Olive

(Eric, 1984)

October was the month from hell at the girls' house.

It was the longest stretch of silence i can remember. It scared everybody. Even Puck didn't dare interrupt the tension with a bark or a whimper. It was that bad.

"Eric, please pass the salad," Robin would say.

"Eric, when Kayla is finished selecting her chicken, could you pass the plate to me?" Cheyenne would say.

"Eric, when Kayla is finished with the ranch, could you please pass it to this end of the table?"

My arm would reach right and left across the table, and i'd watch the girls not look at me or each other. Cheyenne deliberately chewed her food as if each bite were packed with explosives. Robin washed chunks of food down her throat with mouthfuls of soda. I don't think she chewed at all. Kayla kept her head down. Tom was the last to arrive at the table and the first to leave. This went on for days, almost two weeks, in fact.

Robin said, "Eric, if Kayla is finished with the olives, could you pass me some?"