Hahahaha (Tulip)

You know, I could almost feel sorry for Violet if I didn't hate her.

The look on her face when she realised the pie had won was almost magical.

And when she turned away, walking pass my intended who'd voted for me, well the pie anyway, her shoulders had slumped and she looked so dejected.

It's funny that even her intended voted against her.

Serves her right though. If she wasn't such a goody two boots, fat wouldn't melt in her mouth, then I wouldn't hate her.

We would still be friends.

But I got sick of everyone comparing her to me and finding me lacking. I couldn't stand it anymore.

You see my father is the leader of my cave and her father is the leader of hers.

And they are only a short distance from each other.

It is possible, unless the weather is bad, to walk from my cave to hers, and vice versa.

So everyone in my cave knows her.

And loves her.

And would go on about how pretty she is.

And how clever.

How good she is at hunting.

In fact, she seems to be good at everything she tries whereas I am only good at one thing, sewing.

Which she hates.

But her stitches are still neater than mine. Her beadwork more even and ordered.

You'd think the sun shined out of her bottom the way they talk about her.

So it is good that she has been beaten in something.

By me.

And what is the best thing, the very best thing, is she was cheated out of winning.

I took the prize and I cheated.

I mean, I did roast the deer's legs but my mother helped me prepared them and made the marinade I basted them with.

And the pie?

I mixed together ground wheat and fat and the put half the lumpy mixture in a shallow cooking pot.

I cooked the meat, though it wasn't deer.

I added water and dried grapes. Honey and some other ingredients.

And poured it into the shallow cooking pot.

It didn't have stink.

And then I put more ground wheat and fat mixture over the top. Smoothing it over.

They all saw me do it, well apart from Violet who was too busy making her own muck.

Anyway, I put it in a special oven. You've heard of ground ovens, well this is a clay oven. It is put over a fire and things can be put on a shelf in it to cook.

But when it was time to eat, I told them it wasn't quite ready and while everyone was busy stuffing their faces and talking about the food, my mother removed it and brought one out she'd made herself and put that in.

Ready for me to get out.

Which I did. And I gave it to a man to take it to the table.

With no one the wiser that I'd cheated.

Apart from me.

Of course.

And my mother.

Obviously.

And my father too.

Though he wasn't happy about it.

Not at all.

He told me I wasn't to cheat.

That I had to play fair.

But then I reminded him that Violet had killed a deer on her own.

A girl who could do that wouldn't be happy to take a step back. If she won the cooking competition, she wouldn't be happy about her intended leading the big hunt.

She'd want to lead it herself.

Which is something that my father and most of the other leaders wouldn't allow to happen.

What is a man if he isn't a provider?

He can't give birth.

He can't suckle a baby.

Our people have no problem about women hunting and they have always been a part of the main hunt.

But to lead the main hunt? It is the last thing that only men are allowed to do and something that they do not want to give up.

Violet couldn't be allowed to lead the main hunt.

Or even suggest that she should.

And to make sure she never got the chance to challenge the tradition, she had to lose.

And given the way she always excells at everything, someone had to cheat her off it.

Me.

So my father wasn't happy but he agreed to the plan and backed it up by arguing that what I had made was the best.

Which it was. My deer legs were amazing.

But the pie my mother made?

Was outstanding.

And more importantly, something that no one outside our hearth has ever seen or tasted.

In fact, I've only had it once. When she'd tried to make grain cakes but it had gone wrong and turned into what she called pastry that she filled with meat and fruit, honey and spices.

So I cheated.

I did it because I wanted to win and wanted Violet to finally lose and know how I felt.

And my mother helped me because she wanted me to be the best.

And my father allowed it to happen so things wouldn't change.

But.

I must admit.

I do feel a bit guilty.

When I hear Violet crying.