'thank you's', Lorenzo. I have no idea how I can repay you.”
He shrugged and shifted his feet. “Nothing,” he said. Then his mouth stretched in a wide, mischievous smile. “If you feel like repaying, you can milk Gloria.”
Genie laughed. “You do want your pound of flesh, don't you, Lorenzo Calderone.”
“No, only a bucket of fresh milk.”
He then explained how important it was to milk the cow twice a day, preferably at the same times. “Today, Gloria is late. So we must start right away.” He showed her how she should sit on the same side of the cow so Gloria feels more comfortable.
Genie felt a bit of a fool sitting on the low milking stool. It was like trying to get comfortable on a child's chair. “Gloria looks very big from down here,” she said. “She isn't into kicking trainee milkmaids, is she?”
He laughed. “No. She's quite gentle and she wants to be milked.” He indicated her udder. “As you can see, she's very full. It'll be a great relief to her.”
“Mmm,” Genie said uncertainly. “I presume I'm going to have to take these off,” she said, holding up her gloved hands.
He nodded and while she pulled off her gloves, he said, “First, you need to get acquainted with each other.”
“Oh yeah. And just how do we do that? I thought we'd already been introduced.”
He settled an impish expression in place. “Rest your head here.” He patted Gloria's flank.
Genie looked up at him with narrowed eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Assolutamente.” He patted Gloria's rump again and nodded at Genie.
She shook her head, then leaned forward and tentatively placed her forehead on Gloria. The cow felt hot to the touch and smelled very cow-like.
Lorenzo turned to leave.
“Don't leave me like this,” Genie said, panic rising in her chest. She pulled her head back and made a futile grab at Lorenzo's leg.
“I'm not leaving you,” he said. “Wait.”
“Wait? What for - the milk to spurt out all by itself?”
Lorenzo returned with two spectacularly clean stainless steel buckets. One was empty; the other contained some warm water. He handed the water-filled bucket and a soft cloth to Gloria. “Warm your hands and then give Gloria's udder a gentle wash.
Genie did as she was instructed. “I've never washed anyone before...besides me, that is,” she said. “It's making me feel...maternal.”
Udder washed, Genie dropped the cloth into the water. “Now what, Teacher?”
He took the full bucket from her, gave her the empty one and instructed her to place it directly under Gloria's udder. “Now, hold one of the teats in your palm.”
She looked at the closest one and hesitated. “This is something that will have to be written down in the history of the Hamiltons,” she said.
“That's your family name?” Lorenzo asked. “'Amilton?”
Genie squeezed her eyes closed for a few seconds in despair. How could she be so stupid - letting the cat out of the bag like that? “That's right,” she said, trying to make her tone sound matter-of-fact. She placed her forehead against Gloria's flank again and gingerly reached for one of her teats.
“When you are ready, squeeze the teat at the top between your thumb and forefinger.”
“Oooh,” Genie said as milk jetted out and made a wet rattling sound in the bucket. “It works.”
Lorenzo laughed. “Now squeeze all the way down until there is no more teat.”
“Like this?”
“Molto bene, Signorina 'Amilton.”
Genie laughed, distracted by his pronunciation. “No, Lorenzo,” she said, heartened by the fact that Lorenzo did not seem to make any connections the name. “Not 'Amilton. It's Hhhhamilton.”
“Chhhamilton.” Lorenzo's 'H' had a rough edge to it.
“That's better. Now, one more time to make sure you get it right.”
The milk continued to jet from Gloria in bursts as Genie made her fingers follow Lorenzo's
He shrugged and shifted his feet. “Nothing,” he said. Then his mouth stretched in a wide, mischievous smile. “If you feel like repaying, you can milk Gloria.”
Genie laughed. “You do want your pound of flesh, don't you, Lorenzo Calderone.”
“No, only a bucket of fresh milk.”
He then explained how important it was to milk the cow twice a day, preferably at the same times. “Today, Gloria is late. So we must start right away.” He showed her how she should sit on the same side of the cow so Gloria feels more comfortable.
Genie felt a bit of a fool sitting on the low milking stool. It was like trying to get comfortable on a child's chair. “Gloria looks very big from down here,” she said. “She isn't into kicking trainee milkmaids, is she?”
He laughed. “No. She's quite gentle and she wants to be milked.” He indicated her udder. “As you can see, she's very full. It'll be a great relief to her.”
“Mmm,” Genie said uncertainly. “I presume I'm going to have to take these off,” she said, holding up her gloved hands.
He nodded and while she pulled off her gloves, he said, “First, you need to get acquainted with each other.”
“Oh yeah. And just how do we do that? I thought we'd already been introduced.”
He settled an impish expression in place. “Rest your head here.” He patted Gloria's flank.
Genie looked up at him with narrowed eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Assolutamente.” He patted Gloria's rump again and nodded at Genie.
She shook her head, then leaned forward and tentatively placed her forehead on Gloria. The cow felt hot to the touch and smelled very cow-like.
Lorenzo turned to leave.
“Don't leave me like this,” Genie said, panic rising in her chest. She pulled her head back and made a futile grab at Lorenzo's leg.
“I'm not leaving you,” he said. “Wait.”
“Wait? What for - the milk to spurt out all by itself?”
Lorenzo returned with two spectacularly clean stainless steel buckets. One was empty; the other contained some warm water. He handed the water-filled bucket and a soft cloth to Gloria. “Warm your hands and then give Gloria's udder a gentle wash.
Genie did as she was instructed. “I've never washed anyone before...besides me, that is,” she said. “It's making me feel...maternal.”
Udder washed, Genie dropped the cloth into the water. “Now what, Teacher?”
He took the full bucket from her, gave her the empty one and instructed her to place it directly under Gloria's udder. “Now, hold one of the teats in your palm.”
She looked at the closest one and hesitated. “This is something that will have to be written down in the history of the Hamiltons,” she said.
“That's your family name?” Lorenzo asked. “'Amilton?”
Genie squeezed her eyes closed for a few seconds in despair. How could she be so stupid - letting the cat out of the bag like that? “That's right,” she said, trying to make her tone sound matter-of-fact. She placed her forehead against Gloria's flank again and gingerly reached for one of her teats.
“When you are ready, squeeze the teat at the top between your thumb and forefinger.”
“Oooh,” Genie said as milk jetted out and made a wet rattling sound in the bucket. “It works.”
Lorenzo laughed. “Now squeeze all the way down until there is no more teat.”
“Like this?”
“Molto bene, Signorina 'Amilton.”
Genie laughed, distracted by his pronunciation. “No, Lorenzo,” she said, heartened by the fact that Lorenzo did not seem to make any connections the name. “Not 'Amilton. It's Hhhhamilton.”
“Chhhamilton.” Lorenzo's 'H' had a rough edge to it.
“That's better. Now, one more time to make sure you get it right.”
The milk continued to jet from Gloria in bursts as Genie made her fingers follow Lorenzo's
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