Butterfly

In the fall of 1962, he was going to bring her home to his 252 acre farm. It was located in the mid south hills of Indiana. A few small towns were there but they were all at least 25 miles from his farm. Harlan Grayne was a hard man. At 38 years old he inherited his grandmother's land along with a good old frame house in the center of it.

One might think that in 1962, all people were at least somewhat civilized. Harlan had never been to school and rarely been to town. He was as back woods as a man can be and his religion was handed down from ignorance to ignorant. He drove to the Milen's farm that September day. He was taking his best hog and two sacks of seed corn as and offering to Seth Milan for the hand of his almost 15 year old daughter.

He pulled into a muddy drive path from the wet gravel road. The hog was squealing and Harlan was cussing it. Harlan was five feet six inches tall....a full black beard and always wore his grandfather's dog leg 44 caliber handgun on his hip.

Seth met Harlan in the front yard. They had already made arrangements to make the trade by talking at the feed mill two weeks prior. Laura was Seth's next to oldest daughter. He was raising eight children on his own...his wife had died during the birth of the last child.

Seth yelled for Laura to come out and meet Harlan. As the two men unloaded the seed sacks and hog, Laura walked slowly towards them. Seth said,"That's a fine lookin' sow...orta make lots a piggies." Harlan said,"It's my best un...from the looks of that girl a yorn...I made me a good trade."

Laura had beautiful long red hair and was thinly built. She was wearing a simple flower pattern, cream colored dress. She was a very pretty girl. She had quit school after the seventh grade because they were so poor.

Seth rubbed his chin a little and said,"I could use a few stalks of that fine tobacco too...I could even pick it up in a week or so." Harlan grinned and said,"Bet you could." He then grabbed his crotch and said,"Ten stalks...I give you ten."

Seth waved Laura to come closer...shook Harlan's hand and said,"Deal...I got seed, a good hog, tobacco and one less mouth to feed...it's a good day." Laura standing close to them...twisting her left bare foot in the wet grass...she shyly looked up at Harlan and said,"Hi...pleased to meet you sir."

Seth smacked her on the butt and shouted,"Go get yer things...skeedaddle...now!" Laura turned and ran to do as her father told her. Harlan grinned and said,"Damn...she is a perty little thang...she gonna make a right nice wife...she gonna work too!" Seth looked at him hard and said,"She works good as any...does as I tell her...I don't have to beat her neither...I hear of you beatin' her...I will put a bullet in you."

Harlan smiled and said,"Well Seth..she gonna be my wife...my property...she does as I say...there won't ever be no beatin' or even scornin'....she take care of me...I take care of her."

Laura came out with a ragged suitcase. Her siblings told her goodbye from the porch and Seth told her to get in Harlan's truck. As the old black Dodge truck pulled away...Laura waved at her family through the dusty window. They drove in to Oakcreek to get married by the Justice of Peace. He had a signed note from Seth allowing Laura to be married. The ceremony was short and Harlan was still mad because he had to leave his pistol in the truck.

After they got out of town...Harlan unbuckled his bib overalls while still driving...slid them down and said," Yer my wife now...bible says you got to obey me...I want some pleasurin'...git down here and suck on it." Laura giggled and said,"No...I aint doin' no such thing."

Harlan smacked her so hard that her head bounced off the window. Her mouth and nose were slightly bleeding. He shouted in anger,"Stupid little bitch...you caint suck it now...I don't want your nasty blood on it!" Laura was shocked and began crying. Harlan grabbed her left hand and yelled,"Jack it...put yer hand round it and jack it." She started to pull away but he raised his hand as if to hit her again.

Tears flowed down her face as she grabbed his member. She felt like throwing up but gritted her teeth to gather strength. She saw a little white butterfly get stuck on the windshield wiper...she concentrated on it's struggle to be free. She did as he said until it squirted on the steering wheel and the dashboard." Harlan screamed,"Hell fuckin' yell...now clean it off you little whore."

Laura cleaned it with a dirty rag that Harlan pulled from under the seat. She was never more afraid and confused...how could her father have let this happen. It wasn't long until they went down the long muddy lane and pulled up in the yard by the house. Harlan said,"You git on in there and clean my house...I got work to do." Laura got out of the truck and noticed the little white butterfly still had a wing stuck under the wiper. She lifted the wiper and it fluttered away. She felt a little smile but couldn't make one with her mouth.

Harlan walked straight to his Massey Ferguson tractor and started it up. An old rusty, three row corn picker was mounted on it. Laura went in the house and was disgusted by the squalor. She said out loud to herself,"Aint even a pig would live in here." She began to pile dishes from the table into the sink when she heard Harlan scream! The scream gave her a terrible chill. She dropped a hand load of plates in the sink and ran outside.

Harlan was screaming over and over! He was caught in the corn picker...it had pulled him in past his waist. He looked and saw her standing there and screamed,"Git here you little bitch...shut the tractor off!" Laura ran and shut the tractor off. Harlan screamed,"Git me the crowbar from the barn!" Laura saw the massive amount of blood.... puddling under him and the corn picker. She asked as she walked by him,"How did you get caught in it."

Harlan in pain screamed,"A fuckin' bug landed on my neck...I swatted at it and slipped...anyway...who cares you dumb little whore...git me the damn crow bar!" Harlan began to say something else but fainted. Laura turned and just watched him bleed. She grabbed a tobacco stick that was leaned on the tractor and poked him with it. She heard the last breath belch out of him. Harlan was dead.

A little white butterfly fluttered around his head for a moment and then landed on the tractor seat. Laura saw it and smiled. She knelt down and pulled the marriage license out of his bib overall pocket. She said,"Well...I am now the widow of Harlan Grayne....I reckon this farm is mine now...daddy would a killed you anyway...had I told him you beat me."

She got in the truck to drive back home. She turned it around...looked over at her bloody husband and said,"Goodbye Harlan Grayne...maybe they'll teach you in hell that you caint mess with a butterfly.