CHAPTER THREE
Two Months Later
As Brain stepped into his fourth grade class with Mr. Ratburn, he could tell things had changed for the worse. Binky had lost twenty pounds, and while he told everyone it was because he grew three inches, Brain knew the truth.
The shortage started changing the eating habits of the area almost immediately. No more milk meant eating cereal dry, but then cereals became scarce as the grain and corn market fell. Beans became the staple of the American diet. Green beans, peas, black beans, navy beans—you name it, people were trying to use those beans to get by. They had no choice—no grain market meant a crash of the meat market. While the rice market was holding, many countries refused to export the grains to feed their own.
Besides, there were more problems everywhere, not just in Elwood City. The fish market fell as recalls took over the processing plants and farms. Prices were skyrocketing on everything, so fish farms were already at risk. Now many had gone belly-up, erasing that protein source.
Cost was a problem for everyone. Brain's mother had cut back as much as she could, causing portions to shrink. He could tell that happened to his other middle-class classmates as well. Binky, Arthur, and Francine looked so much smaller to him, even though he'd seen some of them over the summer.
The exception was Muffy, which was to be expected. At first the rich were just like everyone else fighting to get supplies. Now that there were black markets for things like milk or cereal, the rich had the advantage. Shipments that disappeared before reaching their destination were picked up by these dark characters, and rich people reaped the rewards while these criminals flourished.
It was a dark world, and Brain realized he was having a hard time concentrating, but so was Mr. Ratburn. He too looked smaller and older from hunger. Brain wondered if he even earned money over the summer from teaching for the rest of the world. If he didn't, he'd have to make money from other sources, but he knew that most of his puppet shows were free, even the ones at local theatres instead of the library.
It was too much for Brain to think about, how his teacher was making it. Besides, he needed to make it, as did his family. He needed to worry about himself and no one else, and that's how it was for everyone.
No one asked questions about how another kid was eating, even among these fourth grade classes. Even the well-fed Muffy knew to keep her mouth shut about how she was eating, and that became the new culture. After school, you could visit another's house, but no snacks were shared, and you never, ever stayed for dinner. You ate at your own house, and the menu was top secret.
The only time food was shared was in the cafeteria, not that there was much to share. Portions shrank, and the food's quality sank below what they were used to. Beans were used to make shriveled, runny hamburgers served without bread, pasta, or any other grain. No corn product could replace the bread, so more beans were served, usually in the form of a bean cake. Drinks were usually bottled water with artificial flavor packets. Arthur and the others didn't mind this part, though some of the flavors could be tart without much sugar, but none of them complained.
"At least you're getting fed," Mrs. MacGrady would tell passing students who made faces at the food. Her warm smile was gone, and some wondered if her cancer had returned. One look at her told the truth: She was a hungry woman busting her butt for seemingly ungrateful kids for minimum wage, and many doubted she was paid during the summer, which meant she'd have to ration her pantry and count the days until she could start work and get paid again.
In the teacher's lounge, it was a similar situation. Some brought their own creations from home. Miss Sweetwater and the other third grade teacher [A/N: that Zen dude, whatever his name was] traded recipes over the summer for bean recipes and other items, recipes they offered to share as Mr. Ratburn appeared with canned soup, which had changed to reflect the shortages in various markets.
Principal Haney was the worst of all, showing up with a container of straight up navy beans. He poured salt and pepper into the bowl when he was done microwaving it, but there was no making it any better. He wasn't content but no one asked if he wanted any recipes. They doubted he could cook it anyway, and they weren't about to offer him their own cooking skills. That too was against the new rules—you didn't cook for others anymore. You simply couldn't afford it.