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