Chapter 32: Cornbread and Sausage

Skipping down the stairs? Almost, but not quite, but I certainly felt way more chipper than when Friday first talked to me. There were only 4 folks still at the tables, Jazmine, Roy and the two scruffies. They were at one of the communal tables and seemed to be quietly enjoying their breakfast.

Swinging around the banister at the bottom of the stairs Ann was suddenly right in front of me. “Good morning, Monday.” I hoped no one was looking at my feet because her voice whispering into my ears caused my toes to curl. “A bit of a later start, but there’s plenty of food. Quiche, pastries, cornbread and sausage. What might you like?”

As her voice made me shiver inside I had an image of sitting around a dark wooden table with a man, woman, and very small girl; a plate with 2 chunks of cooked sausage and a split block of yellow cornbread on which sat a chunk of butter. A light brown viscous liquid dripped across the cornbread and pooled by the sausage. ‘Kielbasa,’ I thought.

“Thanks Ann, cornbread and sausage sounds great. Oh, I’m going to visit Buckle after I eat if you can break away.” I was following her to the communal table where she indicated a spot. Sitting down I continued. “Anyhow, hopefully he can get his stuff today, but I’d like an extra day if it isn’t too much bother.”

There was a small glint in her silver eyes, “and if I said it was too much of a bother, Monday?”

For about half a second I was stumped, mind blank. But my confusion was simply ignored as my voice tossed out. “Oh, no worries, I’ll just crash with Billie and Bernie. Or Bluebird? Maybe Kip. Tom seemed nice enough, if serious. Well, if nothing else works out I can probably convince Millie Goode that I can lift and haul to earn a bit of floor space in the warehouse.” Each word I spoke caused Ann’s right eye to raise a fraction, and by the end of my short dialogue, Jazmine, Roy and the two scruffies were wide eyed and looking at the two of us.

Thankfully my feet were now fully hidden under the table as Ann’s laughter made not just my toes curl, but the soles of my feet clenched up as if they’d been assaulted by feathers simply destroying the sanctity of their nerve endings. “9 dollars right now, Monday March. I’ll save your room, upgrade your meal tonight and give you a donut in addition to whatever the normal breakfast is tomorrow. Just, Please, don’t wreck God’s Bath today?”

I fished out an empty silver from my pack and pressed it to her palm. “Thank you for your help yesterday. I know you said tips here are for above and beyond. You and Billie are above and beyond, and Bernie is just the sweetest.” I didn’t feel cool enough to sell it fully. But Ann smirked and took the coin. I took it as a win. “I’d like to chat with Bernie, Billie or both after I eat if you can spare them for… 3 minutes, Em?”

Ann smirked at me, which was significantly less impressive than anything she did with her voice. “Okay, Monday. Your breakfast will be out shortly. Juice, right?” I simply nodded.

After Ann entered the kitchen, I sat at the table for 30 seconds before one of the scruffies looked over and addressed me for the first time. “Teach me your ways, Sempai.” a full second later the second scruffy nodded and agreed. “I would also like to learn, Sensei.”

My eyes looked at both of the scruffies and then over to Jazmine and Roy. “Uhm, are they dorks, really into Ann, or simply clueless?”

At the very same time they all spoke. Jazmine and Roy said “Dorks” and “Clueless” respectively, the scruffies said "Really into Ann."

The scruffy with the slightly lighter hair and greener eyes defended himself. “Hey, I may be a dork but how can you talk to her so casually!” Moments later the darker haired and more blue eyed scruffy continued. “She’s amazing! I mean, she’s pretty and nice and her voice…” I saw the second scruffy shiver for a moment, eyes closed and scrunched before they opened again and met mine.

“Suggestions?” Hazel eyes with blue flecks met my own.

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I only rolled my eyes for a moment before meeting his and replied. “Be genuine. She’s looking for something, so don’t be forward and just be interested. She is kind, and isn’t looking for, well… Be kind, be honest. If you don’t actually have an interest that goes beyond the week, don’t bother.”

Blue and hazel seemed confused. Hazel with extra green looked contemplative. Jazmine rolled her own eyes and Roy, well Roy aimed to meet my eyes.

“Yes Roy?”

Oooh, he can do a high arched eyebrow. Cute. He seemed to be measuring me up when Bernie came out with my cornbread and sausage, I could see flecks of dried fruit in the cornbread, and a single fried egg laid across the sausages.

“Good morning Bernie. I hope you had a good night. Did Billie have a chance to talk with you?”

He leaned near me as he placed the plate down, with a wooden cup of fruit flavored water. “We are happy to have you as a friend, Monday March.”

Is this what it is like to feel one’s heart melt? So sweet. Not that he makes my insides squiggle, but he is like a puppy. Not that I remembered ever seeing a puppy. “Thank you, Bernie. Could you offer for Billie or yourself to watch the front this morning for a bit? I think Ann wants to check on Buckle with me, but doesn’t feel comfortable asking. And Bernie, you may call me Monday”

Bernie nodded, “Thanks Monday, I’ll let Ann know.”

I happily jabbed and separated a chunk of cornbread, a little butter stuck on top, and drug it through a pool of sweet syrup before nabbing it off the fork with my mouth. Flavors of fruit, earthy cornbread and sweet. ‘Mmmm.’

The sausage was good, but not as tasty as the cornbread. Nor was the juice, which I think was a water and apple blend. I may have moaned just a little bit when Friday spoke up. “Is eating really that good?”

“Oh Friday, we have to see about what is needed to give you… wait a second. I thought you could access all my senses?”

“Yes, it has acid and fat and sweet. No sour to speak of but the umami in the sausage registers. The salt isn’t overbearing but the ratios don’t register as being in balance.” Friday’s soothing voice felt honest, if incomplete.

Sub vocalization wasn’t something I could yet manage while eating, so between bites I took a sip of juice before responding to Friday. “I wonder if one of the things on the store will provide more than raw flavor information. Maybe it would need to wait for that tier 5 sentience upgrade? Do you enjoy things?”

“I’ve only been around for less than 2 hours, Monday. I’ll let you know if I enjoy something.” The acknowledgement gesture with my hand holding an empty fork had to substitute for more talk, as I had a juicy bite of sausage I was chewing. Supplanting the common discomfort at seeing my own skin holding the fork, with the salty juicy bite of food.

Even though I wasn’t particularly feeling hungry, the flavors were quite enjoyable, as was the texture. “Yes Roy?” I’m not sure if he had kept looking at me the entire time, but I noticed the direction of his gaze between my bites of breakfast.

He blinked and his eyebrow remained arched. “You changed since dinner, Monday March.” There was an implied question that I didn’t understand. I just nodded and took another bite of food, continuing to meet his gaze.

I made a gesture intended for Friday as I took another bite of food. Roy had not continued but was still looking at me. “I have no idea what that man is doing either, Monday. Maybe you broke him?” I did a tiny eye roll.

Another few bites passed and I wondered if he was trying to wait me out and get me to say something. Or perhaps Roy is simply not that polite. Maybe both? “Say, Roy. Is what you are doing now considered rude? I mean, continuing to look at me, not really asking anything but maybe intending for me to be uncomfortable? To start me talking?”

Jazmine and the scruffies twitched as if they were startled, then glanced between Roy and myself. I speared another bit of sausage with some egg, and enjoyed another bite of breakfast.

I heard an odd thunk from under the table and saw Roy wince. “Er, ah, Monday March… Ah, er… I can, I trained to… Like I said before, you changed since dinner, and I’m trying to make sense of it.”

Thinking for just a moment I ate another bite of the tasty tasty cornbread, then looked Roy in the eye again. “So, if you get your hair trimmed, and trim your mustache or change your clothes, and I notice something is different but can’t immediately place the difference, that makes it fine to stare at you while I’m trying to figure out what is different? And when I pick up some new clothes this afternoon and wear something different I can expect everyone I’ve met to feel free to do what you are doing?”

All 4 pairs of eyes snapped to me again as I finished speaking, and scooped up my last of my breakfast, dragging it through the hint of remaining sweetener and popping the entire bite into my mouth at once. Chewing I returned their looks, angling my head a hint to the right as I tried to enjoy the melding flavors.

“No, no Monday March, I’m sorry. It… It was rude of me, but can… Could I ask you what changed?” Roy had seemed so smooth, but something had really thrown him.

“You can ask, but I don’t have the time now. Buy me a dessert at dinner and I’ll hear why you think I changed. I mean everyone changes, but if it’s interesting enough I’ll give you a serious answer.” I put my fork down and finished my juice before standing up and walking back to the kitchen.