Novel Storm
Chapter 26
“If you prepared it wrongly, you think I’d accept it from you? I told you to relax. Big sis and I are good people,” Beatrix scoffed and placed the deep plate bowl on the bed tray.
She flashed a smile at Lavana who looked very unwilling to drink it. She preferred those bitter herbs she took in that hellish place to this tonic.
“Big sister, if you can be good and finish it up, then Beatrix will reward you.” the little one pointed at the porcelain pot that was still covered with its lid. “Beatrix will reward you with the food in there. What do you say?”
Lavana looked at Carl, asking with her eyes if what the little babe said was true and he nodded quickly.
“Ok,” Lavana mumbled in agreement.
“Now just relax, lil sis will feed you fat now,” Beatrix said happily.
Lavana chuckled as Beatrix mixed the tonic properly and started to feed her.
“It’s so bitter!” Lavana confessed after managing to swallow the first spoonful of the tonic.
“And so spicy. Are you trying to kill someone?” she complained.
“Big sis, relax. Take 9 more spoonfuls and I’ll let you off.” Beatrix’s grin looked insincere and creepy.
“9 more spoonfuls? I’d rather die.” Lavana lay back on the bed and looked away.
Beatrix looked at Carl who immediately raised the cover of the porcelain pot.
Lavana quickly turned her head to look at the pot.
The fragrance was so good. She almost drooled here.
Carl immediately covered the pot now there was only a faint fragrance which was disappearing by the seconds.
Lavana became disappointed.
“Big sis, I didn’t lie to you, right? I told you there’s a big reward behind this medicine. Come on, open your mouth. 9 more spoonfuls to go.” Beatrix said as she prepared to serve Lavana another spoonful.
“I… I…” she looked at the pot again and swallowed hard.
“OK!” she finally compromised. Everything was for the sake of the food. For the sake of the reward.
******
Now that Lavana was done taking the 10 spoonfuls, Beatrix gave the deep plate to Carl who accepted it like he was receiving an imperial edict.
“No need to be so nervous. You are sweating despite the AC. Why are you so scared?”
“I… Do you eat humans? I’m just afraid that if I made a mistake…”
“Hey, Carl. Yes, we aren’t human but that doesn’t mean we eat people.” Lavana said.
“Mr Carl, being so nervous is useless. I love eating meat but the meat must be well cooked. I eat animal meat. Are you an animal?” Beatrix looked pissed but Lavana patted her shoulder. Her temper was really like Thora’s.
“Mr Carl, you can go outside and have a rest for the night. My lil sis and I can take it from here.” Lavana said with a smile.
“Ok!” Carl quickly exited the room as Beatrix shook her head in pity.
“Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Such a coward. He’s even more spineless than a grasshopper. Hmph!” she scoffed.
“Baby, that’s enough. Where’s my reward?” Lavana asked, her eyes fixated on the small porcelain pot.
“Alright!” Beatrix went to the table to get the pot and returned, placing it on the bed tray.
She took the deep plate and spoon from the bed tray and returned them to the tray on the table.
She skipped back to the bed and sat on it.
Lavana licked her lips, rubbing her hands that had been itching.
“I can’t wait to eat the chicken in it,” she said.
The main reason she was this anxious was because of the aroma earlier. It was chicken.
So she excitedly took off the lid, forgetting the bitterness in her mouth.
But she soon frowned.
“Beatrix what’s this?” she asked unhappily.
Where was the chicken that she was so prepped up to eat?
“Big sis, this is chicken flavoured fish. And the soup was made from ginger…”
“Forget it. I’m not eating. Take it away, Beatrix. You deceived me.” Lavana folded her arms, pouting.
“Eh?” the little one widened her eyes in disbelief, pointing at herself.
“I deceived you? How could you say such a thing!”
“You said there’s a reward but I see no reward.” Lavana looked away.
“Big sis,” Beatrix drew closer and whispered. “You are a mermaid, right? Why are you unhappy to eat fish? Or is seaweed your favourite food then?” she asked.
‘What seaweed? Who wants to eat those? Who told you I like fish?”
“I thought you’d like it.”
“You… I already ate so much fish back in the restaurant. I love meat alright.” she said.
Beatrix sighed and got off the bed looking sad.
“It’s alright. I’m at fault. I wrongly assumed that, based on your identity, you must like fish a lot. I’m sorry.’
Lavana felt bad. She’d saddened the little one again. What was wrong with her tonight?
“Hehe. Why do you always believe? I’m a mermaid. Of course, I love fish the most. Where would you see a meat-loving mermaid? Fish is excellent for my body. I’m very thin so I must eat and get fat. Then you can push me around in a wheelbarrow.” she started eating it with relish.
“If you get too fat, I’ll just run off.”
“You’ll abandon me?”
“Hmph! I don’t want you to become obese. Just add a little more meat.” Beatrix folded her arms and looked away.
“Here, have some of the fish and soup. It tastes really good. Carl’s a really good cook.” she gave a thumbs up and fed Beatrice a spoonful.
Beatrix nodded with a smile.
“His cooking’s the best I’ve ever tasted.” she exclaimed and added: “It would be a waste to wipe out his memory.”
“Little sis, no need for that. He helped us so we shouldn’t pay him back with evil, alright?” Lavana patted Beatrix’s shoulder.
“Okay. But after we leave here, where will we go?”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
“To your home of course. I need to make sure you reunite with your family.” Lavana said as she fed her another spoonful.
“But what about after that? You don’t want to stay with me anymore?”
“I could but… I’ve got to move on later and find people of my kind.”
“You mean there are more of your kind out there?”
“Well… yeah!” Lavana nodded.
Beatrix sighed.