Taming of the Free Spirit
Danielle Nicole Bienvenu
The Coat of Arms of Danielle Bienvenu may not be reproduced without permission. Punishable by fine or when in Europe, imprisonment.
For my Jesus, the Lover of my soul.
To the child and free spirit in all of us. May it never be fully tamed.
Chapter 1: Cake Bowl
Chapter 2: Daisies
Chapter 3: Caged
Chapter 4: You’ve Got Some Nerve
Chapter 5: Petrified
Chapter 6: No One Ever Said It Would Be Like This
Chapter 7: The Game
Chapter 8: Ahem!
Chapter 9: Goodnight Tart
Chapter 1: Cake Bowl
“Don’t dip your fingers in the cake bowl, Marie.” My
younger sister Clyde mocked through braided pigtails.
“That’s disgusting.” I made a face at her.
“And,” Mother chimed in, “it will spoil your supper.”
Nonsense. Ma swiped the bowl from Clyde and continued to
stir where Clyde left off. “Your father will be home soon
girls.” That did it.
Clyde stuck her pink tongue out at me since she
wouldn’t be able to get away with it once Daddy came home. Clyde was
always did things like that. I folded my skinny arms and
waltzed over to the opposite side of the kitchen. Clyde is
pesky all the time. Being the eldest is a tiring job. That
is, I feel like I’m the oldest most of the time. Martin, my
brother, is twenty-eight and off at war. This year Papa was
too old to be sent with the troops. Every moment Martin
drops a four letter line the entire family scurries to the
mailbox in a mad dash. Other than that it’s like I have no
brother. I barely remember him from when I was five. I’m
seventeen now and I can’t wait until I can fly from this
place. Clyde is obnoxious however she makes sure she puts
her halo on for Momma and Papa. She’s six.
“Speaking of the devil, there he is.” Momma sat the bowl on
the counter and wiped her hands on her apron. Clyde
followed her outside. As usual, I poured Papa a glass of
lemonade and filled it to the top. The three of them piled
inside with Papa’s peppered beard.
“I have some excellent news.” Pa announced to his own
satisfaction. He paused to bring me by my narrow shoulders
in the center of the kitchen and examined me. My hair was
tousled and grass stains remained on my off-white and
maroon striped dress. A soft white flower was pushed behind
my ear. “You’ve been out in the fields again?” My fetish
was exposed. I love horses and picking wild flowers in the
fields. I nodded hesitantly, knowing what would come next.