"
"I do," I shouted back.
"Me, too," Sherry yelled. While we were waiting, Sherry leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms in back of her causing her tee-shirt to stretch across her tits. I knew she did that on purpose because she saw how I was staring her chest. She looked me in the eyes and smiled, then placed her hands on both of her tits and rubbed them, keeping her eyes staring at mine, teasing me and biting her lower lip. She removed her hands, just as her father came in with two plates of pie, followed by Mary with two more plates.
As I dug into the pie and ice cream, John asked if I had any plans for tonight. I quickly glanced over at Sherry but turned to John and said, "I'm working on a new poem and it's almost finished, so that's my plan.'
"I didn't know you wrote poetry," Sherry said. "I do, too. I love poetry and I'd love to see what you've written," she continued.
I noticed John stiffen in his chair and look at me and cleared his throat but didn't speak. He didn't have to. The sudden silence said it all and was a warning. Finally Sherry spoke up. "Dad, your rule about me and apprentices is so dumb." She slammed her fork on the table, stood up and looked at her father. "It's stupid and you have to stop treating me like a baby. I don't need your protection."
Sherry glanced at me then back at her father and left the room. Her actions surprised me, especially after our discussion on globalization. She certainly was a passionate person.
I didn't know what to say or do so I just kept eating my dessert. The sudden change in mood at the table was awkward. I noticed John and Mary look at each other. Finally, Mary spoke up, "John, why can't they share their poetry?" She shook her head in disapproval of John's rule.
Then John stood up and said, "Because I know where that will lead and I have my reasons for keeping Sherry away from apprentices."
Mary stood up and leaned forward with her hands on the table. I was caught in the middle of this disagreement and kept my eyes on my pie and ice cream. "You know as well as I do that your stupid rule is not going to stop Sherry from doing what she wants. You're making more of a problem than is necessary."
I was sorry I had said anything about writing poetry but didn't know that Sherry would say she wanted to see them. I was stunned by how such a pleasant dinner and great conversation suddenly became a battle of strong wills and that I was caught in this family's dynamics.
Mary left the room and John sat back in a huff. He didn't speak and then turned to me and said, "Sorry about that. You might think I'm being an old fuddy duddy, but I have my reasons for that rule." I looked up at John and nodded I understood. I finished my ice cream then got up and said, "See you in the morning." I was in my cabin sitting in my chair with my notebook on my lap, trying to work on my poem. I tried to shut out what had happened at dinner. I had been writing for awhile and noticed it was close to nine o' clock. I had been working on this poem for a few days and was struggling with the last few lines. I wondered whether Sherry was going to sneak out of the house and got up to look out the window. The light was on in her room so I assumed she wasn't coming. Just then I saw the light go out and thought she was probably going to bed and wouldn't be coming "to keep me company."
I went back to my chair and started writing again. After ten minutes, I wrote the last line of the poem and read it over to myself. In a poem, all the lines are important. Every word counts, but the first and last line has to be especially perfect. I was pretty certain that I nailed it and wanted to read it to Sherry sometime.
I liked that Sherry was not just a sexy girl who liked to fuck. I liked how smart she was and how interested she was in the world. I liked how she thought about things and though we haven't had a chance to have any real conversations, I knew I wanted to know her better and wanted someone who was more than a fuck-buddy.
While sitting back with the notebook on my lap, I heard a light knocking at the door and then it opened. "Want some company," Sherry said, poking her head around the edge of the door.
