Tastes like Chicken
The first week of middle school was brutal and the kids were exhausted. They were gathered at Martha’s house trying to unwind the first Saturday after they started sixth grade. After Martha took care of the animals, she walked into the house to see her friends playing with young Jace and her toddler sister Baylee. She joined them playing trucks with her siblings. They talked about their new classes and teachers until Martha’s mother came to collect Baylee and Jace.
“Come along you two, daddy is making dinner, and Martha wants to spend time with her friends. Let’s head outside for a while.” Bernice said as she picked up Baylee and lead Jace out the back door.
With the young kids gone they decided to flip though channels until they could all agree on something. They eventually gave into Rachel’s insistence of a horror movie; they decided to put on ‘eight legged freaks’. Rachel swears it’s a good movie and not that scary, but Martha doesn’t really believe her.
As the movie starts Martha looks around at her friends, Dot, Fatin, and Leah sitting on the couch with Fatin in the middle, Fatin leaning heavily on Leah, looking like she was already going to fall asleep. Rachel sat in a recliner with Nora sitting on the floor in front of her leaning against legs. Toni was sitting on the right of Martha on the floor with Shelby sitting on the other side of Toni. Martha couldn’t help but notice every time Shelby shifted Toni did as well and she was completely stiff next to her. It’s been like this ever since Toni had realized her crush of Shelby. Martha is the only one to notice it seems, but that makes sense since Toni has yet to tell any of them that she likes girls. Martha did some research and discovered it is called ‘coming out’ when some from the queer community tells people about who they are. She mentioned it to Toni and asked when she would want to ‘come out’ to the others, Toni who just seemed to shrug and say she didn’t want to bring it up yet that it didn’t matter since Shelby wouldn’t like her back. Martha wasn’t sure about that, but she left it alone.
As they watched the movie Martha tried not to pay attention because she was already terrified. She kept looking at her friends, Fatin having actually fallen asleep after ten minutes still leaning on Leah who moved her arm around Fatin to be more comfortable. Shelby kept trying to hide behind Toni who kept silently freaking out. Martha tried to muffle her laugh as Toni moved closer to her to calm her heart rate.
“Come on B, its not even that bad.” Toni said as she pulled away from Shelby again.
“That’s easy for you to say, your not scared of anything!”
That did cause Martha to laugh because she knows for a fact that Shelby herself is the one thing that terrifies Toni. Toni shot a look at Martha pleading for help, but she couldn’t stop laughing at her friend.
“Guys quiet this is my favorite part!” Rachel said as she sat up and leaned closer to the screen. They watched as the guy on screen saw the spiders over the hill, before he turned around and ran to the gas station his friends were at he started to say something before…the screen went black and a commercial started.
“Oh, come on seriously? Right now?” Rachel said with irritation as she leaned back again, crossing her arms.
“Well in that case, I’m getting more popcorn anyone want anything?” Dot asked as she stood up. After receiving only negative answers she walked away. Leah then also stood up and she dragged Fatin onto her feet.
“I’m going to lay her in your room, ok Martha?” Leah asked.
“Of course.”
Martha looked at her friends that were still left, Rachel and Nora talking in a quiet voice and Shelby still trying to hide behind Toni even though the commercials. Martha smiled as she finally turned back to the tv but she would wish she hadn’t. It was a PSA about a chicken farm. Martha felt her stomach drop as she watched how chickens were killed and processed. Even as the commercial ended, Leah and Dot returned, and the movie started back up, Martha could not get the view out of her head. She sat there replaying the commercial until the movie ended. How could anyone do something like that? How could people hurt innocent animals like that? How could Martha eat meat after that?
After the movie ended, Bernice came back inside with Jace and Baylee, while Russell entered the living room, “Dinner is ready, are you all staying?”
“Actually, I got to get home to my dad.” Dot said.
“Me two, my daddy want to talk about my pageants.”
“Nora and I are going to the pool to practice my dives.”
“Fatin has lessons tonight and I promised to make sure she was on time, so I have to walk her home.”
“I’ll probably stay but I have to call Mrs. Annie.”
“Sure kiddo, you know where the phone is.” Russell said as Toni stood up and walked passed him into the kitchen.
“I better go wake up Fatin.” Leah said as she walked out of the room as well. The group slowly dispersed as they said goodbye to Martha and her family. When it was just the six of them, they headed into the kitchen for dinner.
“Alright, we got hamburgers and fries tonight I hope you all are hungry.”
Martha froze as her dad handed her a plate with a burger and fries on it. She joined her family at the table where she slowly at her fries. She looked around as Toni and Jace tore into their burgers and could feel her stomach getting heavier. When her fries were done, she just kept staring at the meat on her plate not knowing what to do, hamburgers use to be her favorite and now they just made her stomach hurt.
Bernice looked up from where she was helping Baylee eat and glanced over at Martha, “Martha honey, are you not hungry? Would you like something else?”
“Mama, I don’t think I can eat meat anymore.”
“What do you mean, Martha?” Russell asked.
“There was a video…of a chicken farm… and every time I think of meat my stomach hurts now. I don’t want…I can’t…”
“It’s ok hun, you don’t have to,” Russell stood and grabbed the plate in front of Martha, he put it on the counter before grabbing a clean bowl and making her a salad, “Its not much but I will make you something else when everyone is done if you are still hungry.”
“I’m sorry daddy.”
“Don’t be honey, its alright, we will make vegetarian options for you from now of if you would like?”
“Vegetarian?” Toni asked with her mouth full.
“People who don’t eat meat Toni, which you definitely are not.” Bernice laughed.
Martha smiled at her family and their understanding. If only it would always be that easy.
A couple months after Martha’s dietary change she started to feel weird. She was tired all the time, she was irritable, and her body would sometimes hurt. Her parents just though she was stressed about school until she snapped at Jace one day for tripping over her foot. That immediately called for a family meeting.
“Martha, you’ve been acting weird lately, what’s going on?”
Martha refused to meet their eyes. “Is this about the trial?” Martha snapped her head up,
“NO! I told you! Nothing happened then!”
“Ok, ok, Martha we are getting a bit off track, if its not that what is it?” Russell asked.
“I don’t know, I feel weird, like I’m going to be sick all the time.” Martha reluctantly said.
“Ok, let’s make an appointment with your doctor, ok? We will figure it out alright?”
“Ok.”
A week later they finally got in to see Dr. Ramirez. Russell stayed in the waiting room with Jace and Baylee, as Bernice headed back with Martha.
“So, Martha, what would you like to talk about today?”
“I’ve been tired a lot; my body hurts a lot, and we don’t know why.”
“Have you gotten hurt ever since your accident?”
“No, I’ve been careful.”
“Have you traveled over seas in the last three months?”
“No.”
“Any dietary changes?”
That caused Martha to pause which lead to Bernice answering, “Yes actually, Martha decided to become a vegetarian about two months ago.”
“Well, that might be it then, vegetarians and vegans don’t get all of the vitamins they need from their diets. While I believe children need meat to grow there are other ways to get what one needs from their diet.”
Dr. Ramirez rolled his chair across the room to his laptop. “Now the most important thing vegetarians don’t receive is vitamin B12. Low levels can cause body aches, fatigue, irritation, along with other symptoms. Now I recommend she starts taking it as soon as today, it should fix the problem in a few days but if it doesn’t, come back and we will run some test, but I truly believe its just a vitamin deficiency.”
Bernice signed with relief, “Thank you so much Dr. Ramirez.” Bernice and Martha stood to leave and gathered Russell and the kids from the waiting room before heading home. Dr. Ramirez was right, after a couple days of taking the B12 supplements, Martha felt like herself again. Being a vegetarian was a learning experience for Martha and her family, from learning how to keep her healthy to how to make vegetarian burgers they work though it all as a unit and Martha would be forever thankful.