Anna stood waiting at the Inn’s front gate. Her smiles were getting readable – young Thom could see she had something planned. And indeed she had. She had been talking to the blacksmith about restoring the old Inn and reopening it. The blacksmith was trilled with the idea and was convinced it would bring a new vitality to this seemingly cataleptic town. He was convinced the villagers would embrace the idea and offer their help to speed up the work. Once completed, some of the village boys could work in the place instead of having to find a job in the city.
While Anna was doing a little joy dance in front of young Thom he wondered if the future would indeed be so clear and simple. It occurred to him that the blacksmith was not a villager and that the villagers might react quite differently to the idea than expected.
Young Thom did not know what had brought this village to its cataleptic state - as the blacksmith had well put it - but he did know it could not have been a trivial matter. And very likely the Inn had something to do with it.
Young Thom was not given time to ponder on it any longer as Anna grabbed his hand and guided him to the kitchen. Young Thom willingly followed and observed the graciously moving slim figure in front of him. Anna took a knife and an aubergine and put them in young Thom’s hands. Then she stood behind him, grabbed his hands and showed him how to cut vegetables like a real French chef as she taught her children during cooking lesson. Young Thom being a little bigger than her average student meant that Anna had to push close to him and rather than look over his shoulder she had to bend sideways to see what was happening on the table. Young Thom did his best to concentrate on the vegetable in front of him.
More than an hour later, Anna raised her glass to toast on a new beginning.
Young Thom followed her example though not completely sure what his place would be in this new beginning and if indeed it was what he wanted. But he had no future plans of his own and what could he oppose to the vision presented? The life presented was not far beyond what he had ever dared to dream of. All he had ever thought about was a vague notion of a life that was in relation to a job in the factory or as a blacksmith. Young Thom stared at his glass of dark red wine in which the flame of the candle seemed to dance around like a genie. With each taste of the delicious meal, the though of a future in the Inn came to settle comfortably in young Thom’s mind.
It was a full moon as Anna and young Thom walked along the small stream towards the top of the hill that overlooked the village. It wasn’t mid summer yet, but the night refused to cool down. Anna’s scarf was hanging loosely over her shoulders, revealing a long white neck that looked almost blue under the moon’s light. While stepping over a fallen tree she had grabbed on to young Thom’s arm and had held on to it for the rest of the walk.
Young Thom strolled with his hand in his pockets and noticed he had a grin on his face he just didn’t seem to be able to get rid of. Due to the wine, so he thought and he laughed out loud. This made Anna curious and she did not accept young Thom had no reason for the laugh. Young Thom saw no other option than to escape by running up the last slope of the hill. But right before the top, the wine took the upper hand and young Thom fell flat into the high grass. Young Thom took one deep sigh as he stared straight up at the moon and felt Anna lying down next to him. After a while she leaned over him, punched him in the stomach and remarked he hadn’t said a word about restoring the Inn. Indeed he hadn’t, so young Thom thought and he raised his hands up to the moon and shouted as loud as he could that it was the greatest idea of all! The greatest idea of all! Anna couldn’t stop laughing as young Thom took her wrists and pointed her arms toward the moon and they both shouted over and over again it was the greatest idea of all!
As all went quiet again, young Thom – still holding on to Anna’s wrist – watched her breath deeply in and out. Slowly he lowered his hand along her arms.
Where the road split between the schoolhouse and the Inn they said goodnight and went of, each in their own direction. Young Thom strolled with his hands in his pockets again, looking down at the ground, kicking every little stone he could spot in the dim light.
That he should not worry about it anymore she had said – it was just a minor misunderstanding, nothing had happened. But it was not to happen again.
Next : No more Patience
Friday, June 27, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Sausage
His little sister had been a cheerful but loud child - always managing to attract attention in the most ingenious ways. At a very young age, it was just smiling and pulling peoples clothes, but gradually this evolved into well orchestrated little performances - all to the enjoyment of the butcher’s customers. Although the girl always made sure to be the centre of attention, Martha had found a way to be relieved of her for at least some hours. If you brought out a living animal and some knives, the little brat was off into the fields or woods. Her attitude towards meat was ambiguous to say the least, as she adored sausages and stews but ears and feat where the most horrible things she had ever seen on a table. In her own words, meat was fine as long as it came in cubes or tubes.
Martha instructed young Thom to press more firmly. People did not like floppy sausages.
The two girls were quite different. While young Thom’s sister was more interested in the wide world and all its wonders, Martha liked nothing better than to help out her father and brother in the butchery. But both girls remained curious in each other’s preoccupations. Many evenings the little girl would tell Martha all the things she had learned and Martha would try to persuade young Thom’s sister to help out with some butcher’s work – most often with little result.
But Martha did listen with admiration and awe to the stories of the world.
But when years later Martha was met with laugher by the other children of the village as she tried to forward these stories to them, that most of them had been made up. Apparently young Thom’s sister had used her vivid imagination to enhance a bit, that what she had read in her schoolbooks. But when finally exposed, the little girl was fair enough to apologize and to promise she’d never tell a lie again. Nevertheless, for Martha it was clear that both of the girls were quite different and they would never fully understand each other’s worlds. Despite all this, the two girls remained good friends, most likely because they benefited from each other complementary qualities. Indeed, young Thom’s sister was somewhat fragile and could not keep up with the boys or even most of the other girls of her own age. But her friendship with Martha made up for that. No one dared to touch or tease the skinny girl and they all knew very well who’d be at their doorstep if they did. Likewise, if Martha was ever in doubt of something she had heard, she’d consult the little walking encyclopaedia.
Young Thom pushed the last meat into the hog casing. Both his hands were sticky and as he moved to wipe them on his clothes two hands quickly grabbed his wrists. People would smell him miles away if he did that, Martha ensured him. Martha brought out a bucket with soapy water and washed young Thom’s hands. It was time to leave as her father and brother would no doubt soon return. Young Thom wanted to thank her but got no chance. Martha grinned and with her finger she punched him in the belly and pointed to the road. While walking back towards the Inn, young Thom realized he’d hadn’t learned much about what had happened to his mother and sister, but nevertheless he was satisfied for now. Martha had portrayed his little sister very well, and he was sure he’d liked the little brat a lot. As young Thom approached the Inn, he felt his fingers that had been softened by the greasy work he’d done. Indeed, they smelled soap, meat and Martha.
Next : A Minor Misunderstanding
Martha instructed young Thom to press more firmly. People did not like floppy sausages.
The two girls were quite different. While young Thom’s sister was more interested in the wide world and all its wonders, Martha liked nothing better than to help out her father and brother in the butchery. But both girls remained curious in each other’s preoccupations. Many evenings the little girl would tell Martha all the things she had learned and Martha would try to persuade young Thom’s sister to help out with some butcher’s work – most often with little result.
But Martha did listen with admiration and awe to the stories of the world.
But when years later Martha was met with laugher by the other children of the village as she tried to forward these stories to them, that most of them had been made up. Apparently young Thom’s sister had used her vivid imagination to enhance a bit, that what she had read in her schoolbooks. But when finally exposed, the little girl was fair enough to apologize and to promise she’d never tell a lie again. Nevertheless, for Martha it was clear that both of the girls were quite different and they would never fully understand each other’s worlds. Despite all this, the two girls remained good friends, most likely because they benefited from each other complementary qualities. Indeed, young Thom’s sister was somewhat fragile and could not keep up with the boys or even most of the other girls of her own age. But her friendship with Martha made up for that. No one dared to touch or tease the skinny girl and they all knew very well who’d be at their doorstep if they did. Likewise, if Martha was ever in doubt of something she had heard, she’d consult the little walking encyclopaedia.
Young Thom pushed the last meat into the hog casing. Both his hands were sticky and as he moved to wipe them on his clothes two hands quickly grabbed his wrists. People would smell him miles away if he did that, Martha ensured him. Martha brought out a bucket with soapy water and washed young Thom’s hands. It was time to leave as her father and brother would no doubt soon return. Young Thom wanted to thank her but got no chance. Martha grinned and with her finger she punched him in the belly and pointed to the road. While walking back towards the Inn, young Thom realized he’d hadn’t learned much about what had happened to his mother and sister, but nevertheless he was satisfied for now. Martha had portrayed his little sister very well, and he was sure he’d liked the little brat a lot. As young Thom approached the Inn, he felt his fingers that had been softened by the greasy work he’d done. Indeed, they smelled soap, meat and Martha.
Next : A Minor Misunderstanding
Friday, June 13, 2008
The Breakfast
The next morning noise from downstairs abruptly awakened young Thom. His first encounter with daylight was the sun straight in his eyes. And once again noise from downstairs. This time he was able to recognize the voice of Anna. Young Thom stumbled out of bed as he tried to evaluate the beginnings of the day. Firstly he had overslept and secondly he was not presentable wearing only a short shirt. He opened the door and began to negotiate some time. While he tripled to the bathroom, breakfast was proposed from downstairs. Five minus later young Thom follows the smell of his favourite breakfast coming from the kitchen: bacon and eggs. This and the cheerful greeting of always smiling Anna improved the morning mood drastically. Two pigeons quickly flew away as Anna and young Thom entered the dining room. Anna rests her chin on her hand as she watched young Thom dipping a peace of bread in the pan. As she noticed that young Thom wasn’t very comfortable being observed while eating, she flees to the centre of room - the spot where the pigeons had left some feathers. Slowly she started twirling making the feathers flying further and further from the centre. As young Thom sips the egg yolk from a bread crust he follows the movements of her hips, her hands and her hair waving in front of her face. Though not a very gifted dancer she was gracious in every move. The way she curved her back, overstretched her arms and pulled her shoulders back as if she was flying – which wasn’t very hard to imagine: numerous feathers twirled around her.
Suddenly she stopped, spread her arms and legs to balance herself and gazed straight forward while searching with her hand for support. No, she was not a gifted dancer but something of a comedian, young Thom thought. That she shouldn’t drink so much, he remarked - much to the surprise of Anna who’d never heard him joke or tease before. Didn’t know he had it in him! Indeed, young Thom didn’t know he hadn’t in him himself.
Anna looked around the room again. It would be expensive to fix this place, but it would be worth it, she thought. As she slowly walked towards the panoramic window the sun peered through the coloured glass at the top. Young Thom watched the show and listened to the vision of a restored great place where visitors could stay and villagers could marry. Anna imagined welcoming new guests while asking her own children to get out of the way and be more polite. Suddenly she looked at her watch. Afternoon class!
Quickly she took her coat and hat, kissed young Thom on the cheek and ran off while thanking him for breakfast. That she was always welcome, young Thom shouted before realizing he had to thank her for breakfast. As he cleared the table he looked at the empty dining room. Her own children. Young Thom wondered who the father would be.
Next : Sausage
Suddenly she stopped, spread her arms and legs to balance herself and gazed straight forward while searching with her hand for support. No, she was not a gifted dancer but something of a comedian, young Thom thought. That she shouldn’t drink so much, he remarked - much to the surprise of Anna who’d never heard him joke or tease before. Didn’t know he had it in him! Indeed, young Thom didn’t know he hadn’t in him himself.
Anna looked around the room again. It would be expensive to fix this place, but it would be worth it, she thought. As she slowly walked towards the panoramic window the sun peered through the coloured glass at the top. Young Thom watched the show and listened to the vision of a restored great place where visitors could stay and villagers could marry. Anna imagined welcoming new guests while asking her own children to get out of the way and be more polite. Suddenly she looked at her watch. Afternoon class!
Quickly she took her coat and hat, kissed young Thom on the cheek and ran off while thanking him for breakfast. That she was always welcome, young Thom shouted before realizing he had to thank her for breakfast. As he cleared the table he looked at the empty dining room. Her own children. Young Thom wondered who the father would be.
Next : Sausage
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