She took another bite of the sumptuous pizza slice in her left hand. She could swear they were improving with each week's supply. That crust was simply delicious. As the conversation at the table droned away in the distance, beyond the parameters of her immediate thoughts, she made a mental note to tell her father so that he could include her feedback in his monthly household report to the Pizza Baron. She was also a consumer after all. The only thing she wished, above all else, is that they would bring back the Hawaiian. She had never tasted one, but its legendary status amongst pizzas was alive and well in folklore. Who knew that pineapple, a fruit of all things, could be such an important ingredient in a pizza! And her father had the power to make it happen, but he couldn't be convinced.. erm coerced to grow pineapples and support the Pizza Baron, or could he?
"Delilah!" She jumped. Her father stared across at her, one eyebrow cocked, from the other end of the table. "Your mother asked you a question. Are you going to give her the respect and consideration of a reply or are you going to remain in la la land for the rest of the evening?"
"Sorry Papa," she murmured in response. " I wasn't..."
"Yes, I know Delilah, we all do! You weren't paying attention as usual... So what is the excuse this time then? Why were you out on Jet again last night? And don't try to lie, the groomsman has already told me of your little escapade".
Delilah knew she had very little wiggle room this time around. Blast it! If only Henry could keep his mouth shut, but then she knew her father, and he was a difficult man to say no to at the best of times. As Fruit Baron, he controlled a vast supply of the fresh food rations that were made available to the Barons around the land. Some even argued that he should have been the next High Baron, instead of the Pizza Baron, but this subversive chatter had been quickly quelled by the Pizza Baron's men, much to her father's disgust.
Delilah loved her father, and she was no traitor, unlike her namesake, but ever since that day in the orchard when she was but 8 years old, she had felt indebted to the Pizza Baron. Of course, he hadn't been The Pizza Baron in those days but was still a man held in deep respect, mostly out of fear, by those who knew him. As the High Baron's right-hand man, his reputation had preceded him. She hadn't known who he was at the time, but she could never forget the kindness in the face of that finely dressed young farmer who had rescued her tiny Mirabel from the upper branches of the apple tree. It was etched in her memory forever and she now knew him to be none other than Danny, the Pizza Baron.
She felt the curl of Mirabel's tail as Mirabel joined the table, looking for scraps of meat at her feet. Not finding anything, Mirabel announced her presence, "Miaaow". Delilah reached down to stroke her soft fur, scooped her up, and asked to be excused from the table.
"But you haven't answered my question, Delilah," her father protested. And nor do I intend to, she thought, hoping that she hadn't spoken the words out loud whilst lost in her musings.
She sat contemplating her next move. She might only be 14 years old, but age was nothing to her! She knew her own mind.
"I just needed to get out Father", she came up with the most plausible excuse she could muster, "you know how long and dreary the days can get here with nobody my own age but Henry to hang out with, and well, Jet needs his exercise too." She looked over to her father who was staring at her intently in silence, before adding quickly, "Mirabel is hungry, I need to feed her."
With a nod, a shake of the head, and then a clear audible sigh from her father, she had the permission she needed, and left the table, grabbing a couple of pieces of chicken from the edge of her plate for her cat, before heading to her room. Sitting on the edge of her bed, hand-feeding the beautiful feline, she stared into Mirabel's deep amber eyes. Try as she might she could not get the conversations out of her head from the evening before. She hadn't intended to ride all the way to the Port on Jet, but once there, the music from the ship's cavernous bottom had drawn her in, and the stories of collusion and deception she had overheard had provided her with an idea to elevate her own standing with the Pizza Baron, and to perhaps repay his kindness once and for all.
This is my entry for @dibbler.dabs week 8 A tale of Two Pizzas
Photo credit: Mermek AM from Pexels
Photo by Mermek AM from Pexels