Buying Fresh Clean Meat for Dinner

One of the chores that I really hated more than ever was going to the market every other day. It's not that I don't love my family... I do with all my heart. I could never imagine life without them. But there are days that certain mundane things tend to drag one down.

Today it's market day, and I have to make sure that everything's really fresh. It's very important that the ingredients are fresh, or I'd have the whole house on my head complaining about the waste of resources. Sometimes they make it like a joke, but often times it gets really callous.

Scanning the rows of beef and pork hanging by huge hooks, I asked some of the vendors about where the meat came from, who sold it, if they're trusted, the usual round questions. Money is never a question - we can shell out the amount as long as the supply and demand is given. One vendor in particular found this to be more than interesting. "Herbert, mind your manners!," Old man Freddie said as he helped me with my latest purchase. "Her family is our biggest client for fresh meats. Don't you start giving her jitters or she won't buy from us anymore." Here I turned my head and was met by a pair of chocolate-warm brown eyes set in an oval face. Lean, tall, and smiling, the one called Herbert stared a bit more, his smile never wavering, before going back to the butcher's area, with a lot of words that I'm sure any mom and gracious lady of the house would frown upon.

At this I took my share, checking him out for what seems like forever before turning to Freddie. "He's new here. I don't recall seeing him when I came here a fortnight ago." Freddie took his towel and wiped the sweat from his brow before answering. "Oh, he's been here for a while now, just at the back area. Joey was sick so I had him cover while he recover from his cold. The medicine you gave him helped. He'll be back by Tuesday." I nodded, and then started to ask him question about his background. Better safe than sorry. He shook his head at me, amused by my sudden interest before he chimed,"Ah! you like him?" I smiled at him one of my rare smiles. Freddie understood, and said he'll check further and let me know more details about him. "Thank you, Freddie. You're the best!" He sighed and patted me on the shoulder. "It's the least I could do. now run along, I'll have the meats over at your house in two hours."

A month later and I was having a warm cup of coffee at Seattle's with Herbert. He was sporting a baby blue shirt and rugged jeans, emphasizing his build. "Thanks again for the lunch you brought yesterday. That was dellish," he said as he was finishing his cup. I nodded, enjoying how the afternoon glow of the sun played effects with his lightly tanned skin. I noticed how the girls from the other table kept looking at him, and I had to smile. His shirt hugged his body in all the right places, showing off his muscular chest and rather strong arms. His dark shoulder-length locks played lightly in the wind, giving the impression of him being a surfer rather than one working at a butcher's shop.

"You certainly know how to turn heads here," I mused, playing with my coffee as I turned to look at him. The smoldering look in his eyes could not be mistaken, yet I'm used to such looks. Lust, I rationed, had its ways of being known, and this one made no bones about it. He loved the attention, but more than that he loved how I was showering him with lots of it: cash and attention. My smile grew ever slightly when I saw the message on my phone. "Ah, I believe that I'm needed home now. Folks are a tad concerned over my last purchase. Is it okay if I ask you to come along? I may have a better fit for you than that shirt you're in." Oh! He got up faster than was usual and accompanied me to the parked Honda Civic.

It was only a 30 minute drive, but he sure took his time, making almost every turn and traffic stop as an excuse to kiss me and such. Sweet, but I know he wanted something else. Well, I thought to myself, he'll get more than what he wants.

Arriving at our destination, one could not help but look at it in awe. I call it a house, but most people would call it a mansion. Father called it Hardington Manor. From the tall iron gates to the arched driveway one would take about 20 minutes on foot. Upon arriving, I could not help but smile at my guest's expression. I can actually hear gears whirring inside his head. K-ching!

At the door, I searched in my bag for the keys to the huge ornate door with the lion head knocker. Shaking my head, I sighed and reached for my phone. "Left your keys?" "Yup. My sister must have fallen asleep again too by the couch. But I think that's her walking to the door now. Is it okay if you be by the door and say 'hello' to her while I check on something by the car? I think I left something," and when he said yes I dashed back 5 steps on the marble steps to my car. Inside I rummaged for the bottle of white wine that I always keep in stock for suck occasions.

I heard a scuffle, some muffled screams and a thud before turning around to see the door ajar. Smiling, I closed the car door and walked back towards the house.

"How do you like our new visitor? Told you he smells wonderful, didn't I?" I called out as I hurriedly closed the door, locking it with the matching skeleton key from inside my bag, and dropped the large iron deadbolt on place. A low raspy voice coming from somewhere in the house answered, "He smells wonderful. And fresh! He's so fresh. Not like the last one." I laughed as I answered back to a seemingly empty parlor, "I was not the one who brought the other one home. That was Marie. And don't worry, Charlotte. Freddie checked him thoroughly before I took him home. No one will find him. Call the others. I'm famished!"

That night the whole family came for dinner. The house was built with deep caverns and caves that go more than 20 feet below the house. Waking up each member of the household was easy given that the meal's confirmed fresh and clean.

The young ones couldn't yet eat raw meat, same as with our grandparents, and and such my sister Marie, my brother Gavin and I help out by slicing and cutting chunks of flesh from Herbert, mixing it with some pork and beef, and making it into a puree mix. The table is alive with talk and presence. My grand parents from both sides of the family, my parents, and my 7 siblings and I gather round the meal, savoring the tangy taste and aroma of fresh man-meat. With sewn lips and horror-glazed eyes, Herbert could only scream and moan with each cut and slice on his frame.

"I'm the only one in my family who can go out and buy clean food," I explained to him as I leaned closer to his sweat and tear-stained pallor. "Until my younger siblings are old enough to join me, I'm the one going out every other day. Freddie is in our pay, and we keep him within our satisfied grasp while he continuously supply us with meat. Otherwise," I said as I raked down one long claw against his skin," The whole city will pay for our hunting trips."

My youngest brother Sean howled with delight as his second serving of blood was brought to him. "He tastes great, Ethel! so sad that he's only one of a kind." His furry frame bounced and shook with pleasure as he sipped his serving.

"Hmm, Old man Freddie said that he has some cousins that he can bring into the shop. Immediate family is out of the question. But we can check on his other relatives," and I howled back in return. Growls of evil glee echoed through the dark caverns.

True, the additional step of checking our meals by smell each time we go to market is tedious. But one cannot be too careful. Afterall, one cannot be too careful and too fresh when it comes to family.