Sold Out Love
Long ago lived a young lady in a small town of Jasper Alabama. By the age of 16 she had lost almost everyone in her family except her father. One day in the summer Freya was in her room trying to knit a sweater for her father. "No,no,no this won't work at all. Too many arm holes no head hole. Maybe i'll do a scarf for him instead. A few minutes later Mr.James yelled for his daughter to come down to the foray.
"Freya! Freya come down here please." She threw her knitting to the floor and rushed down the stairs thinking that something has gone wrong. "What is it Father; are you sick? Is it your heart again? Remember what your doctor told you to take it easy." Freya looked at her father trying to see something wrong. "Oh no my dear girl I just wanted you to meet someone. Walter Myer this is my over loving daughter Freya. Freya this is my old friend Mr. Myer and at the end of the summer your father in law. You are going to marry his son Mitchell."
She looked at her father like she could spit fire out of anger. "But Father I'm sixteen years old. Too young to marry. And i wish to find love before i marry like you did with mother. I'm sure that you are a nice man Mr.Myer and your son but i don't want to marry Mitchell. I don't know him at all." Freya said trying not to sound hurtful and mean. "Freya Elizabeth James I sold some of my best slaves for this marriage to work. Now get to your room and get ready for dinner. Maybe the green dress or the blue to go with your eyes." She gave her father a glare and turned to the stairs to change.
When the door of the study closed Freya went out the front door and jumped off the steps started toward the barn. Soon as she started walking the door of the house flew open due to the head house girl Theadora. "Now where do you thinking you are going to? Dinner is in twenty minutes." She said crossing her arms trying to look mad. "I'm going to see my horse Cinnamon. I haven't seen her in almost a week. So if you don't mind." Freya said with her hands on her hips trying to look just as mad as Theadora. "Fine go see your horse. But be back here for dinner or your Father's wrath won't be anything like mine. Got me girly?" Freya rolled piercing blue eyes and went on to the barn. Halfway there she spotted the tree her older brothers use to try to climb to get the best apples on top. Freya tried to pick the best ones she could reach thinking her horse will like them.
"Hello Cinnamon How are you? I have missed you a lot. Have you missed me? I got some apples for you." She gave her horse an apple petting her. A stable boy came in with a wheelbarrow of hay. Hello Miss. Freya. You know that your beloved Cinnamon threw me off two days ago and took off in a run?" Freya patted her horse's nose as it ate another apple. "That's because no one knows how to ride Cinnamon but me. Speaking of which i wish to go riding for a while. Can you saddle her for me please Eric?" He looked at her like he wasn't sure if he should follow an order. I don't want to be followed so can you please do it fast please." She said running a brush through Cinnamon's main. Eric looked at the young lady as if she was mental. "I'm sorry to say Miss. Freya but I'm sure that someone will notice that you are gone. Riding off with your fire hair flying behind you."
Freya gave her horse the last of the apples running the brush through the main one last time. "Then why don't you go and get me something for me to wear and a hat. To hide my fire hair as you call it." Eric took off in a run to his house. Freya put the brush away and went to the next stale and got undressed as fast as she could. Eric was back within three minutes of leaving with the clothes and hat. While Cinnamon was being saddle Freya dressed as fast as she could trying to hide her hair in the hat the best she could. Within minutes Freya was gone on the back of her beloved horse into the woods. After a while she knew she wasn't being followed by anyone and slowed down to a walk thinking of all the good times. Of how her older twin brothers Brandon and Bryce used to play in these woods. How much she wanted to play with them but they said she was too young or too little.
Remembering her brothers hurt her at times but when she started to think of her mother hurt even worse. Her mother Sophia wouldn't let this happen at all. Her mother would tell Freya's father that he was wrong to make their daughter marry at 16 to a man who was too old for her. I want to find love on my own. To have found the other side of my heart like when mother met father. Out of nowhere Cinnamon threw Freya off and ran for it as if something spooked her. "Damn you horse. Come back here! Fine you won't get anymore treats. I hope Father sold you!!" With the last words Freya threw some grass toward Cinnamon. "You know if you want your horse back you shouldn't yell at her. Try being nice it might help in the long run." Freya turned around and saw a man who was over six foot tall with dark hair and eyes like the sea.
"Well I didn't know I would run into the horse whisper in the woods or anyone for that matter. Now if you don't mind I'm getting Cinnamon and leaving." The young man looked at her trying not to laugh at the fact that her pants fell down. "Ok a few things southern fire. 1. I'm not a horse whisper never have been. 2. Your horse Cinnamon was it; is on a date with my horse Thunder look. She is happy. And 3. your pants fell down in the middle of your speech." Freya pulled up her pants embarrassed that she was half naked in front of a man. "Why don't you have a shirt on? Better question why are you in Jasper Alabama in the first place. I thought you union soldiers had a camp closer to Montgomery which is little over two hours away. And my name isn't southern fire." She said turning to face the trees walking toward the lake picking up a shirt off the ground some what wet.
"I don't have a shirt on because I was cleaning it. And I'm on a short term break from the Union army right now. I thought Jasper looked peaceful well until a few minutes ago. And as for calling you southren fire I don't know your name and I never had a woman yell at me before unless it was my mother. I can help you with your pants if you want. there is some rope in my bag I can get. That is if you don't want your pants to fall again." She walked over to him holding her pants up with one hand and holding shirt in the other. "Fine you can help me if will make you happy. But put on your shirt first please." The Union soldier took the shirt from her and laughed a little bite. After a minute or two he found the rope in his bag. He walked toward her looking at her with his sea like eyes smirking at her.
The union soldier strunge the rope around Freya's little waist making sure that it wasn't too tight. A soft breeze went by them carrying his after shave along with the smell of peppermint to her. Freya stepped back to look at him better reaching up and touched his jawline and almost landing herself in the lake. He grabbed her pulling her close to him without thinking about the Union soldier kissed her full on the mouth. With what seemed like a lifetime Freya pulled away from him and ran off. Jumping on her horse to run off. "Wait where are you going? I never got your name."
Freya looked back at him and just smiled as she rode off to the craziness that is bound to be at home. When she finally got home it was very late at night and Theadora was standing on the porch waiting for her. Looking more mad than when Freya ever saw her before. "I believe I told you that if you didn't follow orders you will have to deal with my wrath? And here you are finally home after being gone for so many hours. Your father was worried about you. And why on earth are you wearing my late husband's clothes?" Freya shrugged and went to the barn with Theadora on her tail. After Cinnamon was in her stale safe and sound Freya turned to Theadora who she cared for very much. "Listen I'm sorry that I took off like that but I had to get away from this place. As for father worrying over me, I'm glad. You know what he had done? Sold me his only family left. Oh father calls it marriage but it's been sold!!! As for your late husband's clothes I'm sorry. Now if you don't mind I'm going to bed I'm wore out from the day. Good night."
Freya left the barn and Theadora standing there stun that the young lady talked to her that way. As Freya made for the stairs of the house she frozen to the ground and lifted her left hand to her lips and touched them and closed her eyes. Remembering the kiss from the man with the sea like eyes.
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