Mary has just prepared a large steaming pot of pasta while she roasted some chicken. You could tell dinner was going to be awesome because the aroma of the food choked up the whole house.
“Hmmm What smells so nice?”. Mary’s ten year old son Kenny asked.
“Mama made dinner”. Mary replied her son.
Just then her husband Patrick is back from work and enters the house.
“Mary! I don’t know what you’re cooking but it sure smells delicious”. He called out as he went upstairs to change from his clothes.
“Thanks babe!”. Mary called out from the kitchen.
Just then her other children Bridget and Mark come downstairs salivating. Bridget was sixteen while Mark was eighteen.
“Mom what time are we having dinner?”. Bridget asked her mum.
“When you guys have all had a bath. I believe your dad is having his bath right now and I expect the three of you to do the same”. She said referring to her children.
“Can’t we just bath after we’ve had dinner instead?”. Little Kenny asked.
“No young man. Go and take a shower right away”. Mary replied.
“But mum I’m so hungry”. Mark cried out.
“You can have an apple. I’m going to take my bath now and you all should be done in 30 minutes so we can all eat”. Mary said sternly before heading to freshen up.
“Okay mama!”. Kenny said excitedly and went to bath. He was so eager to eat.
Bridget groaned and went upstairs as instructed.
Mark was so hungry that he decided to enter the kitchen to check if he could steal a piece of chicken without mum noticing.
He entered the kitchen and saw few pieces on a small plate and ketchup all over it. He took the smallest piece he could find and went up stairs to his room to wait the thirty minutes.
30 minutes later...
Everyone was seated at the already set table while Mary was dishing out food for everyone. Everyone was there except Mark.
“Babe this is delicious”. Patrick said while he put a fork of pasta in his mouth.
“Dad that’s bad table manners. But mum he’s right actually this is really nice”. Bridget added.
“Yummy! But where’s Mark?”. Kenny asked
“That’s true where is he?”. Patrick asked
“Mark!”. Mary called out but he didn’t answer.
“Lemme try calling his phone”. Bridget suggested.
She called but he didn’t pick. Then they all started to panic. They all headed to his room to look for him.
“Mark honey are you in here?”. Mary called out to her son but there was no reply. They could hear the bathroom rap running.
“I think he’s in bathroom”. Bridget said.
“I’m coming in buddy”. Patrick said and opened the door.
The sight was quite an interesting one. Mark was struggling to drink water from the sink tap while his face looked all red and tears were rolling from his eyes.
“Did you take anything?”. Mary asked.
He nodded in disagreement.
“Then why is your face so red?”. Kenny asked
“The...the...the...chi...chicken on the counter”. Mark managed to get out.
Just then Mary burst out in laughter.
“Tell me you didn’t eat the chicken I left on the counter covered in hot sauce”. She said.
“Hot sauce! I thought that was ketchup! Mum my mouth is on fire!!”. He screamed.
Mary immediately took him to the kitchen and gave him a glass of milk to reduce the burning sensation.
Finally they were all seated at the table again having dinner but this time they were complete. When it was time for desert Kenny picked up a cherry from the fruit bowl and made a joke
“Hey Mark, you know your face was as red as this cherry”. He said while mocking his brother.
“That’s not fair! I was just really hungry”. Mark replied.
“Hunger or greed?”. Bridget asked before the whole family started laughing.