🍄 A weekend at Nathan's
Part 6: Beans and Mushrooms
⚠️ This is a work of fiction
⚠️ Reproduction and distribution prohibited
Shortly after, the three of us find ourselves in the kitchen and the smell that lingers there doesn't appeal to me too much even if I can't quite detect what it is.
On the table, there are only three plates and not four as I expected.
"Valentin isn't eating? I ask."
"He will eat after us, Nathan responds. We can't eat when he's here, we have to take care of him constantly."
In the corner of the room, I can see there is a booster seat and I wonder why. Is it for Valentin?
"Do you use one at home? Anne asks me. You can take it if you want."
"No, I reply, of course not."
"I'm joking Sam, she says with a smile. This booster seat is for Valentin."
"But isn't he taller than Nathan?"
"You know, he has a mental handicap, but he is also a bit smaller than children his age. And we use this seat because it has a strap, so Valentin stays seated properly throughout his meal."
I can't wait to see this brother Nathan didn't want to talk to me about. He has a mental handicap but also apparently a physical one.
"Sit down, I'll serve you, Anne says."
The moment Anne puts the dish on the table, I already know I won't eat much: turkey, green beans, and mushrooms. So that's the smell. I look and I don't even see any bread on the table. Apart from the meat, I don't like beans and mushrooms even less.
I try to play it cool and pass my plate when Anne asks for it.
"Not too much, I'm not very hungry tonight, I say trying to be clever."
Nevertheless, Anne serves me the same amount as Nathan and herself, without even considering my request.
"Enjoy your meal, she says."
"Enjoy your meal, Nathan says, seemingly enjoying the meal and eating heartily."
"Enjoy your meal, I say while making a slight grimace."
Anne eats, Nathan eats, and me, I nibble. I cut my meat into small pieces and try to eat a bean or two, but I don't touch the mushrooms at all.
"Are you not hungry, or do you not like it? Anne asks me when she has almost finished her plate."
"A bit of both, I say softly."
"You still ate all your meat, so you were a bit hungry after all."
"At home, I never eat mushrooms, and green beans aren't my favorite vegetable."
"But here you're not at home, and just like I make Nathan not waste food, I would like you to do the same. Plus, it's good for your health to eat vegetables."
I look at Nathan, and I can read on his lips: "Eat." He repeats it several times and does it when his mom isn't looking at me.
He's already finished, and Anne has also finished her last bite. I look at my plate and it's still full of beans and mushrooms.
"Nathan, get dessert. Don't wait for Sam to finish because it looks like it's going to take a little while. Then you can go get Valentin."
Nathan stands up and heads to the refrigerator. He takes out a yogurt and starts eating it once he's seated again. Me, I still haven't eaten what's left on my plate when he finishes his dessert.
Without saying anything, Nathan stands up and goes upstairs. There, I will soon meet Nathan's brother.
"Sam, now that Nathan is gone, I want to talk to you."
I look at Anne who seems very serious. She looks me in the eyes and continues:
"I talked a little with your mom earlier when you were in the house with Nathan. She explained to me that you weren't always very... nice and obedient."
"But..."
"Please don't interrupt me, I'll tell you when it's your turn to speak."
Oh dear, Nathan was right earlier when he said I might not have made the right decision coming here.
"So, earlier I was saying that there are rules here and they must be followed. Nathan follows them... almost always. And when he doesn't follow them, he is punished. I doubt he has told you about his punishments, it's not something he brags about."
"But you're not my mom, you can't punish me, I say, cutting her off nonetheless."
"You see, you've just interrupted me again, and that's not correct. I was saying that there are rules, and these rules will also apply to you because I don't want what I have set up here with Nathan and his brother to be disrupted by your presence and actions. So I'm warning you that if you don't obey me, you will face the consequences and you will be punished."
"My mom won't agree! She doesn't like parents who hit their children."
"Your mom is aware of the education I give to my children, and she has authorized me to apply the same to you during your stay here. And know that there are no hits here, I don't hit my children."
Now, I don't know what to think. Is that true? Did mom really authorize her to do that? But to do what exactly, I have no idea. And if she doesn't spank or anything, what could these punishments consist of, it can't be too bad.
"I want to go home right now."
"That's not possible Sam, it's too late."
I could run away, but well, I have all my things here. And if mom has given her approval, she might bring me back here and it could be worse.
"Sam, I'm asking you: do you want to finish your plate?"
"I'll try but I'm not hungry anymore."
"Okay, then you can finish it while Valentin eats his meal. If you don't finish it, I'll have to think of a punishment then."
What a mess I've gotten myself into! I should have gone with mom and dad instead of coming here.
Nathan arrives, I hear footsteps on the stairs. I see him coming first and just behind him, I see Valentin who is holding his hand.
Now they are both in the kitchen, side by side. Valentin stares at me and I look back at him. Indeed, Valentin is not tall, he is even a little smaller than Nathan. He too is in pajamas, and his are light blue with very childish bear motifs on them. It makes me smile.
"Nathan, you didn't change his diaper?"
What? What am I hearing? Anne asks if Nathan changed Valentin's diaper? I look closer at Valentin, and indeed, between his top and bottom pajamas, I can see something white.
"Is that a diaper? I say, laughing and pointing at what I see. Valentin wears diapers at 13 years old?"
Here I see Nathan signaling me with his hand to stop and be quiet. That's what I do, thinking I might be in trouble. Valentin, however, remains calm and doesn't react to my teasing, simply continuing to look at me.
"Sorry, I say, it just came out."
"No Mom, says Nathan, he wasn't too wet."
Anne says nothing, and approaches Valentin. She takes his hands in hers and kisses him on the forehead. She then releases his hands and pulls down his pajama bottoms to check his diaper.
"You could have changed him anyway. Oh well, I'll do it later."
I can see Valentin's diaper, it's white, with designs on it. Anne pulls his pajama bottoms back up over it and takes him to the booster seat she has attached to the chair. She then helps him sit on it.
Valentin has hardly taken his eyes off me the whole time his mom checked his diaper and got him settled.
Anne puts a bib around his neck and starts feeding him. Meanwhile, I have tried once again to eat some beans but I can't do it. Oh well, I give up. I'll be punished and that's it.
Valentin wears diapers, wears baby pajamas, and doesn't eat by himself. Nathan told me he was different and he is, yes, I confirm it. I haven't heard him speak yet, does he even know how to?
"You're not eating anymore? Anne asks me."
"No, I can't."
"Alright, then go upstairs to brush your teeth. Sam, you'll take a shower, I've laid out everything you need on the bathroom sink."
I leave my chair and start following Nathan.
Back to story 🍄 A weekend at Nathan's