The Forbidden Show Pt 2(Conclusion): Texas Farm Girl Katie Challenges British Champion Wendy
By Supporturgoddess
Young Brandon had planned to marry his college sweetheart, until he went to Padre Island during his spring break and fell in love with another woman. Brandon was left with a choice. Unsure of his course, he showed up at his family’s annual reunion. Brandon’s ancient great grandfather, Cyrus, saw how distracted his great grandson was and brought him into his den to talk. Brandon explained his problem.
“Before you make your choice,” the old man said, “let me tell you about a similar choice I had to make long ago, when I was about your age.
“About eighty or so years ago, I lived in a dusty little prairie town. I worked all day in blistering heat and barely slept through muggy nights. There wasn’t much to do in my spare time other than to watch the clouds roll past and the grass grow.
“Every once in a great while though, things changed. Some summers, when the air grew hot and oppressive and late summer thunderstorms lined the horizon, a traveling circus came to town. Now, this was no ordinary circus with elephants and clowns and the like. No sir! This carnival came with burlesque acts, strippers, and more! Local preachers said The Devil himself was behind such ‘lewd’ entertainment. Every girl in the county warned the boys that if any of us were caught with the ‘low’ women at the carnival, they would never go out with us again!
“The dusty, dreary days passed slowly that summer, as I waited to see if the circus would come through. I spent my free time with my friends out at a wide bend in a river, just trying to beat the god-awful heat.
“One day we went out to our favorite spot and found the most beautiful girl any of us had ever seen, sunning herself on a rock in the middle of the creek! She wore nothing but tiny, pink undergarments and a wide smile! She ran her fingers through her long, reddish-brown hair and worked on her very uneven suntan.
“The girl was very, very friendly. She said her name was Katie Bell, and that she had just arrived. She explained that her Pa was looking to buy a small farm in the area. Despite being such a pretty little thing, Katie turned out to be rowdy, raunchy, fearless and fun. She acted like one of the boys. She always went barefoot, but hot rocks and sharp thistles didn’t bother her a bit. She could run and climb and roughhouse with the best of ‘em. I fell in love with that adorable Texas tomboy! Unfortunately, so did just about every other boy who met her! Before long, bigger, older, more experienced boys were cutting me out of the picture. I couldn’t stand to watch them with their hands all over her, so I left the lake.
“I drove along, praying for anything that could take my mind off the cute little farm girl.
“As I neared town, I saw a tiny figure by the road ahead. Though largely hidden beneath a parasol, I made out that it was a young woman. I stopped to offer her a ride into town. To my complete astonishment, I discovered my passenger was a petite, blue-eyed blond Englishwoman, every bit as lovely as Katie from the lake! She introduced herself as Wendy Tibit. She explained that she was headed into town to meet some people, when her car broke down.
“I drove the pale British beauty to the bus stop in our town park. Her friends had not yet arrived. We spent that afternoon together in the park. I came to believe Wendy was simply the sweetest, most beautiful, daintiest and most exquisitely feminine creature ever to walk the Earth! She was like the princess from that old fairytale, The Princess and the Pea, so soft and delicate that any little thing might upset her. She used her huge, colorful parasol to protect her pale, dove-soft skin from the ravages of the sun. I had to lift her over mud puddles. I came to see the Brit as a delicate little flower, as different as night from day compared to cute Texas Tomboy, Katie.
“I naturally introduced Katie to every boy I could find in town, showing off my new lady.
“Just as I worked up the nerve to ask Wendy on a date, her friends arrived. My heart sank, as she hurried to meet them.
I called out, “Will I ever see you again?”
“She looked back over her shoulder at me. ‘There’s a carnival coming to town. You should go. I just might be there, too.’
“Any doubts I had about attending the forbidden carnival vanished!
“Days passed. I began to think the show wasn’t coming. Then, very late one night, I heard a weird, eerie whistle, the kind of sound trains don’t make anymore, a mournful, bone-chilling sound from a bygone century. The circus had arrived.
“The next night, I was determined to find Wendy. She said she’d be at the show. The town elders wouldn’t allow a ‘traveling den of inequity’ into our county, so the carnival had to set up across the county line. I made my way through a dense cornfield, following the sound of calliope music. I finally stepped out of the cornstalks and stepped into another, magical world, a world of chills and thrills and games of chance, a world of terrifying freak shows…and breathtaking beauty.
“I saw that one of my pals had found the nerve to come to the show. We went from ride to ride, exhibit to exhibit, and then we found something special. We found a particularly large tent. In front stood a life-size poster of a beautiful brunette woman wearing a huge white cowboy hat, white boots with spurs, and a bikini which seemed to be made from a Texas state flag. She held a gaudy, gold belt, which proclaimed her ’Dallas Dawn’, the woman wrestling champion of Texas.
She was here to defend her title.
“Well, in those days, boys couldn’t watch women wrestling whenever they wanted to. It was illegal in many areas! The idea of two little beauties in a real scrap had my heart a-pounding! We went in to watch the show.
“After a spell “Dallas Dawn” came in, waving a huge Texas flag. Naturally all the native Texans cheered on their champ. Then her opponent was announced. Imagine my shock when, prancing down the aisle, came my delicate little English flower, Wendy Tibit! Dainty little darlin’ that she was, she wore slippers to protect her delicate little feet, and had the ring announcer lift her up onto the ring and hold open the ropes for her as she entered. My heart was about to explode! What chance did my sweet, gentle English rose have against the Texas champion?
“Suddenly everything changed! Wendy’s once sweet voice dripped with arrogance. She explained that she was the woman wrestling champion of Britain, come to American looking for a challenge. She said she hadn’t found one. She held Texas, Texans, and especially our champion, in disdain, claiming British girls are simply superior to American girls…ESPECIALLY ‘mere’ Texas girls!
“The crowd wanted Dallas Dawn to tear the condescending Brit apart!
“Instead, I watched in utter astonishment as the tiny, delicate Englishwoman mopped up the ring with our Texas champion! It wasn’t even close! When the fight was over, Dallas Dawn lie out cold at the Englishwoman’s feet. She hadn’t just beaten the Texas champion, she had humbled and humiliated her!
(SEE THE FORBIDDEN SHOW PT. 1 for this match)
“Naturally the proud--and drunk--Texans were outraged. Wendy literally laughed in their faces! She mocked the cowboys further by showing off the Texas title belt she now owned. The cowboys booed and tossed cups at the ring. The mob seemed almost out of hand, when Wendy offered them a challenge, a way to restore their state pride.
“Wendy taunted, ‘I was supposed to fight Dallas Dawn once more before we leave, but I’m afraid I’ve humbled her far too badly! I’ve an idea. Surely there is some local girl you can talk into stepping into the ring to face me! I’ll give your girl one last chance to reclaim the Texas title, by wrestling her at the end of the week. I’ll even help give your girl a fighting chance, by making this a fan involvement match! If she wins, she’ll reclaim the Texas title. If not….’
“I only took my eyes off Wendy for a moment, as they carried Dallas Dawn out of the ring. When I looked back, Wendy had vanished, like…magic. I had been the only man in the tent cheering for the Englishwoman. The cowboys were ready to tear me apart! I took off running, knowing I’d be lucky to live through the night!”
Brandon looked up and teased, “So, did you live, Grandpa?”
The old man frowned. “Don’t sass me, boy.”
“What happened next?”
The old man continued his story. “Well sir, The Englishwoman’s challenge was all anyone could talk about. After all, pride, was on the line! We knew none of the local girls were brave or tough enough to fight Wendy Tibit. Nope. We all agreed there was only one girl who had a chance.”
Brandon nodded. “Let me guess…Katie from the lake, right?”
“Exactly! All the local boys got together, agreeing to work as a team. They fully expected one hell of a time trying to convince the farm girl to fight. To their surprise, she jumped at the offer! When they told her all the things Wendy had said about Texas girls, Katie was fit to be tied, raging mad! She said she’d grown up ‘wrasslin’ her sisters and cousins, and claimed she could whoop all of them! Katie said she couldn’t wait to get her hands on the Brit, saying that no pasty white, pampered tenderfoot from England could beat a down-home Texas farm girl in an all-out fight!
“I whispered, ‘Are you sure, Katie? I mean, she’s the champion of Britain….’
“Katie cupped her warm palms around my face, cradling it. She smiled sweetly. I felt a tingling in my heart…and in another place, too!
“Katie said, ‘That’s so sweet! You don’t have to worry none about me! I can handle her, easy!’
“The fight was on!
“All seemed well. Then, the night before the fight, I happened to drive out passed the river. I saw Katie sitting alone on her rock. I went out to see if she was all right. She looked up at me with a forlorn expression, and told me what I had already surmised. ‘Yeah, okay…maybe I’m a little scared. I mean, she’s the British champion and all….All the other boys just want to see me fight. You were the only one who cared about what might happen to me. You’re the only one who cares….’
“I was just about to suggest Katie back down, when she suddenly firmed up her chin, leaned in so close her nose touched mine, looked up at me with her deep, brown eyes and said, “Don’t worry. I won’t chicken out! I’ll fight to my last breath. That British gal might beat me up pretty bad, but I’ll be the last girl on her feet. You’ll see! I promise! I’ll win, for Texas, for all my new friends…and most of all, I’ll win for you, the one boy who cares about me!’
“She was determined to fight! She whispered, ‘Be sure and come to the fight. Make sure all the other boys come, to. I’ll need all the support I can get!’
“The night of the big fight arrived. I got there early and had to wait. I bought a hotdog and a few snacks, paying extra for small packs of pepper and salt. Truth is I was nervous as hell, and almost throwing up. I hoped eating something would settle my stomach, but if anything, the spicy food made matters worse. Finally, a talker came out and announced a special challenge match, for the Texas women’s championship title. Before long, the tent was full to overflowing!
“The ring announcer shouted, ‘Introducing the challenger. She’ll be fighting out of the red corner, standing up for the pride of Texas and representing all Texans! Standing 5’3” tall, weighing in at 114 lbs., wearing a yellow two piece bathing suit…
Welcome Texas’ own…Miss Katie Bell!’
“Katie came out. She waved a foot-long Texas flag, which I assumed Dallas Dawn probably left behind. Katie skipped down the aisle, her reddish-brown hair bouncing on her shoulders, basking in cheers and whistles. When she reached the front row she looked down at me, a wide, slightly uneven grin spreading between her suntanned cheeks. She suddenly plopped herself down, sitting in my lap! The crowd went wild.
“Katie put one arm around my neck and said, “I shore am glad you came to cheer me on! Don’t you worry none! A Texas girl can always beat a British girl!”
“Cheers turned to boos, as the ring announcer shouted, ‘And her opponent, fighting out of the blue corner, The Woman wrestling champion of Great Britain and current owner of the Texas women wrestling championship belt, standing five feet tall and weighing in tonight at a mere ninety-nine lbs., wearing a light blue Union jack inspired swimsuit, welcome Miss Wendy Tibit!’
“Wendy pranced down the aisle, her long, straight, blond hair whipping back and forth behind her back. Then Wendy came around the corner and saw Katie in my lap. The Brit’s blue eyes widened! She put her hands on the sides of her hips and tapped her foot, waiting for an explanation!
“Before I could say a word, the British blond said, ‘I believe you’re in my seat!’ She put her foot on Katie’s leg and shoved the farm girl to the floor! ‘Ooh’s’ filled the air! Katie looked up wide-eyed, her mouth hanging open in shock, as Wendy sat on my lap! The Brit cooed, ‘Not to worry. This one’s in far worse shape than the last. I’ll tie her up in knots and be done with her.’
“Katie rose, looking down at us in disbelief. She took a fistful of the Brit’s golden hair and pulled her off me!
“Eyes blazing, both the brunette Texan and the Blond Brit turned to me and spoke in unison. “Who are you here to cheer for, me…or her?”
“I honestly didn’t know for sure!
Katie didn’t wait for my answer. She spun Wendy to face her and shouted, ‘He’s a Texan, like me! He came to watch me kick your British behind!’
“The crowd roared.
“Wendy snapped, ‘He’s here to watch me give you the spanking you need! Once I have you groveling at my feet, you can look up and watch as he leaves with me!’
“Katie rolled into the ring, daring Wendy to fight her! Wendy, however, played her part as the delicate English rose, waiting for the referee to hold open the ropes for her, and infuriating Katie by making her wait until she took off her slippers. Both girls elected to wrestle barefoot.
“The referee took a few minutes to explain the rules to amateur Katie. It seemed she had agreed to a fan involvement match, a match in which the fans would be allowed to hand the wrestlers ‘weapons’ they had brought! As I glanced around, I was relieved to see that most of the so-called weapons were gag items meant either as jokes or as ways for one girl to embarrass the other. One guy had a big jar of maple syrup in one hand and a feather pillow in the other. Another fella’ held a fly swatter. Some things were a little nastier than others, though.
“Finally, the gals took to their corners. They glared at each other across the ring, arms outstretched along the top rope, as though their hands had to clench the ropes just to keep from pouncing on each other!
“The bell rang! They ran together, pushing wildly. Then they clenched hands-in-hands, planting their feet and trying to shove each other backward to the ropes behind them. Wendy won. She forced Katie’s back against the ropes. Katie struggled in vain. Suddenly the Brit spun the farm girl around so she faced out of the ring. Then Wendy kicked Katie’s hips! Wendy grinned and started to prance away. Suddenly Katie whirled, put her bare foot up on Wendy’s hips! Shocked, Wendy yelped, flying down to her front! The crowd cheered! Wendy looked up at me in shock, pouting. If she thought she was going to walk over Katie, she was wrong! Katie could fight!
“Wendy kicked her feet straight out, presumably hoping to kick Katie’s feet out from under her. Instead, Katie hoped over Wendy’s legs and sat down hard on Wendy’s tiny stomach! Wendy yelled. I flinched a bit. That had to hurt! Katie grabbed Wendy’s wrists, trying to pin them down. Wendy strained until her face turned red, but Katie was stronger! She slammed Wendy’s wrists down! The crowd chanted, ‘One….Two….’ Three didn’t come. Wendy kicked her foot up and around Katie’s chin, to take her down backward. Katie let go of the Englishwoman’s wrists, seized her pale foot, and the farm girl bit the bottom of the Englishwoman’s bare foot! The crowd brought the house down! Wendy’s blue eyes bulged. She let out a high-pitched howl. She pulled her foot free and rolled to the far end of the mat, rubbing her foot and sulking. The farm girl rose, grinning. Obviously Katie wasn’t afraid to fight dirty, if that’s what it took to win.
“Wendy waved her arms around comically, whining to the referee, ‘She’s cheating! She bit my foot! She bit my foo-oo-oo-t!’
“The crowd booed her, calling her a weakling and a coward.
“Katie mocked the Brit, shouting, ‘Aw, what’s wrong, tenderfoot? Can’t you fight?’
Wendy charged. The women struggled. Again the Brit pushed the Texan to the ropes. The British champion then sent the Texas farm girl hurtling into the adjacent ropes. I could see the startled look on Katie’s face, when the ropes bounced her back to Wendy. Katie returned tripping over her own feet, totally off balance. Wendy ducked down low and rose, flipping Katie high over her. Katie crashed down hard on her back. The little farm girl yelped, arching her body and reaching for her lower back in obvious pain. The stunned, bewildered expression on Katie’s face spoke volumes. The farm girl could fight, but this wasn’t down-home ‘wrasslin’. This was wrestling, the real deal. When it came to skill, country girl Katie was hopelessly outclassed by the British champion.
“Wendy leapt up then crashed down with a knee which grazed off the top of Katie’s forehead. Katie yelled loudly, sitting straight up and grabbing her forehead. That proved to be exactly what Wendy wanted. She sat behind the stunned Texan, wrapping her pale but perfect legs around the Texan’s waist.
“Wendy gloated to Katie, ‘Now, let’s see exactly how tough you truly are!’
“The Englishwoman locked her ankles together and tightened her thighs around the farm girl’s midsection. Katie sat erect, looking right at me. Her face flushed white from pain. Wendy squeezed her legs tighter and tighter around Katie’s stomach. Katie started to fall forward, but another squeeze set her up straight, her legs wide apart, bare feet straight up and down, heels pounding the mat in pain. She pulled and pulled at Wendy’s smooth, white legs, trying to pull them off, but Wendy’s legs were too strong. Katie looked right at me, her beautiful brown eyes full of fear and uncertainty.
“Wendy looked at me with a satisfied smile. ‘Are you ready to beg for my mercy, Texan?’
“The Texan shouted, ’No!’, but country girl Katie was in trouble.
“The Brit laughed! ‘No? Well then, it’s time I did something about that wide, flabby backside of yours!’ Keeping her legs tight around the farm girl’s waist, Wendy rocked back, using her legs to lift Katie off the mats for a moment. Wendy then straightened her legs and rocked forward, sending Katie’s cute bottom slamming hard to the mat! Katie cried out, as much in shame as pain. Even some of the cowboys had to laugh. Wendy did it to her again and again, embarrassing proud Katie to the point of tears! Then, when I wasn’t sure Katie could take any more, Wendy started to squeeze her again. Wendy’s legs squeezed Katie’s stomach until I was afraid she’d burst! Now, I saw my older brother break his arm once, but except for that, I’d never seen as much pain on anyone’s face as I saw on Katie’s face, as Wendy’s legs squeezed tighter and tighter around her waist.
“In desperation, Katie reached down, trying to grab Wendy’s foot.
“Wendy demanded, ‘Let go of my toes! I mean it! I said, let go!’
“Katie yanked Wendy’s tiny toes apart. Wendy yelled, but she responded by squeezing even harder. Wendy pulled again. A battle of wills began, as each girl tried to endure the increasing pain. Suddenly Katie let go and tossed up her hands, whimpering. ‘Okay! Okay!’
“Face distorted in agony, Katie kicked her legs halfway out of the ring under the bottom rope. The bottom of her feet dangled inches from my face. The referee ruled she was in the ropes. He forced a very unhappy Wendy to release her hold.
“The British beauty reached down and seized a fistful of Katie’s reddish-brown hair, using it to pull the farm girl out and lay her on her back in mid ring. The Englishwoman stood over Katie, wiping her bare foot in the Texan’s face!
“The Brit taunted the crowd. ‘There, you see? I told you I’d have her groveling at my feet!’
“I guess you can imagine how that went over. The crowd booed and hurtled cups at the ring.
“Utterly humiliated by the taste of Wendy’s foot in her mouth, Katie kicked madly and finally managed to sit up. Once again the Brit had her outwitted Texas foe playing right into her hands. Wendy again applied a leg scissors, but this time she slapped her mouthwatering thighs around Katie’s head! Wendy relaxed on her side, while her legs crushed Katie’s face! On her back, Katie’s legs kicked feverishly in mid air, but then they began to slow until they finally dropped, spent, exhausted. Wendy leaned forward and I leaned toward the ring, so that our faces were only a couple of feet apart. She grinned impishly, proud of herself. Behind her, her legs crushed and squeezed Katie’s head until it was almost purple! I was half afraid that little British gal would squeeze Katie’s head off her shoulders!
“Wendy’s eyes suddenly bulged and she screamed so hard she sprinkled my face with spit. She threw open her legs. I saw Katie had a mouthful of Wendy’s upper, inner thigh, biting her!
“Wendy let go and rolled away, screeching, ‘Cheater! Stop biting me! Oh ref, please! Make her stop biting me! That’s not fair!’
“Katie rose, gasping for air. ‘What wrong, tenderfoot? Can’t you handle yourself in a real fight?’
“Now furious, the little Brit marched in and slapped the farm girl flat in her face! Katie spun around, but she spun back, slamming an all-out haymaker fist into Wendy’s jaw! The crowd cheered. Wendy took a wobbling step, fell to one knee, rose, shuddered violently, and then fell to both knees. She looked out at me almost cross-eyed, one hand rubbing her jaw, eyes full of disbelief!
“With the Texans in the tent going wild, Katie seized a handful of Wendy’d long, golden hair. She pulled Wendy to her feet and then flipped the screaming Englishwoman head-over-heels through the air by her hair! Wendy crashed to her back and then sat up very straight, her feet kicking madly, screaming her lungs out as much in protest as in pain! This wasn’t supposed to be happening! The lowly Texas farm girl, a complete ametuer, was beating her! Katie hauled her up and did it again and again, until Wendy lie flat on her back, tears welling in her huge, blue eyes. Katie then stood with one foot by each of Wendy’s ears, standing on Wendy’s hair. Katie pulled up on Wendy’s wrists, yanking out the Brit’s golden hair! Wendy cried out wildly! The beautiful Englishwoman in the light blue, Union Jack inspired swimsuit arched her body in a useless attempt to lessen the pain. Finally Katie dropped Wendy and, as much to her own satisfaction as to the crowd’s, Katie wiped and rubbed her bare foot in Wendy’s face, taking a little revenge.
“Suddenly Wendy kicked her foot up under Katie’s ribs, sending her crashing down.
“Katie rose faster. She pulled Wendy up by her hair and sent the young Brit hurtling into the far ropes.Wendy bounced back. Katie stooped over, to flip Wendy as Wendy had flipped her. Instead, Wendy hit the brakes and slapped the top of her foot into Katie’s face! Katie went down, hard. Wendy pulled Katie up. Katie through a wild punch, but Wendy ducked under it. Each woman whirled back to face the other, but the Brit was the faster girl. She caught Katie flush on her jaw with a spin kick that floored the farm girl.
“Wendy took her own revenge, leaping up and sitting down hard in the pit of Katie’s stomach, expelling air from her lungs. She then pulled Katie’s feet up and over her body, folding Katie up until Katie’s feet touched the mats on either side of her own head. The farm girl was bent so severly I could just about count the vertebrae in her spine! Wendy bounced up and lunged down, pumping her and threatening to break the Texan’s back! Katie’s hands flailed desperately. She cried out again and again, but she refused to surrender.
“Wendy looked back over her shoulder at me and flashed a tiny, wicked smile. She pulled Katie over so she faced me, only a few feet from my front row seat. Wendy rolled Katie over to her front, sat on Katie’s hips and clamped her hands together under Katie’s chin, pulling the Texan’s upper half up and back, while the Brit’s weight pinned the Texan’s lower body to the mat. This move put tremendous pressure on the farm girl’s already injured lower back.
“Katie cried, ‘Oh God, no!’ as Wendy rocked, working the Texan’s lower back.Katie’s face showed fear and despair, as she cried out, ‘Oh God! Oh God!’
“The beautiful British blond applied more and more pressure to the country girl’s lower back. ‘Now,’ Wendy said, coldly, ‘I want you to beg for my mercy. Beg me…in front of him!’
“A look of horror flashed in Katie’s eyes. She kept refusing to beg, but the girl was in agony! Katie finally kicked her feet back and under Wendy’s chin, pulling the Englishwoman off, but the damage was done. Katie rolled back and forth from shoulder to shoulder, body arched, holding her back in pain. The British blond scooped the barefoot brunette completely off her feet and then slammed her back down over her bended knee. Katie Bell screamed flat out. Katie had claimed she’d have no trouble beating up a pampered, weak little British girl, only to have the pale blond Englishwoman beat the daylights out of her, toe-to-toe in a fair fight! Katie Bell had relied on her body and heart, while the Brit had outsmarted the country girl, choosing one body part to focus on, repeatedly attacking Katie’s back until it grew weaker and weaker….
“Wendy lifted Katie to finish her. Now clearly desperate, Katie jammed her fingers into the English girl’s blue eyes. Wendy howled, clamping her hands over her face and stumbling backward until she fell. Katie was fighting dirty, but by this point she had no other choice. Another punishing hold or move to her back would force her to surrender. Before the Brit could recover, the gasping little brunette poured herself out of the ring under the bottom rope. Katie Bell lie on her own knees, face down in the dirt, one hand behind her on her injured lower back.
“Wendy slowly rose. She held the ropes, looking down and shouting, “Do Texas girls always run in fear of British girls? Can’t you ever stand and fight fairly?”
“The crowd booed. Katie’s pride was hurting, but her body was hurting more. She simply had to retreat, to stop the Englishwoamn’s attack long enough to pull herself together. Of course Wendy knew that, too, and she had no intention of giving the Texan that chance. Wendy leapt out of the ring to press her attack on Katie. Katie staggered to her feet, backing to the end of the ring farthest from me. Furious, the angry Brit raked her fingers across Katie’s eyes, yelling, ’How do you like it?’ Katie howled.
“Wendy hit Katie in her belly, doubling her up. Wendy then kicked Katie in her face! The Englishwoman’s foot struck perfectly, heel to chin, sole across Katie’s lips, toes to her forehead. Katie flew back over the guard rail with such force she took several spectators down with her, toppling chairs and sending popcorn flying. The downed members of the crowd stood, trying to lift Katie to her feet. One fella’ pinched the brunette’s chin and turned her head side to side, while others patted her back and arms, trying to bring their girl around. Wendy’s kick had either knocked Katie out cold for a few seconds, or it came damn close!
“This was Wendy’s golden opportunity to finish the farm girl, and yet she just stood there, frozen in place. The Brit had made a foolish mistake, and she knew it. The Brit had had the Texan on the ropes, when she carelessly kicked the farm girl into a crowd made up of her fellow Texans! Wendy could no more charge into that crowd after Katie than she could dive into a nest of rattlesnakes! Wendy watched wide-eyed and helpless, as Katie got the breather she needed. Far worse for my little English flower, I saw someone slipping something into Katie’s hand behind her back, hidden from the Brit’s view.
“Wendy demanded Katie come out of the crowd and fight her. Katie obliged. Just as Katie threw her tan leg over the guard rail, she hurtled an egg someone had handed to her. The egg shattered right between the British beauty’s eyes! Wendy stood frozen in shock, her mouth wide open to form a perfect ‘O’. For the briefest of moments she was blinded by the egg on her face, maybe unsure of exactly what had hit her. Katie charged, lifting the Brit off her feet and plowing forward, ramming the Englishwoman’s back to the edge of the ring. Wendy shouted. Katie fired off a huge fist to the Brit’s jaw, sending her down. Wendy looked up just in time to see the bottom of Katie’s foot coming down into her face. Katie stomped away furiously, until she had just about stomped Wendy flat.
“The Englishwoman kicked out blindly, desperate to get the Texan off her. Again, Wendy’s kick backfired. Katie flew back but spun in time to catch herself on the guard rail, directly in front of the supportive crowd. Gasping and hurt, Wendy pulled up, with her back against the ring. Katie faced the crowd, her back to Wendy. Wendy marched in. Just as she reached to spin Katie around, Katie took a deep inhalation from some guy’s cigar. Wendy grabbed Katie’s shoulder and spun her to face her. Katie blew smoke in the Englishwoman’s face! The Brit gagged and coughed, blinking furiously, half-blind from the smoke in her eyes. The crowd roared with laughter.
“Katie let out a kind of Southwestern battle cry. ‘Yee-Ha!’ She leapt on the Brit, taking her down. The two most beautiful women I had ever--or have ever--seen rolled back and forth, fighting furiously at my feet! Katie won. She sat on the Englishwoman’s stomach, sending down slaps and punches. She then choked the Brit and pulled her hair. The wrestling match had turned into a streetfight, a barroom brawl, the kind of fight Katie was good at. She beat the you-know-what out of Wendy!
“The country girl stood over the quaking, gasping Brit. She looked around. The cowboys in the crowd cheered her on and offered her ‘weapons’ to use. Katie chose a bar of strong soap and rubbed it in Wendy’s eyes. The English beauty just sat there, howling in pain. Katie then forced the soap into Wendy’s mouth. Wendy kicked awkwardly, gagging and spitting up a bit.”
The old man glanced down at his great grandson. “Soap was different in those days, boy. Believe me, you didn’t want it in your eyes or mouth!
“Anyway, Katie scooped Wendy up, to slam her on the hard ground. Pain shot through the cute farm girl’s big, brown eyes. Katie dropped the Brit and reached for her back in obvious pain. I guessed that after all the punishment Wendy poured into Katies lower back, it just couldn’t take the strain of lifting Wendy up like that anymore.
“Of course Wendy had taken her own beating. She was hurt. She crawled away. She reached out her hand to the crowd, practically begging someone…anyone…to give her a weapon to use against Katie. The Texans in the crowd lowered their weapons, refusing to help the Brit in any way.
“In the tiniest voice, Wendy whined, ‘But…that’s not fair!’
“My little English flower had been overconfident. She had not only believed she could easily defeat the farm girl toe-to-toe in the ring, but she also believed she could beat Katie even if the Texas gal had the crowd to help her. Wendy’s overconfidence was costing her, dearly.
“While Wendy was denied anything to use to defend herself, Katie had her choice. She came up behind Wendy, brandishing a man’s leather belt! My heart jumped into my throat! Katie sneered down at Wendy and cracked the belt at her foe. The Brit squealed and yelped, twisting and turning, trying to avoid the blows. Wendy scrambled to her feet and ran, with Katie in hot pursuit. Of course, the crowd loved it. They were able to call the Brit a chicken, claiming she was running scared of the local girl. Katie chased the Brit round and round, the belt snapping against the Englishwoman’s flawless hips with a loud, crisp crack. Each time, Wendy yelped loudly and leapt up, grabbing her tight little bottom! Cheers and laughter filled the tent.
“Wendy tried to climb back into the ring to escape. Katie caught the Brit by her light-blue swimsuit bottom, pulling on it to keep Wendy from escaping, pulling it down until Wendy gave the crowd an almost full moon, if you take my meaning! The country girl went wild, cracking the belt against Wendy’s snow white hips!
“Wendy finally pulled herself back into the ring. By this point tears trickled down her cheeks. Katie reentered the ring. The Brit backed away from the Texan, hands up, begging off.
“Gloating over the Englishwoman hands on hips, the farm girl asked, ‘So, WHO’S going to end up begging for mercy?’
“The crowd went wild with cheers and whistles.
“Wendy gasped, ‘You’ll never hear me beg YOU, Texan!’
Katie sneered. ‘Oh yes, you’re going to beg me, loud and clear!’
“Katie dove on her. Wendy fought back with all she had left, but she was soon practically swallowing the farm girl’s fists. Katie quickly left Wendy almost limp.
“Katie laughed! ‘What’s wrong, tenderfoot? Can’t you handle a real fight?’
“Grinning ear-to-ear, Katie rolled Wendy up. The crowd chanted, ‘One! Two!’ Wendy kicked her foot over the rope, breaking the count.
“The Texan hauled the Englishwoman up, pulled her fist back, and then hit the Brit so hard she flew out of the ring through the ropes! Wendy landed across the front row, her head buried face-down in my lap! The cowboys roared and laughed!
“Katie rolled out of the ring, shouting, ‘Get offa him! He’s mine!’
“Once again, the crowd offered their fellow Texan her choice of weapons. Katie chose a long, thin branch stripped of leaves and any smaller, off-shooting branches. Now, any young man from that era would have known instantly that Wendy was about to get a first-class whippin’! Katie whipped the thin branch against the Brit’s bare back. Wendy cried out, falling out of my lap and cringing at my feet. Wendy tried to crawl away, but Katie started whipping Wendy’s hips over and over. I couldn’t look!
“Wendy literally begged the crowd on her knees, pleading for something to use to fight back with. They refused her pleas. She whimpered. ‘That’s not fair! That’s not fair at all!’
“Katie came at her. Wendy leapt for the ring. She pulled herself up until her feet were on the very edge, standing just outside the ropes. Katie pulled up directly beside her. Katie drew way back, to whip the Brit. That left her open to a kick to the gut. Katie dropped the whip. The two stood, balancing precariously up on the edge of the ring, clutching the top rope with one hand and using the other to ttade desperate punches. Katie had Wendy swaying, her thighs quaking, when suddenly the Brit seized Katie’s brown hair and forced her face down, pulling the farm girl’s face along the top rope and giving her a vicious rope burn across the nose and cheeks! Katie screamed!
“Despite the momentary break, Wendy knw she was losing the fight. She threw caution to the wind, putting her body on the line by betting her back could take more punishment than Katie’s injured back. Wendy lifted one of Katie’s thighs, leaping back with her and sending both girls falling off the ring backward, crashing on their backs on the hard, unyielding ground! Both beauties cried out. The crowd gasped. Wendy threw her arms around her head, which had slammed against the ground. Katie, her face twisted in horror and agony! She put both hands on her lower back, arching her body against the tremendous pain. I felt sure the Brit had finally broken the farm girl’s back! I was equally worried Wendy’s skull might have cracked! I was on the verge of a heart attack!
“Katie arched her back, her belly high above her head, rolling from shoulder to shoulder in apparent anguish. Tears rolling, she looked up at me and sobbed, ‘I can’t take anymore! I can’t! I think she broke my back! You gotta help me! You just gotta!’
“In a tiny voice, Wendy sobbed, ‘That’s not fair!’
“They both reached up their trembling hands to me, each asking me to give her something to use against the other!
Katie twanged, ‘Choose me!’ Wendy’s soft British voice pleaded, ‘No! Choose me!’
“I think my heart stopped! I remembered the snacks I’d bought while waiting for the match to begin! I still had little packs filled with pepper and salt in my pockets. I had a weapon to give. I had to make a choice! Katie’s big, brown eyes begged me for help, but I knew what had happened to Wendy just wasn’t fair. She had Katie beat in the ring. It just wasn’t fair for the crowd to hand Katie all sorts of stuff to use against Wendy, and then refuse to give Wendy anything to use to defend herself! It just wasn’t fair!
“Maybe what I did next wasn’t fair either, but I made my choice, the only choice I could make. I kept my hands in my pockets, refusing to help either of them. Both girls looked at me in disbelief!
“Well, both beauties knew it was up to them. Katie tried to rise, holding one hand behind her on her lower back. Wendy staggered up a little faster. She lunged, catching the farm girl in a bear hug. Poor Katie more cried than yelled, as Wendy’s arms hugged her around the waist, crushing body-on-body and adding more and more pressure against Katie’s lower back. Suddenly Katie slammed her forehead forward into Wendy’s own. Wendy yelled, dropping the Texan. The barefoot Brit clamped her palm to her forehead, eyes glassy. Katie kicked Wendy’s feet out from under her! The Englishwoman fell forward, cracking her head on the guard rail! Wendy lie face down, motionless! The crowd roared, shouting at Katie, trying to convince her to get back into the ring. If Katie could just get through the ropes, Wendy might be counted out, giving Katie the title! Katie couldn’t stand. Her bare feet pushed at the ground, forcing her body to inch ever closer to the ring. When she reached the ring and reached up for the bottom rope, she let out a cry of pain. Wendy had done a first-class job on the Texan’s back. I wasn’t sure Katie even COULD get back into the ring! The crowd was deafening, begging Katie to keep trying. Face filled with pain, the farm girl reached up, seizing the bottom rope with both hands. Her legs were limp and useless. The top of her feet were on the ground, her body swaying in, curved inward at the midsection, as she clung to the ropes. Suddenly Wendy sat up and saw Katie about to reenter the ring. Katie had left herself wide open and defenseless. Wendy leapt up and kicked both feet into Katie’s lower back! Katie screamed! The crowd gasped! Grown cowboys looked ready to faint!
“Katie writhed in agony! Wendy stood over her, eyes narrow. The blond Brit hauled the Texan up and fell forward, slamming Katie’s back against the steel ringpost! If Katie shouted I didn’t hear it, because the tent filled with cries from the crowd! The little farm girl who had fought for her state pride was hurt and in terrible trouble.
“The British Blond rolled the brunette Texan back into the ring and followed.
“Katie tried to crawl away on her back, but she couldn’t get far. She lifted her legs in a feeble attempt to hold Wendy off. Wendy looked down with a cold, impassive expression. She caught one of Katie’s bare feet. The Englishwoman looked down at the bottom of Katie’s foot and, clearly unimpressed, began a standing toe hold, twisting Katie’s ankle, pulling and kneeding Katie’s foot. Katie yelled, slapping the mat.
“Wendy grinned, wickedly. ‘Now, Texan, you will beg me for my mercy.’ She snapped her fingers twice, adding, ‘Hurry up. I don’t have all day!’
“The crowd booed. Katie refused. Wendy leaned in, and began to bite the bottom of Katie’s foot. Katie howled, but any attempt she made to wrench her foot free or to kick it out of the Brit’s grasp sent shockwaves through Katie’s injured back. All Katy could do was to lie there and try to take it! Katie went wild, crying out and slapping the mats and carrying on….
“Wendy looked back over her shoulder at me. A devilish smle spread. She pulled Katie over, dropped Katie’s foot on the mat right in front of me, and then the Brit began smashing the Texan’s foot under her own, foot to foot!
The Englishwoman mocked her foe. ‘So, I’m a tenderfoot, am I? Let’s just see who the real tenderfoot is!’
“Apparently Wendy took the expression a bit more literally than most folks do. Anyway, Katie went wild, as the Brit ground her foot in, smashing Katie’s foot into the mat.
“Katie cried out, ‘You win! I’m the tenderfoot! I am! Oh, s-t-o-p!”
“Wendy had made her point. She stopped, but she wasn’t about to let the country girl off that easy. No sir! Grinning ear-to-ear, The Brit wiped her barefoot back and forth across the Texan’s face! Then the Englishwoman took the Texan to school, giving her a painful wrestling lesson. The farm girl was quickly reduced to a prop in the Brit’s show. Wendy tossed Katie and flipped her, bent her and squeezed her. She took the farm girl’s pride and tore it to bits.
“Wendy left Katie helpess, face down on the mats. The farm girl’s feet flopped around awkwardly behind her. Wendy pulled Katie up and again applied a crippling bear hug. She punished Katie’s injured back until Katie cried out in anguish. Katie reached for Wendy’s blond hair, but Wendy shouted, ‘Let go! I mean it!’ Wendy squeezed hard. Katie’s arms fell, but she tried again. Wendy demanded, ‘Lower your arms! Put…them…down!’ Again the Englishwoman squeezed, and the Texan obeyed her command! This was total dominance, master and slave!
“Wendy suddenly scooped Katie up off her feet, twirled her, and then drove the farm girl’s lower back down across the Brit’s bended knee, executing a brutal backbreaker which nearly broke Katie in half! Katie couldn’t even scream. She drooped over Wendy’s knee, the top of Katie’s head touching the mat on one side, her toes touching it on the other.
“Again Wendy pulled Katie over in front of me. The little brunette farm girl looked at me, eyes full of tears, as the Englishwoman sat on her, hips on hips. The Brit pulled Katie’s shoulders up and back, putting unimaginable pressure on Katie’s lower back!
“Wendy smiled a cold, insulting smile. ‘Now then, tell HIM who the better woman is!’
“Horror flashed across Katie’s face. She refused. Wendy rocked back and forth, pulling back Katie’s upper half, rending and tearing the muscles in Katie’s lower back, torturing the little farm girl. Wendy tortured Katie for minute after minute…tears streaming down Katie’s cheeks….
“Suddenly Katie screamed, ‘I just can’t take anymore! I can’t! I give! I give up! Mercy! I’m begging you for mercy! Your better than me! You’re the better woman! Oh God, please, stop! You’re killing me! Oh God, somebody make her s-t-o-p!!!’
“Wendy threw her arms up in a victorious muscle pose. The crowd booed madly. Still on her front with Wendy on her back, poor Katie buried her face in her arms, sobbing so hard her whole body shook. Wendy grinned at me. She got up, took the little Texas flag Katie had in her corner, threw it down, and stomped on it, grinding her bare foot into the Texas flag before a packed house made of proud Texans! The crowd was ready to riot! Extra circus hands circled the ring to protect Wendy. I watched as they carried Katie out on a stretcher. When I looked back, Wendy had pulled one of her vanishing acts, disappearing like magic!
“The crowd was ready to tear the place apart! The match had been decided by the final exchange, just after I refused to help either girl. The fact is that the battle was so close that if I had given the farm girl any help at all, she would have beaten the Brit. I decided I had better get the hell out of that tent, before those drunken cowboys realized that! I high tailed it out, and hid until the crowd thinned. At closing time, I tried to see Wendy, to try to explain why I didn’t help her. They wouldn’t let me see her. They told me she was still recovering from the fight, and that I should come back the next day.”
Brandon looked up at his great grandfather. “Well? Did you?”
The old man nodded. “I headed out at dawn, a bouquet in one hand, ready to propose. I was sure Wendy was the gal for me. I would ask her to move in with me, or I’d join the circus to be with her.
“I came out of the cornfields…and found only an empty field. The circus had packed up and left town during the night, vanishing into thin air, like…magic. Wendy was gone. No one knew where the circus had come from or where it was going. In those days you couldn’t just look them up on the internet! No sir! Wendy Tibit had vanished.
“There wasn’t any point in trying to find Katie. I had refused to help her when she needed it most. I was eventually told she had come home, beaten and crying. See, the Brit hadn’t just beaten the daylights out of the farm girl. She had crushed her spirit and taken her pride. The Brit had humiliated her. Katie didn’t think she could ever show her face in the county again.Remember, Katie’s father was looking to buy a farm, but hadn’t bought one yet. Katie and her father left town without saying goodbye. None of us ever heard from Katie Bell again.
“Well, I was an outcast. Everyone hated me for not helping our fellow Texan beat the Brit. My boss fired me, and no one else would hire me. I lost my friends. The local girls wouldn’t speak to me. Even my family was ashamed of me. I left town after a few weeks. I didn’t return for forty years.”
Brandon rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I get it, Grandpa. You could have had your pick of local girls and maybe even Katie Bell, but your love for the beautiful but unattainable British beauty made you lose everything. You think I should forget about the dream girl I met and go back and marry my sweetheart, because a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
Grandpa Cyrus shook his head. ‘It ain’t so simple, boy!” The old man opened a desk drawer, pulled something out, and tossed it to his grandson. “Have a look at that.”
Brandon stared down at the small Texas flag in his hand. The faded imprint of a footprint was still visible in the middle of it.
“That’s the flag Wendy stomped on after she beat Katie. I scooped it up as I fled the tent. Take a good look, boy.”
Brandon shrugged. “She must have had little feet….”
The old man rolled his eyebrows. “Look harder, boy.”
A furrow appeared between Brandon’s eyebrows. “Grandpa…this isn’t even a real Texas flag. The red and white stripes are reversed!”
“I was hoping you’d notice that. Stomping on a Texas flag was a great way to get the crowd all riled up, but I guess they were afraid they might break some local law. Using a fake flag took care of that problem. When Wendy tossed it down it would have been upside down to the crowd, adding to the confusion. Most of the men were drunk. Besides, we were all watching two beautiful, half-naked girls rolling on each other! Nobody was looking at the flags!
“I began to wonder what other tricks the circus folks played on us. I wondered, why hadn’t I ever heard of Dallas Dawn, or any Texas women wrestling championship? Did England even have a champion woman wrestler in those days? I began to wonder….could the champion vs. champion match we watched have been…faked? You’ll remember how I wondered how such beautiful women could fight so fiercely yet never seem to get bruised or cut. Remember when I started to get up to help Wendy against Dallas Dawn and she pushed me back into my seat with her toes? Maybe she didn’t want me to risk the crowd’s wrath to save her, because she wasn’t really in any danger! Maybe the whole fight followed a script! Maybe Wendy’s arrogance and condescending attitude toward Texans was designed to make us mad! Maybe the British girl was supposed to beat the Texas champion. That way the Brit could turn around and offer a challenge to wrestle a local girl, who could try to salvage our state pride. What better way to ensure a sell-out crowd for the next show? Of course if the fights were faked, Wendy would have needed a ringer to face, someone planted to act like a local, but who was really part of the show.”
“Of course!” Brandon said. “Katie, the girl from the lake!”
Cyrus shrugged. “What were the odds of TWO dream girls showing up in a dusty little praire town, only a few days apart? I could imagine a traveling circus sending two of its prettiest gals on ahead, just to gain an audience. One would learn where the local boys gathered, and head there. The other would go into town, to entrance the men found there. Didn’t Wendy say to look for her at the circus? Didn’t Katie ask me to get all the local boys to come, to cheer her on? Every one of us had to buy a ticket and become a paying customer!
“Did we really see two beauties fight to the finish? Hell, was my delicate English angel even English? For all I know, Katie, Wendy, and Dawn might have traded parts. Maybe in some town down the road, Katie played the beautiful, exotic Brit, and Wendy played the local farm girl with the ‘aw shucks’ smile! Maybe they were fantastic lady wrestlers…or maybe they were just very talented young actresses!”
Brandon waved his hands. “Hold on! If what you’re saying is true, it didn’t matter who you chose! They both were going to leave town without you, no matter what choice you made! There wasn’t a right choice! How in hell does THAT help me make my choice?”
Cyrus explained, “There wasn’t a right choice because I had no choice to make.” The old man blew a smoke ring. “Pretty, isn’t it? The problem is that if you try to grab hold of it, when you open your hand it’ll be gone. You can’t catch hold of smoke any more than you can choose something that ain’t real.
“Don’t misunderstand me, boy. Some dreams are worth fighting for. What’s right for one person might be wrong for another. This advice isn’t for anyone but you. I know you, boy. I’ve known you all your life. Whenever you’re faced with a hard choice, you try to wiggle out of it.
“I think you were already getting scared of marrying your college sweetheart long before you went on spring break. I don’t think you met your dream girl on the beach. I think you went to that beach looking for a girl--ANY girl--you could claim to fall in love with, so you’d have an excuse not to go back and get yourself married to your sweetheart.
“You don’t really want to follow that new girl out to California. You just used her as an excuse to avoid getting hitched! Don’t go off chasing puffs of smoke, boy. If that gal had wanted a relationship with you, why didn’t she tell you where to find her? If you track her down, I’m sure you’ll learn she just used you to have a good time. Besides, what would happen if she DID want a relationship? How long before SHE would want to get married? What would you do then, run off to the nearest beach in search of some new girl, some new excuse? How long can you keep running, boy?
“A man can’t choose an option that isn’t there to choose. I tried to make a fantasy into reality once. It cost me my friends and my hometown.
“Again, this advice is for you, and you alone. If you’re not ready, then don’t get married. If you are, get hitched. Just don’t use illusions as excuses to avoid making a clear choice.
The old man slumped back in his chair. “One last thing. If you go charging out to California after your dream girl, she’ll likely break your heart. All you’ll have left will be heartache. Some girls are beyond our reach. Don’t ask a girl out if you already know the answer will be no. Don’t take a chance if there isn’t one. See, if you try to force your high school dream to date you, she’ll probably reject you. She might laugh at you and tell you she wouldn’t go out with you in a million years! All you’ll have left is painful memories. If, however, you keep your dreams private, they’ll stay with you. Every night you can believe this just might be the night she shows up at your door. Every day brings the chance a chance encounter will lead too much, much more.
“There’s an art to dreaming, boy. Dreams are delicate little things. Try to hold onto them too hard and they shatter.
Cyrus fondled the fading flag in his hand. He seemed miles away. “You great grandmother has been dead these twenty years. I’ve been alone all that time. I’m old. I need my dreams. Once in awhile I hear a train whistle, far off in the distance. I can almost imagine it’s Wendy Tibit’s circus, finally coming back to town. I know everything points to the idea I was just an easily duped farm boy and that the whole thing was a fake, but I choose to believe the two most beautiful women I’ve ever seen really did fight over me, all those years ago. In my dreams they’re still young and beautiful. They’re still out there, somewhere. Sometimes I can almost believe….”
The old man sighed. “I’m tired, boy. I need to rest.”
Brandon left the room, closing the door behind him.
Brandon’s great grandfather died only two weeks after that conversation. About all Brandon has left of him is an old smoking pipe, a curius Texas flag with a faint footprint on it…and the advice that saved the young man’s future. You see, Brandon did return and marry his college sweetheart. They married and had a little boy, who they named Cyrus.
When Brandon’s great grandfather was hospitalized for the final time, the family gathered in his isolated hometown. On the night the old man died, Brandon thought he heard a lonesome, mournful train whistle, far off in the distance. Somewhere deep in the boy’s soul, he hoped that Wendy, Katie, and the magical traveling circus had finally returned for the lost soul they had left behind.
On some nights, when Brandon hears a train whistle far off in the night, he likes to think that maybe, just maybe, Wendy Tibit and her marvelous wrestling exhibit really were magical. He likes to believe that somewhere, in some other world, his great grandfather is finally with his dream girl. If the afterlife does exist and it can be a paradise as is often claimed, then perhaps somewhere in another reality, a young, wide-eyed farm boy named Cyrus sits in the front row and stares up at a ring in awe, as a beautiful blond British girl enters from one side and a lovely brunette farm girl enters from the other, ready to put on the show of a lifetime.
