Free Caraliza by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick Page A

carefully, and after a few moments resting against his shoulder as he knelt in front of her, she stole a soft kiss, and nodded he could brush her hair. As he did so, nearly too timidly to make a good job of it, she unbuttoned his shirt and slid her arms around to his back, moaning at the warmth he gave. And, he smelled clean. She sniffed his neck, his mouth, and under his arms, where he was sure she would stifle. But, she tasted his skin and kissed where she could reach, making the brushing of her hair impossible to continue.
    She was spent, finished, and wanted to sleep in his arms. He did not move. He was quite surprised she should want his clothes, but she was reaching for them, he was nearly out of them before he felt any shame. Caraliza put her lips against his mouth to silence his complaint and slipped his trousers to his knees, and then she lay back down on the divan and closed her eyes, with her arms held out to him, as he saw them in his dreams.
     
    They must sleep - they needed to keep warm; she wore nothing at all, so they shared the situation as she invited them to share it, he would wear nothing either.
    Yousep began to have thoughts that a naked girl might be very arousing to touch in this way. But his Caraliza was already asleep, under the blanket, in soft warmth that she wanted to hold, and utterly safe from harm, for the first time since she lost Amsterdam. Yousep kissed her once more and found she was wonderfully comfortable to embrace; they seemed to fit perfectly together. They did not stir until the first wagon rolled down the street at dawn.
     
    “ Forgive me Yousep; I could not lie to your parents.”
    “ But -” Yousep stammered in reply, “-we are at greater risk if we are forced to deal with this in other than secret. They must be so ashamed, I do not know another way.”
    They were speaking in hurried whispers in the doorway to the studio. Caraliza was sleeping peacefully, still on the divan, one arm seeming to reach to find her Yousep.
    “ Worry not. They indeed are greatly troubled, but seemed moved to understanding. I told them this child was near certain death, and but for your care, she would be a ghost. Your mother wishes you to bring this creature home, as you can, sooner than later. She will know better the state this child is in. As to how you are caring for this one…I refuse to know!”
     
    “ I am sorry you are at such need because of me and my actions, Mr. Reisman. Forgive me, but this became more than two young people could manage by their own plans. We suspected we had time for a safer solution. We neither one guessed such a horrid event.”
    “ I cannot fault your judgment; you knew the danger well and were able to bring her some hope for many weeks. But, time we no longer have. The brute across the street is even now with the authorities at his stair! They are dealing harshly with him, likely as usual for a brawl or an assault they suspect he performed. But as I saw them and their wagon, it brought great fear to me that we are doomed if he reports this child missing!”
    “ How could that be done? As you can see - what he has done to her!” Yousep was seething that the beast could claim she had been taken from his care, kidnapped from the safety of his home.
    “ We must be urgent to get her well, that we may make our report first, Yousep! If he makes a claim and the authorities agree, and then battered or no, without her own word of accusation, he may get her back!”
    “ I will not allow her to go back!”
    Yousep the man was protecting his dearest love and Papa could see it clearly as the color of his flashing eyes. Strange that love should grow, where nothing more than glances and smiles seeded it, Papa strained to understand it. Except for the help of God and the courage of the angry young man before him, Papa Reisman understood very well; Caraliza would have been killed.
     
    The old man brought and offered Yousep a breakfast of four fresh boiled eggs, some light