My Yellowstone Odyessy

Chapter 19

18 Young Grasshopper

We stopped at the Hamilton store to mail some post cards buy something to drink and a couple snacks, as we headed out to the bikes, Terry muttered, "Weather report is calling for rain tonight, better get everything we're not wearing tomorrow, or going to use right away packed up." His very abrupt way of speaking suggested to me that he was upset about something, and I intended to find out what. We spent some time packing up gear we wouldn't be using, and clothes we wouldn't be wearing tomorrow, which as it turned out was pretty much everything, we had no more clean clothes, I heard Terry grumbling about it, but we forgot to get to a Laundromat to wash some stuff out.

We sat down a minute at the table so Terry could look some literature over, I watched him reading for a moment then spoke, "Baby, what did you mean back there about something "Never happening again?" He looked up at me with that expression of his, kind of a half squint, pained expression look. Emitting a sigh he stood up and moved away from the table, holding both his hands face out fingers spread, "Baby, come here and punch my hands just as hard as you can," I looked at him with horror and said "No, I'm not going to do that, why would I want to hit you?" He rolled his eyes and replied, "Just as I figured." I realized he was really serious so I stepped over to where he was standing and balled my fists. "Listen carefully Krin, don't worry, you won't hurt me, but really lay into it, hit my hands just as hard as you can."

I looked at his hands and punched each one with both my fists, he barely flinched "Harder Krin, put everything you have into it," this time I drove my fists hard into his open hands, still not doing very much except hurting my hands. "You're going to have to do a lot better than that to have any effect, if I had seen those guys doing what you say they were trying to do, I would have put a serious warp on their heads, driven a boot into their faces while they were down, maybe even in their nuts, Hell! Probably would have gone to jail, point is you don't screw around with types like that, you put them down to give you time to run away or in my case, half kill them." I gasped, I had never heard this kind of talk from Terry, but he had a grim expression on his face, indicating he meant it. He approached me putting his arm around my shoulder and looking me in the face, "If you really want to learn a few things to defend yourself with, I can teach you, but you have to make up your mind if you really want to learn, I'm not going to waste my time if you don't care."

"What kind of things?" "using your fists, kicking effectively, using a knife, stuff like that, I'd feel a whole lot better knowing my baby could defend herself, I'll meet you halfway, but you have to make up your mind what you want to do." I looked at him and sighed, "Let me think about it," "Well don't think too long about it." Suddenly his face brightened and he reached out to hug me and plant a sweet kiss on my lips, "I just want you to be safe, more self confident." "What would you have me learn?" "I'll show you how to make a punching bag filled with sand, hang it from your basement ceiling, I'll show you how to hit, how to move, how to carry and use a knife, basically it's just a matter of sticking to it, you said you worked out with weights? Good, keep it up, working out everyday on that bag will build self confidence and your muscles as well, when you can push my hand back Grasshopper, it will be time for you to leave."

"Yes Master" I smiled and kissed him, "If you want to teach me I'll make a real effort to learn, it might be fun," "Well I don't know about "fun" but if you'll make the effort to learn, I be more than happy to teach you, I'm not talking about turning you into some sort of lady boxer, but sticking with just the basics will go a long way to getting yourself out of a jam." "That's all I could ask for baby," I purred.