The Devils Backbone

Adder in the Garden

"Might I sit with you?" She asked the children.  They looked up at her cautiously and Chyna giggled. Leaning over she whispered "the adults are kinda stuffy and boring." She said.

One little girl with two braided pigtails grinned. "Yeah! They're  always talking about work." She said giving the seat next to her a pat. "My name Norma, and that next to you is Pearl. She's six and I'm eight." Norma said.

A little boy across the table laughed "liar! Your seven." He said "Oh you know it all Samuel, I'm  turning eight in five days." Norma said through puffed up cheeks.

Samuel chuckled "look how scary she is Lee" he said egging her on with the boy next to him. Lee crossed his arms and looked up at Chyna with a smart smirk. "My momma says you aren't any good for us." He said.

Chyna tried her best not to glare at the child. "Oh....and who's your momma?" She asked. "She said not to tell you. That its none of your buisness." He added.

"Stop being mean Lee. This is why nobody likes you - or your mom." Samuel sighed.

"Whats wrong with them greens miss Pearl?" Chyna asked turning to look at the small girl with concern. She shook her head, the tight curls of her four afro puffs bouncing about.

"I don't like them, and mommy makes me have them on my plate....they smell funny." She said.

Chyna chuckled "Oh I know they do smell kinda strange don't  they?" She said. Plunging a fork into her own greens she held a bit of them up. "They taste alright though. Kinda like...you know hows syrup is all gooey. Sticky and the real good kind is all thick like ooze or somethin?" Chyna said. "It takes a great long time to come out the bottle!" Norma chimed in.

"And it looks like Oil." Samuel jumped in. Chyna giggled at the children. "Well the thick stuff, Molasses looks real funny and Maple syrup comes from inside trees, and they both taste awfully good." She said.

"If you try the greens you might like them. I bet your momma only makes you eat them cause she's never seen you try to." Chyna reasoned.

Pearl looked down at her greens and frowned. "Look Pearl, she's  looking, she's  looking. Hurry up and try some!" Norma called.

Pearl gathered some  on her fork and hesitantly  took a bite.

Sable, Ronda and Ermagene chattered quietly at the table watching the little girls reaction.

"Gross...it is not bad but it feels funny and its mushy." Pearl said. "Some don't  care for it, true 'nough." Chyna said. "I like that it's mushy! And green, I pretend it's swamp slime and I'm a swamp monster!" Lee said with a gurgling roar as he took a big chimp of greens.

"Ew!" Pearl said scrunching up her nose. "I like them, they taste good and my daddy says that they'll make be big and strong." Norma said with pride.

"I don't  want none ever again." Pearl said pouting. "I'm sure Sable won't  make you eat no more." Chyna said. "Just be sure to eat the other vegetables." She added. Pearl gave a nod.

Cap watched Chyna from his spot st the table, she looked silly scrunched into a small chair. Looking like a giant at the equally  small table, surrounded by children.

She also couldn't  have looked anymore beautiful as she laughed right along with the giggling kids. He found it hard to look away.

Jon chuckled at the love  sick look in Cap's eyes. "This man here? Supposed to be a murder?  Looks like a sprung puppy." A sly looking man named Woody comment.

Cap cleared his throat and went back to focusing on his food while he found himself  stuck in a string of Teasing from Woody and Jon. "Hey, not all you read in them papers is true." Cap said in his defence. "But that don't  mean all lies told is wrong neither." He sighed.