My Recollections - Chapter 1

My Recollections - Chapter 1

By Jack

Chapter One - 1898
Concerning Tess and how Curiosity nearly killed the Cat

My first recollection of becoming curious of the mystery of the opposite sex is a fond memory involving my favorite cousin, Therese, whom I affectionately called Tess. It was in the autumn of the year and relatives were arriving daily to our home in New Orleans. They were coming to attend the wedding of one of my maternal aunts. I was probably no more than twelve years of age at the time and Tess was at least a full year older. She and I were instant friends and the most congenial of playmates. On those rare occasions when her family came to visit, we played endless rounds of lawn croquet, caught fireflies in glass jars in the evening and never tired of games of “hide-and-seek.”

But upon her arrival on this particular occasion, I could not help but notice a certain refinement in her demeanor. I recall thinking (upon seeing her step from the platform of the carriage) at just how much she had changed since last I saw her. For one thing - in the space of one year she had surpassed me in height by at least two full inches. But there was something else that was different about her – something less tangible and more difficult to define. In retrospect, I now understand that what seemed so mysterious to me at the time was simply the beginning of Tess’s transition away from being a child.

“Come, let’s play!” I said as I reached out and took her by the hand.

“Not now, Jack,” her mother replied firmly - prying my hand from that of Tess. “We have just now arrived after a terribly long trip. We ladies shall need some time to refresh ourselves first.” With that said, she patted me on the cheek (as aunts will do) and politely dismissed me.

“Come along, Tess.” As they turned to enter the house, Tess threw me a quick curtsy and then stuck out her tongue. I suppose it was her way of letting me know that (despite her obvious metamorphosis) our friendship remained intact.

Throughout the day other cousins arrived and soon the yard was filled with children involved in all manner of play – most of it raucous in nature. Tess, however, had been coached by her mother concerning proper lady-like behavior. She remained on the back porch swing dividing her time between petting Sally, our Yorkshire terrier, and doing pencil drawings on her artist pad.

When twilight came, a few of us settled on the back porch and waited to be called to supper. I began a solitary game of ball & jacks on the steps while Tess remained seated in the wicker swing. She was preoccupied as she drew on her paper. Like the Tess I knew, she had (for the moment at least) forgotten her newly acquired cultured ways and had placed both her feet on the edge of the swing so that she could prop her drawing pad against her legs. This momentary lapse in her training to be a lady afforded me a lucky invitation to see up her dress. Darting my eyes away and back from my game I could see that she was wearing white drawers. The bottoms of the legs of which were edged in lace. There - nestled between her limbs - I could clearly see the well-defined indention of her pussy as it was pressed tight against her undergarment. I admit that watching her stealthily in that way made me feel a bit strange; yet I could not pull myself away from looking for such was the compulsion of my curiosity.

Suddenly she spoke. “Jack,” she said, “Come sit here beside me.” She patted the place empty beside her on the swing.

Gathering the jacks and ball in my hand, I sat beside her.

“How do you like it?” she said as she showed me the picture of Sally she had drawn in charcoal.

“It looks just like her,” I said.

After that we talked about many things but to this day I cannot recall the conversation. I was too absorbed in the fact that I could now feel my cousin’s leg touching my own as we swayed gently back and forth like a pendulum in the swing. I became aware (as well) that my prick had grown stiff beneath my trousers. As best I can recall, that was the first time I had become sexually aroused and I felt the embarrassment of my new condition. I also worried that Tess might notice. If she did, she did not let on. She chatted and I pretended to listen but my thoughts were sinking down, down, down into some sort of mental quicksand. All I could think about was her and the distinction between our sexes. It was a new and intoxicating experience for a boy of twelve.

“You smell good,” I blurted out to her – immediately embarrassed by how clumsily my attempt at a compliment had fallen from my mouth.

She looked down and smiled nervously as if embarrassed by my words.
“It’s mother’s lavender. She says ladies should always smell like a flower.”

At that moment (perhaps recalling how ladies should behave) she suddenly became aware of the poor manner in which she had positioned her feet on the swing. Lowering them, she smiled demurely and brushed her dress back into place with the palms of her hands.


__________


On Friday the wedding took place and after all the excitement and commotion had subsided, Tess and her parents decided to accept the invitation to stay at our house through Sunday before making the long trip home. On Saturday, the two of us were left alone while our parents toured the town. Only the cook, Miss Palmer, was still in the house since the housekeeper had been given two days off.

I awoke early and lay in my bed upstairs listening carefully until at last I heard the unintelligible jangle of adult voices fade and the latching sound of the front door as it was shut. Then, I threw aside the covers and sprang from the bed like a gazelle in flight. I was hoping for the chance to spy on my dear cousin. I would not be disappointed as it seemed chance was smiling favorably upon my plan. Walking on tip-toes, I exited my room and virtually floated down the long hallway to Tess’s room. The timing could not have been better, for there as I knelt and placed my eye against the key-hole was Tess. She stood in plain sight still wearing her nightgown. The morning sunlight entering the large window behind her caused her garment to become like gossamer. Up on her toes she distended her body like a prima-ballerina while extending her arms straight above her head. She yawned and leaned backwards stretching and twisting her body like a cat. Unaware that I was watching her every movement from my covert vantage point, she began her morning routine by first pouring water from a pitcher into a large porcelain bowl and next washing her face. Then, without so much as the slightest hesitation, she crossed her arms in front of her and then pulled her nightgown up and over her head in one smooth motion. At once she stood before my gaze completely nude; her long auburn hair reaching almost to the small of her back. My eyes drank in every drop of her nubile frame. Her hips were not yet rounded like those of a grown woman. Her figure, therefore, still appeared adolescent and boyish for the most part. Her breasts, however, were budding as one might expect of a girl her age. They were perfectly symmetrical little puffy globes of flesh and the round areolas were nearly as big as the mounds themselves! The nipples were the slightest blush of pink in coloration; like the pale pink of a tea rose.

Convinced that the cook was still asleep, I felt comfortable in continuing to spy upon my cousin. Beneath each arm she had hair growing and (hoping for a look) I wondered if her cunny was likewise adorned. As she continued to wash her body my heart was beating like a drum and my prick grew stiff beneath my nightshirt. When she turned, I was able to fasten my eyes to that point between her legs and finally spied the mysterious cleft of her young pussy. Her slit was no more than a straight pencil line that ran from the top of her mons pubis. The lips of her private part remained her secret, however, as they were tucked neatly away inside her. Only the slightest wisp of fair-colored pubic hair crowned the top of it. At last she brought the cloth down to that spot. Squatting ever so slightly while still standing, she ran the cloth over her pudenda and (to me at least) it seemed as though she scrubbed that delicate hole much too hard.

It was then that I heard the closing of a door downstairs. Damn! Miss Palmer was up and about! It startled me so that I fell backwards onto the floor and unsettled a fern from its stand causing it to crash to the floor.
“Master Jack? Miss Tess? Are you two alright?” called Miss Palmer from downstairs. I dared not answer back but scrambled back to my room instead like a scared rabbit. Jumping back into bed, I pulled the sheets up to my chin and feigned sleep. My heart was racing inside my chest. I was quite sure that Tess had heard it all. Would she know that I had spied on her? Would she confront me? Would she hate me? Would curiosity kill the cat?

I stayed in my room for at least another hour. When I finally emerged, I saw that the fern had been set back in its place and the door to Tess’s room was open. Downstairs, Miss Palmer was just clearing away Tess’s breakfast dishes from in front of her.

“Oh, there you are!” Miss Palmer exclaimed cheerily. “Sit down and I’ll bring your breakfast.”

“Good morning,” I said as I slipped into a chair across from Tess.

“Good morning,” she said as she took a sip of orange juice.

At that moment, Miss Palmer brought my breakfast and set it before me.

“Did you hear the commotion in the hallway this morning?” Tess asked.

“Yes…uh….I heard something,” I muttered.

“A fern had fallen from its perch!”

“Really,” I said indifferently.

“Yes! It just flew off the stand,” she added.

“Well, perhaps Sally tipped it over.”

“Sally was in the yard at the time,” interjected Miss Palmer as she walked past.

Then there was stone silence with the exception of Tess tapping her glass of orange juice with my spoon.

I could feel my face getting warm so I dug into my breakfast to avoid any more conversation.

“Perhaps…..you have ghosts!” Tess said with a burst of laughter.

I laughed along with her but inwardly was growing more uncomfortable by the moment.

“I hope no ghosts were walking the halls this morning” she said and then tipped her glass upward to swallow the last drop of juice.

__________

When Sunday arrived I was sad to see Tess leave for her home in Galveston. Little did I know at the time that it would be two full years before I would see her again. As everyone waited on the front porch for the arrival of the carriage, Tess and I waited by ourselves behind the black, wrought-iron gate near the street. We did not talk much. It felt awkward. I kicked at the dirt with the tip of my shoe and she fiddled with the green ribbon of her straw hat.

Finally she leaned over and whispered in my ear “I…know… a secret.”

I felt my face turn crimson with heat. “You’re a little liar,” I said. Then after a long pause I said, “What do you think you know?”

“Oh, I don’t think I know a secret,” she replied with mischief in her voice. “I really do know a secret.”


Just then the clop-clop of horse hooves rounded the corner. The carriage had finally arrived. With “goodbyes” finally said, Tess’s father lifted her by the waist up to the carriage and then began loading the last of their bags. Tess motioned for me to come to her and like a bolt of lightning I ran around to the other side of the carriage. It was then that she leaned down, kissed me on the cheek and whispered in my ear.


“The secret I know is this: Jack is a naughty boy!”


She might as well have slapped me hard on the face. But then she added, “But that shall remain our secret.”