Neighbourhood Talk

7.3 Harvest Festival

Autumn 1996, Founder's park

"Hmmmm, those hamburgers look delicious! I'll take two!"

Mae just realized how hungry she actually was. She didn't really eat today.

They got their plates, and sat down at one of the tables. The hamburgers were delicious.

"Actually... there is something I wanted to tell you for a while now... ", Herbert started, hesitating to continue.

Mae noticed he was looking nervous the whole day already, but hadn't really paid too much attention to it so far. He always seemed a bit disturbed.

"What is it?", she asked him, when he didn't look like he wanted to continue.

"You know.. I'm a bit older, so...", he started, then took a break again.

Mae waited patiently this time.

"I had a life before I met you, you know... ", Herbert continued.

"Oh dang!!", Mae lost her patience after all. "Just get to the point!", she added, but not unfriendly.

Herbert froze for a second, but he pulled himself together.

He took a deep breath.

"Well... I have a little daughter. She's twelve."

Mae didn't expect that to come. "Really?", she asked. "How Cool!"

She took another bite of her hamburger. And she just noticed she had eaten from both at the same time.

"You're not mad or anything?", Herbert's voice was insecure.

Mae thought for a second. "Should I be?", she asked him then, teasing.

"No!", he immediately cried out.

"I'm actually looking forward to meet her!", Mae said.

She liked kids, at least from a certain age. And Herbert having a twelfe-year old daughter would make everything even better!

"Wow... you're really cool, Mae!", he said, looking finally relieved.

"Of course!", she said, unimpressed.

She knew that already.

19 comments:

BartNovember 16, 2017 at 10:48 PM
Herbert rules! :D
maladi777April 10, 2018 at 10:45 AM
Erm... he somehow forgot to add the important info about the mother of his daughter. Like was she his wife, is he divorced or a widower. Mae, girl, you should be asking those questions instead being okay with everything right away!
PiazzagirlMay 7, 2018 at 1:52 PM
Ummmm Herbert how did you get this daughter? Unless she is half alien, there should be a mother around some place. I'm wondering why Mae didn't ask this question herself.
TripJune 5, 2018 at 6:46 PM
Meh. A lot can happen in twelve years to Herbert. I know single parents with toddlers who have the other parent sufficiently out of the picture already.
WagonfruitJune 14, 2018 at 5:01 AM
It's like a little sister you can put away! :D
AudreyFldJune 23, 2018 at 1:58 PM
Well, well....Her Eryn is an older dude with a past and Mae’s like ‘cool’....huh? Well, ask some questions honey, Married, divorced, widowed, separated?
LizzieOctober 10, 2018 at 2:12 AM
big detail to miss there, Herbert. It's great Mae is being so cool, but I wonder about the mother.
MercuryfoamMay 19, 2020 at 1:59 PM
I think Herbert should've come clean from the start. That's not nice to spring something up like that so far down the line. He's not very confident is he? I wonder what Mae looks for in a man. She's very independent so she doesn't need men to take care of her, that's obvious. What does she see in Herbert?
The PlumbobSeptember 8, 2020 at 2:52 PM
This feels like something Herbert really should have brought up a whole lot sooner. They've been dating for a while... what do they even talk about anyway? He never has an opinion on anything, while Mae is carrying the whole relationship. I know she doesn't care, but she can do so much better. I mean, how do you get to Herbert's age and still be so lacking in the confidence department? A man his age should be way more comfortable with himself, however shy he is. I feel like there's something off about him.