I selected five chickens and placed them on the counter. As the man readjusted his bags, I quickly held out my hands to help.
What the-?
My arms sagged at the weight. I couldn't help but remark, "That's a lot of food. You stocking up for an apocalypse?"
The man smiled and bowed slightly rather than shaking his head, "Not at all, Charles is simply buying groceries for the children of his family."
Okay, it's not just his clothes. His way of speaking is simply too stiff!
I pointed a chicken at him suspiciously. "Aren't you a little too young to be calling yourself a father?"
From the way he stiffened, I could tell my guess was right.
"Does Charles really look so young?"
This guy, did he seriously think he could pass for an old man?
I decided to tease him a bit. "Nevermind a father! Are you even of legal age to be married?"
"..."
This guy is simply too entertaining! It looked like my words had struck a huge blow. All he had to do was look in a mirror to tell I was joking!
I laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. "If you're going to pretend to be a father, at least wear a wedding ring."
That seemed to break him out of his stupor. He looked at me apologetically, "Charles must apologize. He did not mean to mislead you. By children, Charles only meant his younger siblings"
...Did he really think he could change his mind at the last second?
"Siblings huh? How many?"
"Tw- twelve." For a second, it sounded like he'd wanted to say two. He handed me two chickens.
I placed the first chicken on the chopping board. "You take care of all them? What about your parents?"
“Our esteemed mother passed away early.”
"So you're the oldest?"
"No," He spoke carefully as if afraid I would suspect his age again. "Charles is the second eldest. However, while Father and Dage are working, he would take care of the kids."
I finished packaging the second chicken and he handed me the third one.
"Okay, that still doesn't explain why you're wearing so much."
"That's..." I could practically see the gears whirring in his head.
I smacked him with the chicken. "Don't worry about it, Charles! Your secret is safe with me."
He paled but still tried his gentlemanly smile on me. "I-it's not what you- I don't understand what you mean."
He snuck a sheepish glance at me. I just grinned. He finally dropped the polite speech!
"Yeah, you know, there were signs. But don't worry I won't tell anyone!"
"What signs?"
I lowered my voice. "You're wearing so many layers even though it's this hot! Only someone trying to disguise their gender would do something so unnecessary."
Did I guess wrong? Unexpectedly, he was making a helpless expression at me.
"I mean, what kind of man goes grocery shopping regularly? Right?"
He sighed dramatically. (And if I wasn't imagining things, with some relief.) "The truth is Charles is allergic to sunlight."
"You are? What would happen if you- you know."
He smiled looking paler than before. "I'd die."
"....."
I gave him a fourth chicken on the house.
After that, I helped him gather up his bags.
I couldn't help but sigh. "It's a pity."
He tried to console me. "It's not so bad not being able to touch direct sunlight. Really."
"Not about that. Don't get me wrong; that's a pity too. I meant your gender." I shook my head. "Sigh, if you had really been a woman, you'd totally be my type."
"Type of what?" He tilted his head completely dismissing the important part.
"I mean, where else are you going to find someone who can cook, likes taking care of people with a gentle smile and won't wear revealing clothes in front of other men? Tsk tsk what a waste!"
"Ow!" I didn't get to see Charles' reaction because I felt the smack of a chicken on the back of my head.
"Son, you'd better not be slacking off! Look, you made our guest drop his things.”
I retorted, "'Son, don't go smacking people with chickens. What will our guests think?'"
Ducking the second swing, I crouched down with Charles to pick up the few items he dropped. "Sorry Charles."
"It's no trouble, thank you."
I picked up a small box and was about to hand it over when I happened to glance at the cover.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Re: Story 4: A Day in the Life of
Date: 2015-03-31 06:50 am (UTC)What the-?
My arms sagged at the weight. I couldn't help but remark, "That's a lot of food. You stocking up for an apocalypse?"
The man smiled and bowed slightly rather than shaking his head, "Not at all, Charles is simply buying groceries for the children of his family."
Okay, it's not just his clothes. His way of speaking is simply too stiff!
I pointed a chicken at him suspiciously. "Aren't you a little too young to be calling yourself a father?"
From the way he stiffened, I could tell my guess was right.
"Does Charles really look so young?"
This guy, did he seriously think he could pass for an old man?
I decided to tease him a bit. "Nevermind a father! Are you even of legal age to be married?"
"..."
This guy is simply too entertaining! It looked like my words had struck a huge blow. All he had to do was look in a mirror to tell I was joking!
I laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. "If you're going to pretend to be a father, at least wear a wedding ring."
That seemed to break him out of his stupor. He looked at me apologetically, "Charles must apologize. He did not mean to mislead you. By children, Charles only meant his younger siblings"
...Did he really think he could change his mind at the last second?
"Siblings huh? How many?"
"Tw- twelve." For a second, it sounded like he'd wanted to say two. He handed me two chickens.
I placed the first chicken on the chopping board. "You take care of all them? What about your parents?"
“Our esteemed mother passed away early.”
"So you're the oldest?"
"No," He spoke carefully as if afraid I would suspect his age again. "Charles is the second eldest. However, while Father and Dage are working, he would take care of the kids."
I finished packaging the second chicken and he handed me the third one.
"Okay, that still doesn't explain why you're wearing so much."
"That's..." I could practically see the gears whirring in his head.
I smacked him with the chicken. "Don't worry about it, Charles! Your secret is safe with me."
He paled but still tried his gentlemanly smile on me. "I-it's not what you- I don't understand what you mean."
He snuck a sheepish glance at me. I just grinned. He finally dropped the polite speech!
"Yeah, you know, there were signs. But don't worry I won't tell anyone!"
"What signs?"
I lowered my voice. "You're wearing so many layers even though it's this hot! Only someone trying to disguise their gender would do something so unnecessary."
Did I guess wrong? Unexpectedly, he was making a helpless expression at me.
"I mean, what kind of man goes grocery shopping regularly? Right?"
He sighed dramatically. (And if I wasn't imagining things, with some relief.) "The truth is Charles is allergic to sunlight."
"You are? What would happen if you- you know."
He smiled looking paler than before. "I'd die."
"....."
I gave him a fourth chicken on the house.
After that, I helped him gather up his bags.
I couldn't help but sigh. "It's a pity."
He tried to console me. "It's not so bad not being able to touch direct sunlight. Really."
"Not about that. Don't get me wrong; that's a pity too. I meant your gender." I shook my head. "Sigh, if you had really been a woman, you'd totally be my type."
"Type of what?" He tilted his head completely dismissing the important part.
"I mean, where else are you going to find someone who can cook, likes taking care of people with a gentle smile and won't wear revealing clothes in front of other men? Tsk tsk what a waste!"
"Ow!" I didn't get to see Charles' reaction because I felt the smack of a chicken on the back of my head.
"Son, you'd better not be slacking off! Look, you made our guest drop his things.”
I retorted, "'Son, don't go smacking people with chickens. What will our guests think?'"
Ducking the second swing, I crouched down with Charles to pick up the few items he dropped. "Sorry Charles."
"It's no trouble, thank you."
I picked up a small box and was about to hand it over when I happened to glance at the cover.
It was a pack of bullets.
--------------------
(/o.o)/ *passes on