Chapter 7: Gran's Chain
The summer between high school and college, Clair decided to spend a month on the family farm with her Gran. Over the years she had spent long weekends with her grandparents and a few longer periods during summers. It was fun, they raised horses, had a few hundred acres of wheat fields and a big 150-year-old farmhouse with wrap-around porch. She liked swimming in the lake, riding horses, and learning to cook with Gran. The only downside was there were very few people left in the community her age. Clair’s father’s parents lived in Germany and Clair’s grandfather had passed away a couple of years ago so Gran, as she had called her since she was 2, was her entire extended family. So, before she became totally immersed in college that fall, Clair asked Gran if she could come visit for a month.
Clair’s Gran was amazing for her age. She was easy to talk with, knew all kinds of family history, was a great cook and more. Although she obviously had the same weight issues the rest of the family women shared, Gran’s skin was amazingly smooth for a farm wife of her age, had beautiful flowing grey hair and she was still fit and self-reliant with no signs of slowing down.
After she had been on the farm a few days, Clair and Gran were walking from the house to the barn together to groom Henry, the only horse Gran had kept after her husband died. Gran noticed that Clair kept looking towards the old cement block tool shed to the side of the barn, the one that Gran used to be locked in during their version of The Program.
“You know dear, you can go look in there if you want, I don’t mind and it is a part of your family’”, Gram said quietly.
“Looks like it has a lock on it?” Clair said as both a statement and a question.
“You go on in the barn and give Henry a feed bag of oats and I’ll go get the key.”
Clair fed Henry, then started brushing his coat. Gran came back after a few minutes and checked Henry’s water and put a few pitchforks of fresh hay in his stall.
As they left the barn, they turned to the old tool shed and Gran unlocked the padlock and slipped it out of the rusted hasp. It didn’t look, or sound like that door had been opened in years.
Clair was surprised to see the building was basically empty, she wasn’t sure what she expected but her vision included a bunch of old tools?
“Tool shed?” Clair asked. Gran, understanding her dismay said: “Oh Grandfather converted one of the horse stalls to his workshop and moved almost everything out of here pretty soon after he started locking me in here.”
Clair looked around, there was a dirt floor, but it was swept and smooth. There was an old metal army bed, just like the one in her basement except this one had a good bit more rust. There was a bucket, Clair didn’t have to guess what that was used for. There was a big, rusty chain, one end of which appeared to go through the cement block wall in the back. A frost proof hose bib came out of the ground near one wall. Above you could see the ceiling joists and the bottom of the metal roofing. There were no windows, just a single light bulb in the center of the ceiling with a light switch near the door.
Clair walked into the building and picked up the end of the chain which still had a padlock attached. “Rusty,” she said.
“Yes, none of this has been used in about, oh, six years or so I guess,” Gran replied.
“Wait,” said Clair quickly doing the math in her head, “Grandfather was still locking you in here when I was 12? I spent time at the farm that summer? We celebrated your 60-something birthday while I was here.”
“That would have been my sixty-third, if I remember we made hand crank ice cream.” Gran replied.
Clair just kept fingering the chain, obviously lost in thought.
“I remember how I used to view my mother and grandmother Clair, so I imagine this is all a bit difficult to picture, your old Gran, naked, chained on a dirt floor.” Gran said kindly. “But I found it even harder to control my weight the older I got. In fact, now that your grandfather is gone, I’m up almost 30 pounds and don’t seem to be able to control it.”
Clair was quiet for a few more minutes. “But Gran, how did you stand it in here at your..."and Clair went quiet.
“At my age?!” said Gran laughing, “It’s OK, I do know I’m old, you know. and there were nights when Grandfather had to give me extra arthritis medication or allow me a blanket. But you know dear, I wouldn’t have let him lock me in here if I didn’t like it on some level.”
Clair dropped the chain and stood up but continued to look at the floor.
After a pause Gran said: “You’re having ‘stirrings’ aren’t you dear... and they scare you.” It wasn’t a question, Gran said it like a statement.
Clair whirled around and headed out the door: “Isn’t it about time we started dinner?” she said changing the subject.
Gran smiled, “I suppose so, but you know you can talk to me or your mother about anything any time you’re ready.” And they headed back to the house for dinner.
The next Sunday, Clair went to church with Gran at First Baptist Church of Chain. It wasn’t her favorite thing to do, but it was important to Gran and so she went even though she hadn’t been in that building since Grandfather’s funeral two years ago. The service was OK, the music kind of slow and old, but the preacher had a good message about not judging people. What really caught Clair’s interest was Mr. Franklin. His name was Leon Franklin, Clair learned, and she could not have been the only Church member who noticed that he could NOT take his eyes off Gran. Before church he fixed her a cup of coffee. During church he sat right behind her. After church he opened doors for her, walked them both to the car and spent several minutes making small talk with Gran.
On the way home Clair commented: “That Mr. Franklin seems to have a thing for you!”
Gran blushed, “Oh, Leon’s a nice enough guy, he and your Grandfather were best friends, in fact sometimes too good, especially when they went drinking after the monthly Cattlemen's Association meetings.”
“So... has he ever asked you out?”
“What? No! he has too much respect for your Grandfather to do that, there is a certain amount of time expected. Besides, I'm too old to ‘date’.”
“Well, I think he’s handsome and a gentleman. And I’m quite sure grandfather would want you to be happy and have fun. And as to being too old, what, are you going to wait until you get younger?” And they both laughed.
But Clair hatched a plan.
On Monday she asked Gran to borrow the pickup to run some errands. Gran had mentioned that Leon lived on his family’s farm on the next farm road over. In fact, two of their fields were adjacent to Watkins Creek, but Clair didn’t feel like riding Henry. She went to the local grocery store to pick up some things she and Gran needed, then dropped by the Franklin Place on the way home.
She was relieved to find Mr. Franklin at home, sitting on his front porch reading the morning paper. She hadn’t seen someone read an actual newspaper in years and was surprised they still printed them.
“Well good morning, Clair, isn’t it? What a pleasant surprise, did your Gran send you by?”
“Good morning Mr. Franklin. No, Gran doesn’t know I’m here, I just wanted to drop by and deliver this cake I bought at the bakery in town. I’m sorry I didn’t bake it, I’m just not the cook that Gran is but she’s trying to teach me. But I wanted to thank you for being so nice to my Gran since Grandfather passed.”
“Well just put that on the little table there. If it’s from Mrs. Melrose’s bakery I’m sure it’s excellent but you didn’t need to do that. Your Grandfather George was my best friend and I’ve always been fond of Lou, your Gran. You know my Alice passed away about six years ago, way too early, too early.” Leon lamented. “And your grandparents were a lot of support to me at her passing.”
Clair put the cake down and took a seat in the old rocking chair.
“Would you like some iced tea or lemonade?” Leon asked.
“No, I can’t stay, but I did want to thank you, and this is probably horribly rude and forward, but life is short, and you and Gran aren’t getting younger, so why haven’t you asked her out on a date?” Clair asked all in a rush, then inspected the floor of the porch for several seconds.
Leon was taken aback for a minute, then laughed out loud, a deep rolling belly laugh that startled Clair. She wasn’t sure what to expect after her questions, but this certainly wasn’t it!
“You’re a lot like the other women in your family aren’t you kid, direct and with absolutely no concern for ‘personal space’.” Leon finally said.
“I’m sorry Mr Franklin, I should go.” Clair stammered.
“Oh, sit down Clair... and call me Leon.”
“Ummm that will be hard, Mr. Franklin.”
“Oh, you can tell me to date your grandmother, but you can’t call me by my first name?”
“It’s not how I was raised sir, it’s just automatic to call my elders by their last name.”
“Well, I appreciate that you’re looking out for your Gran, even though you are meddling, and I won’t tell Lou what you asked.” Leon said with a smile. “But just like you aren’t comfortable calling me by my first name, people of my age have certain social forms we have to follow to be comfortable.”
“Comfortable is overrated,” said Clair, “and besides, Gran likes to be uncomfortable, in fact, she likes to be tied up in all kinds of uncomfortable positions.”
When she realized what she had blurted out, Clair turned bright red. She had NO idea why she would blurt out something so personal and... well, kinky. But then, in her family, and even in school, honesty about sexuality was encouraged.
“I know, Clair,” Leon said quietly, “I’m a bit surprised you know and even more surprised you blurted that out, but I guess I shouldn’t be given your family.”
Clair was dumbfounded: “You know? What do you know?”
“Years ago, on one of our post Cattlemen's Association drinking nights, George had way too many beers. He had the good sense to know he was too drunk to drive home so he handed me his keys. I suggested that I just drive him to my house and he could sleep it off on the couch, that way he wouldn’t get in quite as much trouble with Lou. That’s when he slurred out: ‘Oh she won’t be half as mad as she will be if I leave her chained up in that shed all night without checking on her.’”
“What did you do?” Clair asked.
“Well, at first,” Leon replied, “I assumed it was a joke or just an inappropriate excuse for why I needed to take him home. But when I realized how drunk he was, and how serious he was, and nobody can be more serious than a drunk, I drove him straight home. Problem was, he passed out on the way home, and I had to carry him in the house.”
“So...” Clair asked, leaning in to hear the story.
“So... I went out to the only “shed” on their property. It was locked, so I knocked, which seems kinda silly today, but it was all I could think of to do at the time.”
“And?” asked Clair.
“Well, this voice, that was obviously Lou, said: ‘why in the world are you knocking George?’ I was in shock for a minute then I replied: ‘It’s not George, it’s Leon.’”
To make a long story short, I asked her where the key was and told her if I couldn’t get the key that I was going to my truck to get a crowbar and break the lock. She tried to tell me that she was fine, to just go away but finally told me the key was on the kitchen counter in a mason jar with other keys.”
Mr. Franklin obviously didn’t want to go on, but Clair just wouldn’t let the story stop there: “So? Did you open the shed?”
“No, I went and got the key and unlocked the shed, but Lou said ‘Leon I’m... I’m not dressed. Please don’t open the door, I’m fine. George and I do this... a lot.’ I hesitated. I didn’t know at the time that she was also chained inside the shed so I told her the shed was unlocked and I would go back and sleep on the couch until your Grandfather woke up, and then we were going to have a little talk.”
“And did you?” Chair asked.
“Yep, your grandfather woke up hungover as hell, came into the kitchen to fix some coffee, saw me on the couch and about threw up from shock. He took a robe and went out and collected Lou and we all sat at the kitchen table, and they told me everything. And I’ve kept their confidence ever since, although at the time I thought they were both crazy.”
“Holy shit,” exclaimed Clair, “Oh, sorry, but I never imagined. Do you still think she’s crazy?”
“No, the more I thought about it the more I realized that they were both the same people I knew my whole life. What they did in the bedroom, or a shed, was none of my business if Lou was safe and happy, and she assured me she was.”
“And I’m sure,” giggled Clair, “That you never even once thought about Gran in that shed naked.”
“This conversation has gone on quite far enough young lady,” Mr. Franklin said sternly but with a bit of a smile on his face.
“Hmm, I’ve heard,” Clair said as she stood up to leave, “that there is a new romantic comedy playing at the theatre in Chain.”
Sure enough, the next evening, Leon called Gran. Clair was in the kitchen when she answered and heard “Oh, hello Leon.” So, Clair stood up and looked directly at Gran with an expression on her face that clearly said, “Don’t you DARE tell him no!” And Lou didn’t... tell him no that is.
The following Saturday night Mr. Franklin picked up Lou in his pickup, dressed in his Sunday suit (which amused Clair no end) and carrying a nice bouquet of wildflowers he had picked off his property. Gran was dressed in a low-cut flowered dress that Clair didn’t even know she owned much less would wear. And she had on perfume!
After the movie Lou invited Leon in for Coffee and Clair made a point of staying in her room, but to her disappointment, after a few hours of talk, which Clair couldn’t hear, Leon went home. Well, she thought with a smile, it was probably way too much to expect him to sleep over on the first date.
Over the next few weeks, Leon and Lou went out a couple of times each week, and on Sunday Leon came over for dinner. The following Sunday Gran mentioned that Leon had invited her over for dinner but that there were leftovers in the fridge Clair could have, making it clear that Clair wasn’t invited. “You know Gran, your night vision isn’t so good for driving so I’d feel better if you waited until morning to drive home,” Clair said with a smile.
“Humph,” said Gran. But that evening Clair noticed Gran put a small bag with a change of clothes in the backseat.
It had been a while since either Lou or Leon had been naked in front of another, except doctors of course, and neither of them had slept with anyone other than their spouses. There was some hesitation, some awkwardness. After dinner they were sitting on the couch talking and drinking coffee when there was a pause in the conversation. Lou had just decided that this was going to work and when Lou decided something... So, without comment she simply took her blouse off. And he took his shirt off. And she took her bra off. And before they stopped to think about what they were doing, they were naked in the living room.
“I couldn’t find any lube or Vaseline at the house Leon, I don’t know where the tube George and I used has gotten to, I guess I threw it out.” Lou said quietly.
“I don’t think I have any, but I have an idea.” Leon said, knowing that at their age, things would be very uncomfortable for both of them without artificial lubrication. He scrambled into the kitchen and Lou noticed that he had a nice butt for an ‘old man’. She hoped he hadn’t been put off by the fact that her nipples almost touched her belly button!”
In a minute he came back with a plastic bottle of olive oil. “My wife and I actually preferred this to Vaseline, although it will stain.”
“Well, then I guess we should either move to the bedroom or put a towel down on the couch.” Grinned Lou as she grabbed his hand and led him into his bedroom. As they entered, he turned on the light. She reached over and turned it off. He went back and turned it on again.
“Look here” Leon said, pointing at his penis which was mostly erect. “A man’s penis never lies, and I’m standing here looking right at your body, sags, wrinkles, and all, and I’m turned on. If that doesn’t help you relax, there are no words I can say that are going to convince you. But I want to look at you, all of you, leave the lights on.”
Lou didn’t expect them to make love like 20-year-olds, but she was surprised and how much she enjoyed the evening. Leon did fuck her for a while, but honestly it was hurting a little as with age, she had lost a lot of lining in her vagina. And Leon was getting soft quickly and having trouble staying inside Lou. Leon rolled off and Lou sat up and started to stroke him. She remembered from George’s penis that the skin gets thin in older men and so she kept it light but was relentless. Before long Leon started to moan, then thrust up with his hips, then, suddenly, he spurted. Lou giggled with girlish delight for what she had done! After relaxing a minute, Leon pushed her back and dove, face first between Lou’s thighs. Lou was almost 70 and had never been eaten before. She didn’t have any basis for comparison, but she absolutely loved the way Leon stroked the sides of her clit with his tongue. When he plunged his tongue into her and started nibbling at her labia she was in heaven. But it quickly became apparent she wasn’t going to come.
“Wait, Wait, you’re doing great, but I need more, wait... “Lou said and she hopped up and ran back to the living room. Now it was Leon’s turn to admire her butt. Lou dug around in her purse and came back with a small, battery powered vibrator. “Amazon, $29.95” Lou said a little embarrassed because she didn’t want Leon to think she had been in the little adult book and novelty store in Chain.
A few minutes later, with two of Leon’s fingers in her, fingertips on her g-spot and the vibrator carefully and lightly applied to her clit, she did a long exhale, shuddered, and came. She didn’t come like she had when she was younger, but it was wonderful, and relaxing, and they both cuddled up and fell fast asleep.