Too Old For Naps (part 1 of 3)

Writers: AmajoS, Kaysea
Date Posted: 4th September 2007

Characters: Tayette, Vanson, Yvannia
Description: Vanson's search for snacks during naptime leads to a possible new friendship between his mother and Tayette.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 5, day 21 of Turn 4

The little boy snuck into the kitchen, looking around for something sweet to eat. He knew he wasn't supposed to come into the kitchens, especially without his Mama, but he wanted something sweet and he didn't want to take a nap. He was a big boy, much too big for naps and he should be able to get a snack when he wanted a snack.

The counters were all way too tall for him to see over and there weren't any grown ups around right now at all that he could see. But then he spotted a stool and smiled. Climbing up carefully, he spotted a whole tray of bubblies cooling on a counter and, after hopping down, he began pushing his stool towards that counter.

The cool room was stacked with cold cuts and small finger sized food, to the untrained eye it would appear enough to feed half a Weyr, but Tayette knew better. The apprentices and staff of the Hall would polish this off in no time. She had volunteered, once again, to remain on duty during the rest day while many others had been eager to leave and visit their families.

Binta should be here soon to start helping with the klah and cold fruit juices. Tayette turned her head and listened, the sound of a stool being dragged across the floor? That wasn't like Binta, she complained of the noise during times when the kitchens were at their busiest, she would hardly drag a stool when the room was empty.

"Binta?" Tayette managed to edge her way around the cool room door with the fully loaded tray and walked the short distance into the kitchens.

The unexpected voice added with the boy's guilty conscious - he did know he wasn't supposed to be in the kitchens after all - made him jump and squeal, knocking over the stool he'd been pushing across the stone floor. The loud bang it made when it landed didn't help matters in the least.

"Who's there?" Tayette moved forward a little quicker, and placed the tray she was carrying on a side bench, before entering the full kitchen area. Her nerves were beginning to get the better of her -
there was no one in sight, but the sound of a stool hitting the floor was a good indication there was someone in there with her. "Stand up so I can see you." she said, her voice tremulous.

The boy froze, scared of getting into trouble. But then he stepped out from behind the island counter that was between him and the grown-up who'd caught him.

Her heart was almost beating out of her chest until the child appeared around the end of the counter. "Oh.." her hand clasped against her chest, as she moved towards the little one. "Oh, good grief, you scared me." she said, half laughing in relief. "What are you doing in here?" she asked, then realised where the stool was place. "Hmmm...
Bubbly pies, eh?" she asked, giving him a mock frown before her lips split into a slow smile.

Not sure what to say, the little boy squirmed a bit, fidgeting and scuffing his shoe on the floor. He didn't want to answer her, because he knew she wasn't supposed to be here. At her bubbly pie question though, he peeked up at her through his lashes and answered her slow smile with one of his own. Taking a chance, he nodded quickly, hoping that the smile meant she was going to give him one.

"You do know that you're not supposed to be in here, don't you?" she asked, her tone quiet. She didn't have the heart to tell him off severely, and felt ashamed of herself for admitting it. There was something appealing about him, appealing and endearing, a lethal combination in one so young. She moved along the counter top, checking to see if the heat had finally gone from the pies.

"Yes," he replied in a small voice, his expression a mixture of hopeful and abashed as he watched her check the pies. "But I'm too big for naps!" He was louder adding that important fact.

"Oh? You think so do you?" she asked, trying to refrain from smiling at his statement. She moved closer to the pies, and realised they were well cooled now - definitely cool enough for the youngster to sample one.

"I do! I'm nearly six, that's plenty big to not need naps. Only babies take naps. My mama won't listen though." The gripe made his voice a bit sullen, but his eyes never left her hands as they checked the pies.

"So you're nearly six, eh? Well at six you would know when its right, or wrong, to do something?" she asked, pursing her lips. She had been aware of how closely he had watched her actions, and wondered whether she really should reward him - wondering if it would seem like encouragement to behave this way again.

Realizing that the promised pies were slipping away, and the grown up was getting that tone that his mother often got just before he was in trouble, the little boy nodded with a pout. "Yes," he asnwered aloud in a soft voice, his eyes once more on his shoes.

"Didn't you get enough to eat during the nooning meal?" Tayette asked, the smell of the pies was assailing her nostrils now, she preferred the smell of the cold pies, not so sweet and sickly, and knew the temptation the boy faced.

"Yes, but Mama says I can't have sweets till after a nap," the boy answered.

"Well, I really shouldn't disobey your Mama's instructions, should I? And neither should you." the look on his little face tore at her heart, but she didn't want an angry mother appearing and remonstrating with her. "I think we need to find your Mama and see if she'll allow you one, before your evening meal."

Though she had never had children, she personally, thought it peculiar that a six turn old was still having a noonday nap, but she wasn't about to argue the point.

The little boy sighed, disappointed and nodded, ready to lead the lady to his mother and hope that he didn't get into too much trouble.

"Hey! No long looks." she admonished quietly, coming up to him, a small smile hovering around her lips as she raised her hand and with her forefinger tilted his head, so he had to meet her eyes. "I didn't say no, did I?"

She felt her heart melt again at the look her gave her, she really was a sucker for children, "What's your name, anyway? I don't think I recognise you from the children about the Hall."

"Vanson," replied the little boy. He held onto the tiny bit of hope that he'd at least get a pie out of this. He knew he was going to get into trouble though, so he couldn't believe it completely. He should have just waited till after nap-time like his Mama said. Unless maybe, the lady had forgotten about visiting Mama?

(to be continued...)

Last updated on the September 8th 2007

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Too Old For Naps (part 1 of 3)