The Badendorf Family History by EmeraldGreen

One:

• The Day Home

Otto walked the road toward home at Baden on a cold winter day in 1758. He had walked the same road two years earlier with his father to be apprenticed not because he did not know the trade of his father but because it was believed that a father was not capable of teaching discipline to their own son. Otto could tell stories about the discipline of his father. Uncle Hans, to whom he had been apprenticed, was a far gentler man than Otto’s father. The fact was that most young men feared their apprenticeships but for Otto, his had been a pleasant time. He would always look back at his time with Uncle Hans as the best time in his young life.

The last thing that Otto wanted was to return to work with his father. If there was anywhere else to go he would go there. What was that place that he had heard about, Penn’s Forest? Far off across the Atlantic—too far, to dangerous—but by god, Otto thought, if papa does not appreciate my skills he will see the last of me for I will go to Penn’s Forest.

As the weight of his pack began to bite into his shoulders his new found brave resolve to stand up against his father began to wane. I deceive myself, he thought. I will never stand up to my father. I know my duty and that is because I am the only son, I must work for my father until the day he dies and only then will I be rid of his domination. I must think of my mother and my sisters. They need me more than my father. Yes, think of my mother and my sisters. They will be the joyous part of my return.

Elisabeth (Lisbeth), his little sister, surly will have bloomed in the past two years. She should look just like their older sister, Catherina (Cat), did when he left. And now Cat is turning all the heads of the young men in Baden. She should be old enough to marry but Otto was sure his father would not let her marry a young man. Papa would, he was sure, insist that the man Cat married was well established. He would also insist upon a dowry befitting a family of their status. No young man in Baden will have a chance. Thinking of his sisters lifted his spirits just as he topped the crest of a ridge which permitted him the first sight of his hometown.

There it was, Baden, named for the old Roman Baths, built there more than a millennium ago because of the warm springs that bubbled from the ground. Yes, he told himself, Baden is home—a good home, even if he has to work with his father. The rest of the journey was all downhill. Although he was tired, this was the easiest part of the journey. He saw his father’s shop ahead. His father would be hard at work like he always was. He was sure his father would put him to work immediately. He would not even be given a chance to greet his mother and sisters.

Instead of going directly to the shop, Otto skirted around so that he could enter their home behind the shop. There he was sure he would find his mother and sisters. There he will have a pleasant greeting and maybe a bite of food before seeing his father. Yes a bite of food would be good. He had not eaten a thing since last evening and by the sun’s shadow he could see it was near midday.

Ah, he thought, the familiar lane where he had so often played. It was so nice that nothing had changed. He had no sooner entered through the gate of their walled off property than he heard a sister call out, “He’s here, Otto is here!” He did not see her because she had been watching from her open upstairs bedroom window. She was now racing down and through the house to be the first to greet him. It was Lisbeth who came out the door to be the first to wrap her arms around her brother. She had grown. She was always healthy and for a long time she had carried more weight than her sister even though she was four years younger than Catherina. “Lisbeth, is this really you?” he asked.

“Yes Otto, your little sister has grown up while you were away,” she said before kissing all about his face, avoiding his lips like a good sister should. Although he was a head taller than she was, she had pulled him down to her with her arms about his neck. When his mother and Catherina attempted to greet him, Lisbeth would not release him so they could only gather around and share him with her.

As soon as his mother had seen it was indeed her son Otto and she had kissed his cheek, she pulled back to look on with pride at her son and daughters as they tried to make up for their long separation. After a few moments she said, “Girls, girls, let your brother breath. He must be tired after his long walk.” The girls gave no sign that they heard her. “Come girls; let’s get him something to eat. I am sure he is hungry.” She reached out and pulled at her youngest daughter’s arms. Lisbeth released her hold on her brother and she along with Cat began leading their brother toward the entrance to their home. The girls chattered at Otto, asking him silly questions about Uncle Hans and their cousins.

Just as they approached the door their mother looked up to see the open window above. “Lisbeth,” she shouted, “You get upstairs and close the window. It is too cold…you are letting all the heat out of the house.”

Upon entering the house, Lisbeth scurried up the stairs and this gave Cat the opportunity to wrap her arms around Otto’s neck. As he felt his older sister kissing his face he realized she was not just his sister, she was now a grown woman. Yes all the young men would be eager to know her. “Come, come Cat, Let him come and eat,” their mother was saying. Cat’s lips brushed his and their eyes met. For a moment their deep blue eyes froze in an understanding look. Cat pulled herself away and guided her brother to the table in the kitchen.

Otto dropped his pack on the floor beside his chair and sat. He looked at his older sister as she moved to her mother’s side. Good god, he thought, she is even more beautiful than she was when he left. He would not have believed that possible before now. As she placed his food on the table in front of him he looked at her ample breasts. “Cat, you are so beautiful,” he allowed himself to say. She smiled at him and again their eyes met in a knowing look.

“Little Otto, you speak like a suitor,” she said before she turned away from him. As she walked away he watched her hip swing and silently admired her beauty as he took his first bite of food.

Lisbeth arrived to stand behind him, stoking his hair and rubbing his neck and shoulders as he ate. Her fingers were stimulating. He wondered if she knew what she was doing to him Their mother said, “Lisbeth go tell papa that Otto is here.” Lisbeth whined an unintelligible objection and their mother said, “Lisbeth go!”

“Be right back, brother mine,” Lisbeth whispered in his ear before scurrying out of the room.

“Otto, your sisters have missed you but I expect you will be quarreling within the week,” his mother said and then asked, “How was your Uncle Hans.”

“Good momma, he sends his wishes for your good health,” he responded.

“And the children, are they doing alright?” she asked. Uncle Hans’ wife had died five years ago. The children that mother had asked about were: Gisele who was a little older that Catherina, Little Hans who was a little younger than Otto, and Georg who was younger than Lisbeth.

“Gisele runs the house like you do momma and the boys work with Uncle Hans,” Otto said hurriedly between bites.

“We expected Little Hans to come with you,” Cat said.

“Yes, well.” He swallowed before continuing, “Uncle is bringing him in summer.”

Lisbeth arrived back with the word that “papa was too busy” and he wanted Otto to come and help. She again began to stoke her brother’s hair.

Otto was in no hurry to see his father but he decided to try to please his father. His stomach could hold a second helping but he declined the offer and ventured into the shop. As he left the room he heard his mother tell Lisbeth to take his pack to his room. In the shop Otto saw his father at the printing press, working feverishly. When he saw the arrival of his son he said, “Ah Otto, so happy you are here. Bring me another can of ink.” Otto picked up a new can of ink and opened it. He poured a small amount of the ink on the roller pad while his father continued to keep the press moving and feed individual sheets of paper onto the print bed and then lift them off. “Did your uncle send Little Hans?” The brothers had planned to exchange sons for apprenticeships but Hans kept putting it off.

“No, he will be bringing him in summer,” Otto said. He did not want to tell his father that the boy was afraid to come. Otto stepped in to keep the flywheel spinning and in that way his father could less hurriedly do the rest of the job. At this point while working with his uncle he would have received a “thank you for your help” but he received nothing from his father.

After a few minutes Lisbeth arrived to inform him that she had taken his pack to his room. Before he could thank her their father shouted, “Leave your brother alone. You don’t want him to get his finger in the machinery.” Lisbeth left quickly without another word. Later in the day as the light from outside grew dim, Otto while keeping the wheel turning was able to light the lamps so his father could watch the ink and the paper. After another short while father said, “Finished, the job is finished.” Otto let his hand rest on the spinning flywheel to slow it to a stop. As his father sealed the can of ink, Otto cleaned the ink pad and roller. “Clean that up good and turn out the lamps. Your mother will have dinner for us so wash up,” his father said before locking the front door and leaving the shop through the back door.

Later at the table as Otto and his father ate, Lisbeth again came up behind Otto and stroked his hair. Their father told Lisbeth to stop bothering her brother. “But papa, I have missed him so,” Lisbeth said as she drew her hands back.
“It is not proper for a sister to treat her brother like a lover. Go, do your work,” papa gruffly commanded.

That first night Otto, being tired, fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Later he woke to find Cat kissing his cheeks. “Why do you wake me?” he asked.
“Brother, I have missed you so. As I lay awake in bed I decided to check to see if you were awake,” she replied.
“I am awake now,” he said as he realized she had slipped into his bed under the heavy winter quilt beside him.
“I did miss you so,” she repeated.

“I missed you also,” he said before her lips brushed across his. Memories of what they had done three years ago flashed in his mind. They had started out kissing which had led to them playing with each other’s body. He turned his face away and said, “Cat, we are no longer children. We cannot play now.”

“Oh Otto, I so wish we were still children. Papa wants me to marry Barbach,” she said.
“Barbach the butcher?” Otto asked.
“Yes,” she sobbed.
He put his arms around her and drew her to him causing her to lay her head upon his shoulder. He said, “But he is an old man—a widower with children. His son must be 12 or 13.”
“Karl is 12. Barbach has asked papa and offered a dowry. Papa encouraged him but told him to wait until spring.”
“I suppose there could be worse matches,” Otto commented as he tried to think of a way to cheer his sister. He knew that once their father had made up his mind there would be no changing it.
“I will never know the love of a man my age,” she sobbed, “unless…”
Otto waited for his sister to continue but since she did not he asked, “Do you have a plan?”

“Yes I do. I…I want…” She was so nervous at the thought of what she was about to say her voice quivered. “I want to make love to a young man and get pregnant before spring so I will be unfit for the butcher.”

“You will be disgraced,” he stated. “No man will want you.”
“Rather that, than marry the butcher,” she sobbed.
“Papa will beat you. He will make you become a nun,” he said.
“He already has beaten me for telling him I would not marry Barbach.”
“Oh Cat, I am so sorry. I wish there was something I could do,” he said as he stroked his hand up and down her back. He could tell that the only thing she was wearing was her night shirt.
She kissed him below his ear and whispered, “Would you make love to me?”
“Cat, we are not children anymore,” he said. His own body told him he had a strong desire for her but he resolved to not give into it.
“We almost did it before and ever since I have wanted…” Her voice still shook with fear. “I think often of making love with you. Now I have a reason as well as a desire.”
“No Cat, you will be disgraced,” he insisted as he tried to convince his body that he would not permit this to happen.
“Otto, you must do this for me,” she whispered as she nibbled lightly on his earlobe.
“No Cat.” His resolve was weakening as his hand stroked dawn over her ample hips. He felt one of her hands sliding down his body and he repeated, “No Cat, no.” But it was said weakly.

She could hear her rapid heartbeat as her hand sought out his male member. She found its firmness and although his hand found her hand it did not push her away. As she felt of him she marveled at his size and said, “Yes Otto, yes.”

“Oh to hell with us,” he said as he turned to face her. Their lips met in an open passionate kiss. Her hand went under his nightshirt as his went under hers. Their hands moved with nervous haste to remove their nightshirts. They felt of each other’s nakedness. The quilt had slid off them and the shivered in the cold night air. They covered themselves drew their naked bodies to each other.

As his hand found her sex, he remembered having explored here before but then she had stopped him when he had tried to go further. Now, he thought, she was encouraging him.
At this moment she spoke as though she were announcing to a congregation, “Otto, I give myself, body and soul, as a wife.” She pulled him over her.

He found she had spread her legs wide for him. He had never done this before. He had only fantasized about doing this. He moved up and felt his hard staff slip over her moist slit but it did not enter her. He pulled back and felt her hand wrap around his staff. He again moved up and she guided him into her moist opening. The feel of his helmeted shaft within her hot wet inviting womanhood was better than all the fantasies he had ever had. A short thrust and he met a resistance. It was as though she was trying to shut him out.

“Push on!” she exclaimed.
“But…”
She interrupted his objection, “Push, Otto, push on.”
His hips thrust forward and suddenly the resistance was no longer there. She moaned and he froze, finding himself deep within her. He asked, “Are you alright?”
“Oh yes Otto, do it, do it, do it,” she said as she wrapped her legs about him and thrust her hips up to him.

To be continued in:

Two:
• The Next Day and the Next