I sat opposite Derick in a booth at a little Jamaican restaurant. He seemed to have calmed down slightly from when I met him outside but kept his eyes on me. I looked to the menu on the wall then shrugged.
"We don't normally order in here. Mamma makes a lot of different things and the menu is just for decoration." He frowned.
"How does that work?" I shrugged.
"You come in and get what your given." I smiled. "The food is always good and authentic Jamaican." He nodded then looked up as Oscar came back and slipped down next to me on these seats.
"Oh, it's going to be good tonight." He grinned and looked to Derick. "Do you like goat and spicy food?" He shrugged.
"I'm fine with spicy foods… although I've never had goat before." Oscar grinned.
"Then let your tastebuds start dancing as this is a head dish you won't forget." I bit my lip and gave him a look.
"Did you say head?" He nodded then clapped as a large double pot was brought to the table and a motherly looking woman that resembled Oscar put three large plates down. She nodded politely to Derick.
"We don't normally get such customers in. Please enjoy the food and don't hesitate to call me. I'm mamma." Her voice had a thick Jamaican accent to it and she waved a hand to the man following with the large pot. "Come, come now Seb. Don't keep our guests waiting." He shot Oscar a look.
"Mamma its just Coz. He nothing special." She pulled open the lid of the pot and grabbed the large ladle then began to dollop mounds of plantain mash onto the plates. From the other side of the pot she brought out vegetable greens. I watched as the plates began to get full.
"Go now, serve the others." The man nodded and wandered through the room filling plates as he went. "Oh and here it is the main event!" She clapped her hands and stepped aside as a young woman brought out a large platter and placed it in the middle of the table. "This my daughter, Jaqwesha, she single and unmated." Mamma winked at Derick then turned. "Seb, don't you hustle the customers!" She wandered after Seb.
"Don't pay attention to Mamma, she says that to all the good-looking customers." Jaqwesha handed us a large spatula. "Enjoy." My mouth watered as I looked to the heaped mountain of vegetables and gravy surrounding the four large goat heads. They had been slow cooked for hours and over that time beans of all shapes and sizes along with Bell peppers and mushrooms had been added to the mix.
Oscar grinned as he brandished the spatula then looked at Derick. He waved the spatula and stood up.
"Which one you want big man?" Derick's face seemed frozen in a confused state of shock. I cleared my throat.
"I want that one." I pointed to a head closest me and Oscar scooped it from the mount of veg and gravy. As he placed it onto my plate the meat was already beginning to slip from the bone.
"Good choice… although they all look good." He gave a dramatic smack of his lips. "Ok this one for you chief man." He scooped the largest head from the platter and placed it onto Derick's plate, then grabbed the jawbone and wiggled it free. "I even help you debone it." Oscar scooped a head onto his plate and grinned. With another pass over the platter he scooped some of the gravy and beans onto our plats then sat. He placed the spatula down and slapped his hands together and rubbed.
"Tuck in." I could see Derick watching me and I pulled open the goats mouth and placing the clean jawbone back onto the empty side of the platter.
"You eat like this all the time?" Derick looked around as more platters were brought out and placed onto tables. Oscar nodded as he scooped the plantain mash around the gravy and some meat.
"Oh yeah, my aunt Mamma she gets all the good stuff." He began to eat ravenously. "Oh yeah…" He grinned and waved a hand. "Jaqweshia! Three fizzy here please!" She gave a shout in response.
"It's really good." I pulled the tongue from the mound of flesh and bit into it. Derick seemed to get a little paler. Slowly he unfolded his arms and looked to his plate. I pointed. "If you're unsure, start with the cheek meat." He looked to me. "It's the closest part to what you're used to." He nodded and watched as I used my hands.
"So hands in?" I nodded then looked around.
"There are spoons… somewhere…" Oscar held up a spoon and handed it to Derick.
"Eat quick or you won't get any of the last head." I growled at Oscar and pulled a long piece of meat from the bone. With a careful glance I looked to Derick as he stabbed the spoon into the meat and it began to fall apart. He looked around the room as the occupants were all digging in and a happy silence began to fall over the room.
Oscar grabbed the drinks from the tray as Jaqweshia brought over three large stein like glasses filled with a dark fizzy liquid.
"I'm driving…" Derick started and Oscar chuckled.
"Relax chief it's just cola. The hard stuff won't be served until later." He handed Derick a mug. Jaqweshia rolled her eyes and walked to Derick's side.
"Try not to over think it." She took his spoon then pulled the meat from the bone then placed the scary parts back onto the platter. "This is all the parts you've eaten before in hotdogs." She gave him back his spoon. "If you feel adventurues try the tongue… then other parts." Derick nodded and watched her go. He let a sigh leave his lips as he scooped up a large mouthful.
Derick's POV
I looked around the dining area and people were digging in. I seemed to be the only person that had a reluctance to eat the head on my plate. Jaqweshia was nice enough to at least dismantle the thing for me but that just made it worse as now I felt obligated to eat what was there. I watched as Danica scooped out an eyeball and eat it.
'Holly crap!' My wolf whined in my head. I forced a spoonful of meat onto the spoon and shoved it into my mouth. I couldn't let this annoying woman show me up in front of everyone. Especially since I spent the last two hours driving to the city and four hours looking for her.
The taste exploded in my mouth. Hot and spicey the flavors of the dish rocketed around my mouth like a heavenly symphony. I must have made a face because both Danica and Oscar began to chuckle in amusement.
"Well do you like it Chief? Not as bad as you thought it was?" I gave him a frown.
"It's good." I took another bite. "It's just like stewed meat…" He nodded and pointed.
"You want to try the rest?" I looked at the remains of the head and shuddered as it looked back at me.
"No... you can have that bit." Oscar nodded and grabbed the skull then found another spoon and scraped it into the back of the skull. There was a pop and he tipped the brain out onto his plate then scraped the rest of the frightening meat out. I could hear Murphy whine, seeming to be going wild at the thought of eating pray but being angry at my human side for not eating it.
Danica shook her head as she too popped open the scull on her plate then took a slice of the bread from the bowl on the table. I watched as she spread a little brain onto the bread then cover it with gravy and cheek meat.
"Here. Try it once." She offered me the slice. I immediately wanted to shake my head but Murphy jumped at the chance and took over my arm and grabbed the bread in a jerking motion.
'Murphy you traitor!' I thought then shuddered as my fingers brushed hers. She pulled away leaving the laden bread in my hand. I brought it back and sniffed then winced as Murphy tried to force it into my mouth.
"Let him out." I looked up as Oscar glanced up at me from his plate he was hunched over. "You'll enjoy it more and won't need to fight him." Slowly I brought the laden bread to my mouth and murphy reacted. It was strange. Everything tasted good there was just a rich and creamy undertone that I wasn't expecting.
Danica gave me a look and I nodded as Murphy was panting and trying to devour more of the bread.
"It's good…" My human side however fought from throwing up.
"The idea of what it is is upsetting you?" I frowned and nodded. "Then don't think about what it is." I stuffed the rest of the bread into my mouth to shut Murphy up and watched as Oscar grinned at me.
"Make a proper wolf out of you yet domesticated one." I felt my hackles rise slightly. This guy had the same annoying traits as Mathew. The thought of the two of them getting together alarmed me and a shudder ran down my back.
The rest of the meal was uneventful and to my surprise the more I ate the more I liked the head meat even trying the tongue. But still shuddered at the thought of the eyeballs. After that enormous first course was finished Mamma had returned with a full sweet potato pie and it was glorious. After three helpings the pie was gone and I felt stuffed.
Oscar was grinning and picking his teeth with a toothpick as Danica worked at the large drink she still hadn't finished. Couldn't blame her though they held about one gallon each. Mamma walked over and grinned she held a brown paper parcel in her hand and placed it to the table.
"I couldn't help but notice how much you like the pie." She tapped the paper. "One for later." She winked then sauntered off to tend to the rest of the customers. I grinned and looked to my phone. Mathew had messaged. With a frown I answered.
'Just having dinner with Danica and Oscar… got dessert for the boys.' I slipped the phone away and noticed the time. It was getting late.
"We should probably start to wander out." It was Oscar that spoke. He grinned. "If we stay here any longer will get served all over again." I frowned.
"Why?" Danica placed the empty glass down, how could someone like her put away so much?" She pointed.
"They only do three sittings a night: early diner, middle dinner and late dinner. We were at the middle dinner so they have one more sitting for the night." I nodded.
"Same eating arrangement?" She nodded.
"Yep." I nodded. It seemed to work well and the restaurant was already beginning to empty. She opened her bag and pulled out cash then handed it over to Oscar. He nodded and scuttled away.
"How much was it?" She shrugged and shuffled out of the booth.
"No clue. It's somewhere about thirty bucks a head. But I always pay more as I feel it's worth more." I nodded and followed her outside taking my pie as I went.
Outside the night was crisp and the air heavy with the scent of people. I turned and saw a line forming and two of the workers keeping order.
"How many do they sit at the late dinner?" Oscar approached and grinned.
"About fifty tables." I nodded.
"And each table gets…" He covered my mouth.
"Don't reveal the menu. It's part of the fun." He grinned and waved us away from the door. We walked a little away heading towards my car when Danica stopped, and her head snapped around. Oscar too stopped. I was about to ask a question when the sudden feeling of being watched crept over me.