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Spring - Spring Scents - 3 (Knödel Greed)
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Josie went about to set the table.
Nan had prepared Semmelknödel as a main course, which were big, feisty dumplings made from the crumbles of small white bread buns. Apfelstrudel, a warm doughy delicacy baked with apple slices, raisins, and cinnamon, was currently sitting on the window sill to cool off. It would be served as dessert, cut into slices and combined with a rich and sweet vanilla sauce.
Josie knew that these were German - dishes and words - of course. The reason for the sometimes rather strange meal choices at Veilwood was Nan’s heritage. Her ancestors had lived somewhere in or near the Bavarian Alps, and she tried to continue at least some of their traditions, even if most of the traditions she kept were food. Nan was adamant that the girl address the dishes by their correct names, but Josie didn’t mind at all. Although she was far from fluent in the language and even less so in the dialect, she was always happy to learn all sorts of German words or phrases from Nan. Josie liked their pronunciations. She liked to write them down even more because of the funny letters they sometimes contained. Who wouldn’t enjoy a language that came with little dots over some letters?
Nan had not lived in Germany herself and could only relay stories to Josie. Nevertheless, through the tales, she was able to paint vivid pictures. She had explained that there were countless dialect variations in the region her ancestors hailed from. Because of this, sometimes a village would use a word or phrase the next one over didn’t even know! After discovering Josie’s joy for learning, Nan had begun to teach her Sütterlin, a historical form of German handwriting. It was a beautiful font and Josie treasured it dearly. It wasn’t common knowledge, which meant very few people would be able to read it - and it even had one of the special letters in its name?! Josie had been beside herself with anticipation. Nan had given Josie an old-fashioned fountain pen along with an ink well and a special exercise book with a very specific design of ledger lines to practice the letters on. Using these cherished items to learn the Sütterlin font was a beloved pastime for Josie.
The dialect of Nan’s ancestors had many other funny words, like "Schwammerl" for example. It translated to “mushrooms” and was another word she liked. Not just because she liked to eat them, but also because the word sounded so - friendly? Right now, a good portion of Schwammerl were paired with the Semmelknödel, swimming in a rich and savoury cream sauce. The dish was topped off with some ground black pepper and pretty green sprinkles of freshly minced parsley and chives. The composition of ingredients gave off a mouthwatering aroma, and the gentle wafts of steaming Apfelstrudel woven in between made Josie look forward to the sweet delight of dessert.
To be treated to such opulence wasn’t a regular occurrence, and not every meal was served with dessert afterward. Nan tended to prepare such rich meals when there was a reason or a special occasion. Never mind that, now. Josie was just happy that Nan had taken the time to prepare these dishes for her. Being taken care of felt wonderful. Josie smiled. She would never in her life be able to decide if Semmelknödel - or Pizza, were her favourite dish of all time, but she wouldn’t tell Nan that. Nan didn’t understand the appeal of Pizza, as it was just a bit too unusual for her old-fashioned ways. Josie didn’t mind.
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When everything was prepared, she took her place to eat at Veilwood Kitchen's huge oak table. Nan sat at the end side, as usual, and Josie to her right, her narrow back to the fireplace and her small face very pudgy at the moment. Greed had got hold of her, and she had filled both cheeks with huge bites of food, working furiously to empty her plate for a refill.
There were Knödel to be had.
The desperate grumbling of her stomach subsided as Josie devoured her tasty meal. The comforting mix of the Knödel’s texture combined with the smooth beige sauce grounded the earlier upheaval of her emotions. A content feeling spread from her stomach to the rest of Josie’s little body and warmed her up from the inside. She had no choice but to smack her lips - just a little, though - because Nan appreciated good manners at the table and would chide her if she didn’t rule herself in.
Nan said that she had already eaten before Josie’s arrival but was keeping her company at the table. She had steepled her fingers and was studying the girl with interested eyes. The woman knew better than to ask any questions of Josie now; the initial hunger had to be sated first. The gentle sway of Josie’s body told Nan that the girl was swinging her legs, her minuscule stature not allowing her to put her feet on the floor while being seated.
After a few more minutes, Nan decided that normal conversation could now be attempted.
“How was your day? Did you learn anything interesting?”
Josie liked the way Nan talked to her. Her conversations were always interesting - because Nan herself always seemed to be interested, and she knew that the old woman would appreciate an equally engaging answer. Nan hadn’t asked about what Josie had learnt at school, because Nan was wise and knew very well that learning things wasn’t dependent on and restricted to classrooms.
“I learnt that I might need to pack fewer books from now on and that I can't run very fast with moon boots, but still fast enough to catch the bus. I also learnt that some pupils at my school are not very clever, but that doesn’t stop them from being mean,” she explained, followed by a deep sigh, her eyes downcast and glued to her dinner plate.
Her voice grew quieter and quieter with every spoken word, and it seemed like the girl had not had a good day.
“Do you want to tell me what happened to you?”
The woman noticed the slight hesitation before Josie answered.
“Nothing happened to me. It's fine.”
Nan frowned. Josie seemed to have a subconscious but compelling need for independence and to prove her strength. Because she didn’t want to undermine the child’s confidence while still providing support, Nan took a moment before she answered.
“I know that you take care, but you can still talk about things or ask for advice. I also know you are strong, but that doesn’t mean that you always have to do everything by yourself. Getting help doesn’t make you less. I am always here. Remember that.”
Josie nodded, still swinging her legs.
“I know, and I will tell you if I need help.”
Perking up, Josie served herself another portion and tucked in with enthusiasm. Her mouth was full most of the time, and her nostrils flared endearingly when she breathed. While she was chewing, her face took on a thoughtful look.
“Speaking of help, Nan... Could you tell me what cats eat?”
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