No rain, no flowers

Chapter Three | Dinner

As the boy and his father sat down at their table for dinner, the boy's mother placed a tray of food in the centre of the table, took the herbed bread out of the oven, and filled mugs with warm water for the tea they'd have with their meal. Afterwards, she rushed over to their new guest and offered them a plate, gesturing for them to join the family for dinner. The guest had a bit of a blank stare for awhile before standing up, nodding slightly, and smiling as they made their way to join the family. The meal was delicious. On the tray was an assortment of berries, apples, pears, cheeses, cured salmon, peppered meats, and homemade butter. Each person chose a portion of what was on the tray and piled it onto their plates before grabbing each other's hands, and closing their eyes to pray. The little boy and his mother held out their hands to the new guest, and explained that they were going to pray before they ate. The guest just looked baffled, and paused before carefully placing their hands into the palms of those that surrounded them. The little boy and his parents closed their eyes, and bowed their heads while the father started to talk. He prayed over the food, his family, and their new guest, who had happened upon their house. He prayed for the well being of everyone at the table, and for family and friends who were in other places at the time. While the boy's father prayed, the guest looked around at the family, the food, and the house they were in and felt a warmth surge throughout their body. They were thankful for this serendipity and gave a silent prayer of thanks. When the boy's father finished speaking, there was a short silence before the young boy whispered something too quiet for the guest to hear, though they probably wouldn't have been able to understand what he'd said anyway. Then, everyone smiled and let go of each other's hands. The boy's mother got up out of her seat, and walked over to the stove where she had a pot simmering. She turned the dial and the flames dissolved. She held a wooden bowl in her hand, and dove a ladle into the pot. She did this four times, filling up each bowl with a hearty portion of soup. The mother grabbed two bowls, and placed them in front of the boy and his father, then stepped back and took the bowls for herself and their guest. The guest smiled, and spoke a gesture of thanks to the mother. Then, they all ate. The meal was just as amazing as it looked, and before long, the sun was gone.