26 Terror in the kitchen. (1/2)

Monday, October 20th

05h45pm

In the kitchen, Mrs. Clifford watches with great attention the young woman who has been standing at the door for more than 2 minutes and still does not dare to enter the room. 5.4ft, brown hair cut squared, beautiful blue eyes, naturally smiling little lips, generous breasts, she gives off a certain grace but does not seem pretentious or haughty.

Mrs. Clifford is suspicious of all these pretty women who like to seduce men. The first, was just a kid only a little older than Adam is now yet her youth did not prevent her from stealing her husband, leaving her alone with her little boy. The second, the bitch, Mrs. Clifford doesn't even want to think about it, so enraged is she at the simple mention of her name. In front of Meg, who, apart from her age, has a face and attributes that are not so different from these little thieves, Ms. Clifford must remain suspicious no matter what.

”Can you peel carrots?”

Meg finally feels her chance to prove herself and runs almost to the table where Mrs. Clifford was waiting for her. She is determined, her fists are clenched but her eyes sparkling with joy and on her lips is a smile that even Mrs. Clifford finds adorable. When silently, after a simple thank you, Meg grabs the knife that Mrs. Clifford hands her, Meg knows it:

The carrots will be her weapons and with them, she will break the shield that this woman has built around her.

Mrs. Clifford's eyes are closely following Meg's work and frankly, she is very surprised by what she sees. The young woman's movement is not so fast, but it is very fluid. The left hand gently holds the carrot without crushing it, while the blade of the knife in her right hand barely touches the vegetable. It's not going well, there must be something to criticize, thinks Ms. Clifford, who brutally puts her own knife on the table.

After the thumping sound of the knife slamming on the table, Meg, who thinks she made a mistake, freezes and waits for the sanction. With her lips tight, the mother of the family grabs a peel. She lifts it up before her eyes and meticulously inspects it. Her gaze goes from the peeling to the visibly very worried young woman, who in front of her, gathered her arms under the table and trembles slightly.

This peel is clean, no carrot flesh left on it. Mrs. Clifford is angry, she can't say anything, the vegetable is not wasted. The sound of Mrs. Clifford's disgruntled tongue slamming against her cheek made Meg startle. Mrs. Clifford throws the first inspected peel into the pile, then grabs a second one. Once again, her eyes as a housewife walk around the peel litter carefully, before grabbing a whole pile of it and placing it in front of her. Two minutes pass in an agonizing silence, Mrs. Clifford's serious face lights up, while she lets a carrot peel hang before the eyes of a disillusioned Meg.

”What is this sloppy job, Miss Barns? Do you think that middle-class people like me can allow such a mess? That's the real problem with the richs like you. You peel the vegetables and waste half of them, it perfectly reflects your way of seeing things. Well done, great mentality, know that I don't congratulate you.”

Meg, trembling, points her finger at the carrot pile from which the peelings shows to her by Mrs. Clifford comes out. ”I don't mean to contradict you, ma'am, but this one comes from your pile of peelings and not mine.”

As if she were suddenly caught with violent colic, Ms. Clifford's face becomes very unsightly. Her peel still hanging in the air between her fingers, her lips about to make another unpleasant remark when she feels a little sweat running down her back. Mrs. Clifford is not one of those who admit the defeat at the first little mistake made, so she gets up from her chair she silently walks to the refrigerator.

Behind her, Meg feels a predator ready to do anything to eat her, but she will do her best to please this complex woman. She has not fully understood the purpose of the carrot test and suspects that what follows will be just as stupid, but as stupid as the challenge is, she will rise to it with courage.