Part 9

Food began to arrive. Lots of it.

Hastily-prepared meats and pastries filled the house with smells even more delightful than the incense that still burned in every corner. There was a knock at the door every few minutes, and every time Theema or Gayle Grieves answered it... a small cluster of women entered, each carrying some small dish.

It reminded David of a mourning ceremony. He'd been to one before (not by choice), and this is what it was like. Almost. But that was ridiculous. No one was dead. And no one in the house was even sad except David's mother, and she certainly had no reason to be. Everyone that came bearing food would, after greeting David, seek out Rietta Vern with smiles and congratulatory phrases. Everyone seemed happy.... but happy in an oddly formal way. David spotted anxious relief on more than few faces, and was too preoccupied with the mounting tower of food to realize that these 'relieved' women were all mothers of children his own age.

As more women arrived... always women, never men... the house became too crowded to hold them all. David volunteered to play outside, but the Grieves women would have none of it. It would be dark soon, they said. David hadn't noticed, but it was true: The hurried preparations had taken most of the day, and dusk was an hour away at most.

And his father hadn't come home yet.

This was all very odd. ...in fact, this was about as much oddness as David cared to take for one day.

"Mama?" he mewled softly. His mother was nowhere to be seen. "MAMA!" he shouted. Half of the women in the room were already watching him... either directly, or furtively from the corners of the room. Now he had their full attention. He opened his mouth to call out again, when Gayle Grieves materialized before him, holding a plate of food.

"This is for you," she said, smiling. David hated that smile.

But he loved food. He loved food a lot, and this particular plate had all of his favorites. There was the salt-and-honeyed ham that this mother made on special occasions. And thin slices of beef drizzled in a very delicious-looking (and smelling) gravy. Tiny potatoes rolled along the outer edge of the plate, bumping into the large chunk of vanilla cake that occupied fully a forth of the dish.

David's eyes widened.

"M-Me?" he stuttered.

"And this as well," said Theema Grieves. She held a smaller plate with a tower of tiny, circular cakes arranged on it. In her other hand was a steaming mug that had the scent of ginger and cinnamon.

David's stomach rumbled. Other than a few scraps tossed to him throughout the day, he hadn't eaten.

"Where's my-"

"Your mother's right here." Theema stepped aside. David's mother was behind her, flanked by a half dozen other women, all with smiles on their faces. Rietta Vern didn't have an expression. Her eyes were moist; the skin around them was puffy and red. The left corner of her lip twitched.

"Go on and eat, son," she said. "Eat as much as you want."

"Really!?!"

She nodded. Other women nodded along with her... but the eeriness was lost on David.

"It's all for you," she added.

David stifled a squeal as he dug into the plate of food. Most of it was even more delicious than it seemed. The mug of hot tea had a bitter aftertaste, but that was quickly drowned out by more mouthfuls of the best food David had ever tasted. He devoured the meat and pastries, and had barely finished asking for seconds when another plate appeared before him. He ate a bit more slowly, and asked for water to wash it down. Theema Grieves left the crowd that had gathered around him, and returned with another mug of tea.

David drank it out of politeness, and again drowned the odd taste with still more food. He was considering asking for a third plate...despite the fact that he was full... when he suddenly found himself staring up at Gayle Grieves. He was suddenly dizzy. The room tilted at a sharp angle, and David wavered. He felt himself falling... but then he didn't. The elder Grieves woman gently lowered him to the floor as the other women crowded around.

"Weeeeee...." David giggled. The room spun faster as the women smiled down at him.