Drabble:132
Eddie had met Rose when he'd been seven. The first time they met had been in class, when Rose had rushed in late to their first dhampirs-only class and had to share a desk with Eddie and Mason. After a slight hesitation over contracting cooties, the boys had talked to the brown-tressed chubby-cheeked girl and they'd become fast friends over their mutual hatred for their supervisor (unsurprisingly, Stan) and their similar sense of humor. Their talks continued till lunchtime and from that day on, they managed to spend time together regularly either plotting, executing or watching each other's shenanigans.
Eddie remembered clearly that one day during lunch Headmistress Kirova had announced that unless they finish their vegetables no one would get desserts. Now, both Mason and Rose were big dessert fans and veggie-avoiders, so they had been horrified. But after much deliberation, they had decided to vanquish their vegetables, just for the prized desserts. Mason had managed to swallow his share and Eddie had systematically cleaned his plate (his Mum had taught him to never waste food, and Eddie had taken that to heart), but Rose, after much gagging and head-shaking had managed to finish her vegetables…..all except tomatoes. She watched as others got their sundae bowls and dug in, and then she looked down into her own unfinished plate of vegetables. When she looked up, her eyes were glistening with unshed tears and her lips were trembling. Mason, lost in his ice-cream world hadn't noticed, but Eddie, sensible and alert, even at that age, had. Wordlessly, he had dragged Rose's plate towards himself and eaten her arch-nemesis veggies within seconds. Rose had then sprinted to the lunch-lady with her now clean plate and skipped back to their table with her ice-cream bowl. She'd settled in and placed a sloppy kiss against Eddie's cheek and hugged him before forgetting his existence & burrowing into her ice-cream. Eddie, despite his reddened cheeks and Mason's squeal of 'Eww, cooties!', had been glad enough to help her. And in the years that followed, he had maintained his role as Rose's knight-with-a-stomach-for-despicable-veggies.
Twenty years later, Eddie found himself in Lissa's summer-house, surrounded by his friends and their broods. They had all gathered there to celebrate Lissa and Christian's first son, Alexander's fifth birthday. Somehow, during lunch, he found himself sitting beside Rose's 4-year-old, Anya, who despite looking like her mother-thankfully-had her father's calm temperament…...except when it came to vegetables. Broccoli and cauliflower, specifically….
He'd watched, amused, as she told Rose that she'd not eat any flowery veggies, because flowers were to be smelled and put into vases, not eaten. Rose had negated with her trademark-nonsensical-logic and they had argued till Rose had given the ultimatum that if Anya didn't finish her veggie-salad (which Adrian had made, and made surprisingly well), Uncle Adrian would be heartbroken. Not wishing to cause him pain, little Anya had acquiesced, but she looked put off by the prospect of having to eat flowers. It took just one pout and sad-sigh from the pigtailed-beauty for Eddie to hijack her plate and eat her hated vegetables. The smile she'd flashed him was worth it. So was the birthday cake she generously shared with him when his had finished. And it was especially worth it when she declared, much to Adrian and Christian's dismay, that Uncle Eddie was her favorite uncle, and hugged him.
At that unprecedented declaration, Rose had narrowed her eyes at Anya first, who was hanging onto Eddie's neck, and then at Eddie himself, who gave her a sheepish smile. She'd shaken her head in disapproval, but her smile had betrayed her amusement. In three steps, she'd walked over to him and hugged him too. "Best brother ever", she'd declared with twinkling eyes, reminding him of the sight he'd encountered in the kitchen only hours ago-Rose carefully desterilizing her salad bowl of tomatoes.
As she kissed his cheek and her daughter followed her lead, Eddie couldn't help but hope that this tradition too continued for another twenty years.
What did you think of that?
And do you have any arch-veggies?
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