A Family Dinner

The entire Blau family out for an evening stroll

“You are what you eat!” announced Rosa pushing her salad topped with tuna towards the centre of the table.

Sybil looked at her over the rim of her glasses, something she decided to wear even though she had perfectly good eyesight, after being told by one of the mothers, that it made her look studious. “It’s tuna, little one,” she said quietly, “you love tuna.”

“Yes mummy, I do. But we’ve had it 500 times.” As soon as those words left her mouth, Rosa shot a look over at her aunt Elizabeth who had joined them for dinner. “100 times,” Rosa corrected herself and shot another look over at Elizabeth who said nothing but steadily ate her salad enjoying every mouthful. Much better than what she had at home, and it was made even more pleasurable by Jeremy’s absence. He was on a business trip. Though no one in the Blau family knew what sort of business trip it was.

“Probably sandpiper smuggling,” Elizabeth offered as her input to the conversation. That just brought about a general roll of the eyes.

“50 times,” was Rosa’s final word on the subject.

George who was always amused by his youngest daughter, smiled while he kept eating. “Young lady,” he began once his mouth was empty, “young lady, why did you go from 500 to 100 and then end up at 50?”

“Daddy, that’s because Elizabeth told me she will make me count up to 500 if I kept saying that, so I went down to 100 but I’m not sure I can count that high, so I ended up at 50.” She sat straighter in her chair. “I can count to 50, daddy.” She was proud of that. The rest of the Blau family acknowledged her logical conclusion and continued to eat. Rosa however sat with her wings crossed and a scowl on her face, refusing to eat any more. That was until Timmy reached over to grab her plate. “What are you doing?” asked Rosa, “daddy, mummy, Timmy is being bad.”

“But if you’re not going to eat your dinner, then why should it go to waste. Timmy is allowed to eat it. You’ve given up ownership of it.”

“No, I haven’t,” Rosa replied indignantly.

“Yes, you have,” said Julia who as the cook was offended by Rosa’s actions, though she should not have been. “Timmy, why don’t you and I have half each,” she added and Rosa’s look changed to sadness as she looked around for help, but saw none was forthcoming. She suddenly pulled her plate back towards her and lifted up her fork. She again looked around for support, but everyone was too busy eating to respond to Rosa’s moves. She carefully lifted a small piece of lettuce onto her fork and slowly and steadily moved it towards her mouth.

“Rabbit food,” she said finally before taking a bite.

“Well,” Julia wiped her plate clean with piece of stale bread. “Well, what do you want to be, a rabbit or a fish?”

“A mermaid,” replied Rosa proudly, “just like the little mermaid.”

“But a mermaid isn’t a fish, Rosa dear,” George said wishing he had more on his plate. The tuna had been seared and sliced perfectly and then put on a bed of romaine with tomatoes, carrots and avocados, all topped with a dressing made by Julia. “But if it is affecting you badly by eating this salad, then why can’t Julia, Timmy and I divide your salad between us and we will finish it for you.”

“I’d like some as well,” Elizabeth had finished her salad in record time and was on her third glass of Chardonnay. George looked at her and rolled his eyes. It was obvious to him that Elizabeth was getting drunk again.

“Ok guys,” Rosa began to eat faster, “because all of you are fighting over my food I’ll finish it so there.” And with that she began shovelling the food into her mouth and was done rather quickly. “I feel sick,” she announced once her last piece of carrot had made its way into her mouth.

“Well, you shouldn’t have eaten that fast!” Sybil was disappointed there were no leftovers which she could’ve have had. “George, darling,” she added pushing her wine glass towards him.

George rolled his eyes, “not you as well.”

“Why not?” she asked, “we aren’t going anywhere are we?” She then looked at her cousin as she pushed her wine glass over towards George as well. He just shook his head and filled both glasses.

“You’d better stay her tonight on the couch,” he told Elizabeth, “I don’t want you to drink and fly and crash and burn.”

“Drink and stumble,” laughed Sybil who was getting buzzed fast. She laughed at her own joke, no one else did.

“You know what, Melody,” said Rosa after dinner when she went onto the sand to bring her some of the leftover tuna. “My family is weird.” Melody could care less if they were weird or not, as long as they kept her in tuna.

“Have you ever tried spicy tuna sushi?” Melody asked licking her chops after the last piece of fish had disappeared.

“Ooh no!” Rosa was insulted. “You can’t eat the little mermaid’s friends.”

“Well, you just did.”

“No I didn’t! That tuna was cooked.”

Melody laughed. “What’s the difference whether its cooked or not?” Rosa didn’t have an answer, so she just shrugged her shoulders. Rosa began to wander away towards the ocean. “Don’t go too close to the water,” Melody was afraid Rosa might be washed out to sea.

“I won’t,” she replied dejectedly, “I wish I had a different family.” She then kicked some sand but not before noticing a little crab scurry away. “I’m sorry,” Rosa was sad she might have frightened the little creature. It didn’t reply, but began burrowing itself back into the sand. She heard her name called. She looked around to see Elizabeth standing at the window waving to her, before falling out of the window. “See what I mean.” Melody was laughing. “It’s dessert time Rosa. You left before dessert.”

“What is it?” she asked as Melody helped Elizabeth up from the ground.

“Get your paws off me you uncultured oaf,” Elizabeth said rejecting any help. “I can do it all by myself.”

Rosa rolled her eyes and ignoring them both walked into the nest. “What’s for dessert?” she asked Julie.

“Treacle pudding.” she was told. She loved treacle pudding. It was her grandmother’s favourite dessert from the old country.

Rosa sat down quickly before they began serving it. Everyone was there except Elizabeth who was still trying to stand up and every time Melody went to help, she pulled her wings away. “Can I have Elizabeth’s portion?” she asked, “Elizabeth’s won’t make it in time.”

“Why don’t we all just have bigger helpings,” George pushed his plate towards Julia who was cutting the pudding and the family did the same, with the exception of Sybil who by now was drunk and just sat there gazing out of the window at the sky. George put his wing to his mouth and Julia finished slicing the pudding and putting the portions of everyone’s plates except for Sybil.

“Where’s mine?” she asked suddenly.

“You ate yours up Sybil darling, faster than anyone else.”

The rest smiled leaving Sybil wondering whether that was true or not. Elizabeth never made it back into the nest that night. When George went to see where she was, she was sound asleep laying right next to Melody who smiled and laid her head back down again.