Lost & Found

Human Holidays Are Weird

Chapter 66: Human Holidays Are Weird
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Thanksgiving

"Ok, so there was Halloween and now it's this. What holiday is it this time?"

"Well," William started after stuffing his face with a big spoonful of mashed potatoes. "It's Thanksgiving."

"What is Thanksgiving again? Or did I ever learn about that one?" I mused quietly.

Epps snickered. "Girl you gotta catch up." He said, before digging into his own plate at the same pace as Will.

Humans. Some hungry creatures.

I eyed the two army men on either side as I waited for a well-deserved answer which didn't seem to come sooner than I expected.

"Well?"

The two children snatched their attention from their plates and looked at me in confusion with a mouth full of human food like an innocent child. "What?"

"Aren't you gonna tell me what Thanksgiving is?"

"Ohh!" They both exclaimed in unison.

Humans. Some slow creatures.

Will wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and cleared his throat dramatically. "So you see, Thanksgiving is based on family and friends coming together eating on a big feast and telling what you are thankful for."

"That's it?"

"Basically," Epps said over the chatter of the cafeteria.

"Why do humans celebrate this holiday?"

"Don't know. It has something to do with pilgrims and stuff."

"Yep," Will replied idly.

"Y'know I'm being sent to school to learn about your culture yet you know nothing about it."

"Hey, I've been out of school for almost a decade!" Epps tried to defend through a mouthful of peas.

Yet you're in the military.

After swallowing his food, William had decided to come to his defense. "He's right. It's been a while."

"But this is your planet. You should know things."

"I do know things, Liz," William said, finishing the last of the tray.

"Then what's a pilgrim?" I asked, crossing my arms and waited for a stupid answer.

"Umm...colonists?"

"What's a colonist?"

"....Early American?"

What's an early American?!

"You ask a lot of questions lil' girl," Epps stated as he picked at his teeth. "Ask something else."

"Fine. Between you and IronHide who would win a fight?"

Epps suddenly burst out into explosive laughter. "Is that even a question?! Hide would beat his a-"

The other human huffed in annoyance. "Ok, ask questions that don't involve IronHide."

Humans are confusing.

"Why is my school decorated with baskets full of lumpy vegetables?"

"Squash?"

What?

"Squash? What did you squash?"

"No Liz, that's not what I meant." He laughed. "The 'lumpy vegetables' you see are called gourds. They're part of the holiday."