Page 3 of Catching the Kot'oll Driver

Efaze heads to the table, hugs Mother, and moves on to the kitchen to greet Father.

I take a seat at the table now that it is ready. Efaze and the rest of the family join me soon enough. The mashed vegetables are waiting for me, and so are the roasted ribs. I can tear through the food in no time.

Father chuckles. “Grihul, it looks like you haven’t eaten for ages.”

“It’s different. Mother makes the best food.”

He nods. “You aren’t wrong. I suppose there isn’t anything good on your spaceship.”

“Won’t die and won’t starve.” I shrug. I need Father to start distributing the food already, otherwise, I can’t even start.

Efaze remains quiet, seemingly deep in thought. Maybe he’s dragging the passage of time so he won’t have to be back at work tomorrow. I hate a job that has to deal with other beings, thus being a long-distance driver is as perfect as it could be. There is no talking needed past understanding order and reporting issues if needed. All of those can be done with messages and emails, even better for me.

Father stands and cuts the ribs with a big knife. “Your mother and I hoped we could have everyone here since you’re home for a bit, but that didn’t happen, sadly. You guys all have your own lives now.”

Mother says, “Everyone’s work gets in the way. But I don’t blame them. When we used to operate the store together, we didn’t get to have dinner or even meals together a lot, too.”

Father nods. “You’re right.” He forks the juiciest rib for Mother, then he gives Efaze his portion. I stare as I wait for mine. At least there aren’t a lot of us here and my wait will soon be over.

The rib on my plate is roasted to perfection with the grease shimmering beneath the lights of the dining room. When Father takes a seat, I pick up the rib.

Efaze lifts an eyebrow at me almost at once.

What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?

Efaze forks up his rib and takes a bite.

Hm... Who eats a rib with a fork? That’s boring.

I ignore him and keep going with my hands. The meat almost falls off the bone. The spicy and sweet sauce coats the meat, and the combo almost melts in my mouth. If there’s one thing I don’t like about my job, it’s that I don’t get to enjoy nice food like this. I’m usually home only a few days a month, which is not enough in terms of food, not at all.

Father says, “I guess you’re used to eating on the spaceship on your own and no one is watching.”

I swallow the meat. “That’s how you devour ribs, though.”

Mother chuckles. “Just enjoy the food. I still remember the time when all of you fought for food, holding some in every single hand.”

Ah... The good old days when we were a lot younger and would hurry to stuff our faces to eat the most. Young kot’olls eat a ton, not to mention we are all males and we were crazy back then.

Father takes a bite of his food before he lets out a breath. “Time flies. I still remember the day when we switched you to using utensils and limiting everyone to one fork and one spoon, no hands.”

I take another rib from the plate in the center. “But some food should be enjoyed with hands.”

Father muses and nods. “Not wrong.”

It is rare for Father to agree with any one of us. He always listens to Mother, and that’s all about it. Mother is nice. Everyone in the family loves her.

We sink into a comfortable silence as each of us busy ourselves with food. This is the best time during a meal.

I lick my fingers clean of sauce before I wash my hands in the kitchen. The mashed vegetables are still there waiting for me. We add the sauce of the day to the vegetables, which will make it even better.

The mashed vegetables include potatoes, carrots, and a few other kinds of food, making for a nice mix of crunchy and soft, with a mushy feeling. if the roasted ribs are like a straight punch to the tastebuds, the mashed vegetables are the warm hug.

Mother says, “How’s work, Grihul?”

“Um... Good.” I’ve already done all the talking I’ve ever done in the month by now. So...

She lets out a soft sigh. “You’re alone most of the time, huh?”

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