Date: Tue, 6 Oct 2015 10:04:34 -0400
From: David Mathenge <romantykeas@gmail.com>
Subject: A Memoriam Of Trees 3

A Memoriam Of Trees

I, Alexandre Savoie, alias Romantyke, claims to have written this story.
Every name, characters and events indicia mentionned are purely fictional.
If any sort of event happens, it is coincidential.

Authors are reminded and welcomed to give a donation to Nifty Stories. The
gesture, however small, is considered to be very generous. Thank you.

This is part three of my story. I hope you enjoy!

March 7th 2009
Vallee de la Rouge
Quebec, Canada

The round table was big enough to welcome up to thirty people all around
it. They gave me a place between Catherine and another farmer.

' This is Patrick, my husband. '

' Please to meet you. ' I stammered.

' I am the manager of the farm. Feel free to ask any questions. ' he
smiled.

The cook put down the meals on the table center. There was several
choices. These all looked like homemade stuff. The farmers all put their
hands together and Catherine and Patrick asked me to hold theirs and close
my eyes.

Then everyone chanted together.

' Blessings on this supper. Que ce souper soit beni. '

Then they all tuck in. I was uncomfortable. What to chose?

Catherine apparently noticed, because she smiled to me.

' Everything you see here is products from our fields and our farms. All of
them are organic and top quality. Are you vegan, vegetarian or you eat
meat? ' ' I think I want to try a little bit of everything. '

Catherine passed me some bread and a little jar which contained something
that seemed like meat.

' Cheesy brains. Taken from our pigs. Try it out. Delicious on our bread. '

Brains?

' Sure... please. '

I reluctantly took a nibble. Then I suddenly began to wolf it down. It was
so fucking delicious! Everyone laughed.

' We have delicious meals. Always. ' Catherine said. ' Still hungry? '

' Yes! '

Catherine sweeped a look around the table.

' Todd, please, give me the vege pate. '

It was the Black man. He passed it along around the table to Catherine. He
gave me a wink. My heart jolted. He was gay for sure.

' Here, try this. This is made by me. My own recipe. Purely vegan. '

 I ate several things. Presentations were made, and almost all the time, I
stared at the one called Todd. He was gorgeous.

There was no desserts. Hands were joined and eyelids closed again.

' Thank you for the good supper. Merci pour le bon souper. '

Three of the WOOFERs volunteered to wash the dishes, while others offered
to help with unsetting the table. I hesitated on the spot. Catherine came
to me.

' You can go back upstairs. Todd will fill you in a little about the ins
and outs of our life. '

Todd led me upstairs to the second floor hallway.

' Ever worked as a farmer before? ' he asked.

' Nay. I never did. I lived indoors most of my life. '

He stared.

' What did you do? ' he stammered.

' I was placed in an orphanage and stayed there for nine years. It was
mostly dreadful. '

' That is awfully sad. When did you parents die? '

' They are not dead. I am placed there because I have been diagnosed as
autist. It scared my mother half to death and she dumped me in there. '

' You don't seem autist at all!'

' I think I am not. '

' Noticed some of the others downstairs ' Todd asked.

' Were they having a handicap of something? ' I replied.

Todd sighed.

' Our farm is welcoming people with mental handicap of all sorts. We help
them. Some have down syndrome. Some are heavily autist. Some are
schyzophrens. And others are deficient. '

' They seemed polite. '

' Oh, they are. '

He lit a cigarette.

' Want one? ' he asked me, giving me the pack.

' Sure, why not? '

He lit my cigarette. For a while we smoked in silence. Flons flons of
sounds from the people downstairs could be heard.

' Okay. ' said Todd. ' Let me give you the heads up. '

' I am harking.'

' Good. First we wake up at six thirty. We have to be at the farm at
seven. So we dress, we have first coffee of the day, a cigarette, and then
we go to the boathouse. This is where we put on our farm clothes.'

' Huh huh...'

' Next, we go to the farm. It is a little trek down the track. Better
having a frontal lamp to prevent getting hurt if you slide on the ice. The
sand is not always reliable. And we never use salt. It is bad for the
environment. '

' Huh huh...'

' We have twelve horses. Twenty cows. Forty hens. Five rabbits. And so on
and so forth. You will see for yourself. Oh, and countless farm cats
roaming everywhere. They all are nice. I will show you what to do next
morning. '

' Huh huh... '

' So anyway... '

'Todd? '

' Yes, Maxime? '

' I can't learn like this. Can you show me the ropes along the way? '

' Of course. That is fine with me.'

He stared in my eyes for a long time. Then something clicked, and he
started to kiss me furiously. It felt like heaven. His thick brown lips
were perfect.

Chaya arrived with two other dogs and three fats. We stopped suddenly. The
animals' stares looked stern.

Todd looked nervous.

' Sorry, Maxime. You are so beautiful. I did not know why I did this. '

' You are awfully gorgeous too, Todd. I apologise too. '

We smoked another cigarette in silence. The dogs all begged us for a pet on
the head. The third dog was a German Shepherd. It was a male.

The third cat was a Himalayan. Todd got up.

' I have to go for a shower. I will let you on your own for tonight. It is
nice for you to be here. '

We stood there staring in each other's eyes.

' I will be the one waking you up tomorrow at dawn. Good night Maxime. '

There was some hesitation, and then he gave me a kiss, a shy one.

His footsteps thundered down the stairs.

I took a bath in the smaller bathroom. Then I went to sleep.

I could not refuse the two cats joining me in the sheets, nor Chaya and the
Newfoundland who went to lie down all night in front of the grate.

This place looked amazing. A heaven after hell. And Todd... oh dear...

To Be Continued...

Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
Quebec
Canada