Chapter 5 - A Filling Feast

Ryan’s space had suddenly been flooded with several local women who unapologetically ripped him from his resting place on the cot and stripped him down to his boxers. Within a minute, he was wrapped up in a traditional robe-like outfit that he was surprisingly loving the fit of. Shorts who? One of the ladies explained to him that they would escort him to his seat at the feast and that was all he had to do. That and sit next to Sashta, eat everything offered to him, and perform a special dance with her. He was mildly off put by the itinerary. What was that part about eating? He was sure they were being hyperbolic. He was more nervous about dancing with her. He had no idea what to expect, but assumed if they wanted it perfect, they’d get a guy who knew the dance, or how to dance at all for that matter.

Before he knew it, he was being marched out to the town square, where there, decorative structures were erected over the course of his nap. The sun, now resting, left the village to rely on the faint street lamps, but mostly the massive fire that everyone sat around. Enormous bowls of all kinds of food sat before everyone who knelt and poised themselves on woven mats. Ryan was ushered to the mat next to Sashta and Kojo announced him, at great length, before he was expected to sit. He’d said something about his involvement in the peace corps and being the muscle of the group, “a very worthy quality of the special guest”. He wasn’t entirely wrong as Ryan was the biggest and strongest guy in his troop, though one of the groups they met from the other half of the US also had a pretty big guy. Maybe even more fitting the description Kojo gave. Ryan spotted the guy standing behind some of the seated village members, looking disinterested. Ryan squinted in his direction a moment. Maybe he’d be having more fun if he was dressed in a sick outfit and next to the princess. Sucks to suck, he thought. He figured he had been successful in his role so far. He hardly knew what was going on. He sat cross legged and was truly amazed by his garb. His only regret was not having the opportunity to go commando. The only article that was uncomfortable to him now was his own boxers. He looked at Sashta, who seemed to be amused by his outfit, as he inspected it himself. She placed the matching cloth they had purchased that day over his shoulders and looked pleased. “You have a very King-like shape,” she complimented. Ryan hoped Kojo did not hear her say that.

“How did you come to choose me for your guest, if you were so mad at me?” he leaned over and asked. She looked at him with covert eyes.

“I was mad at you. You weren't dead to me.” She said it like it was obvious.

“Why did you choose me?” He was too curious, and thought if strength was truly at the core in her choosing, why didn't she select the bruiser in the back? She smiled.

“You said we couldn’t talk about that, Ryan,” she said haughtily. He blushed hard. She certainly had not just forgotten about their moment. That was for sure.

Ryan looked up when he noticed people quieting down and speakers professing their love for Kojo and his rule. Ryan could tell through the stories that the family had been very hands on with their governing. There were maybe 15 different people who spoke, taking at least an hour and a half. Ryan was too worried checking his watch would come off as rude, not that he wasn’t enjoying himself. He could feel his stomach twisting and shriveling up. He was starving. Eating two meals of subsistence in the day really revved his appetite up, right when he had been thinking he was getting a handle of the hunger pains. A feast seemed the perfect day to be extra hungry, and if the village womens’ warnings had been anything close to authentic, he expected to have enough food to eat. Surveying the crowd around the fire, he still thought there was enough food for everyone to have an unholy fill.

His hopes had seemed to be coming to fruition as Kojo began the feast. There were bowls rotating back and forth across the low table structures supporting the food, while simultaneously being heated with hot coals. Food was getting placed on the plate, or more accurately, platter that sat before Ryan. When he looked at the one in front of Sashta and the honored family, it was clear the distinction was purposeful, not that the regular folk didn’t get food, but the amount was not comparable. The food had stopped coming and people were eating. Ryan looked around and noticed nobody was using cutlery, and that there was none to be acquired. He saw people using a bready pancake to scoop up the different dishes. He watched Sashta shovel a heap into her mouth, and she began giggling with glee. She chewed the large bite and covered her mouth.


“Here,” she said, ripping some bread and scooping up a hunk of meat and vegetables coated in a dark sauce. She pushed it to his lips before he could consider figuring out how to take it from her hand. He obediently opened his mouth and took the contents, considering he was very hungry and the smells practically demanded he eat.

“Wow!” he said, stunned. She nodded at him.

“You like it. Of course you do. I hope you are hungry,” she said, looking at his mountain of a plate. It was a lot of food before him, but if the first bit was any indication of how the rest of the dishes would go, he was confident.

“I was warned about the “eat everything" thing. I think I’ll be fine,” he said confidently to her, maybe trying to show off. She lowered her eyes and shrugged her shoulders.

“What do I know?” she said, slightly salty. She looked over at two older women who watched them both intently and gave Ryan an up-down glare. He didn’t want to make her mad, so he tried to smooth things over with a compliment.

“You look so beautiful tonight.” He looked at her a while before he turned to take a bite. Not until then did she turn to look at him.

“It is my duty to be this beautiful tonight.” She said it like she was dismissing his compliment.

“You looked even more beautiful earlier today. You wear that scowl perfectly,” he offered, stuffing his face some more. She again turned to him, observing his full cheeks. A smile cracked her rough exterior.

“I’m glad you think so, Ryan. Many people find me to be bristly and mean.” He knew better than to acknowledge any truth to those claims. Ryan got the idea that Sashta was not supposed to be talking too much during the meal, as she would only say a few words and turn back to the people and smile. He guessed they weren’t in the school cafeteria. Not that the school cafe ever had food this good. He hoped he wasn’t looking especially boorish. He couldn’t help but think he represented the entire United States as he sat before the entire village, stuffing his face. It appeared that everyone was doing it, but Ryan acknowledged he was by far the fattest person in the village, aside from some larger elders, but he didn’t really consider them for the accolade. Not that the whole village was rail thin. He was a bit ashamed he’d made such a broad assumption about an entire continent, not to mention Gedeh was not a huge part of that. His trip has certainly taught him how much he hadn’t known or understood.

The issues in the greater region he was in was that the major cities and surrounding villages had been attacked. The head government had been struggling against agitators who had put strain on the resources available. Burning the school down was a sign that support might have been needed. Ryan had yet to encounter any of the agitators, and was happy for it. He’d come to learn that Gedeh actually had fully operational farms and more than enough food. Water irrigation had been impacted by the conflict, but the troop actually had several trips bringing food to other villages. He was very happy to get to learn on the ground and not holed up in the house reading about it.

If Ryan felt fat in his own parents house, he felt enormous in Gedeh. People stared at him regardless as he was physically large and his pale skin, though tanning some, made him stick out even more. He looked quickly to see if the two old women were still gawking at him, and they were. He wasn’t shocked. People seemed amazed at how heavy he was, and not necessarily in a rude or judgmental way. Maybe Sashta wasn’t into him, but organically curious like everyone else. He had to admit, nobody else had been as forward as she had regarding his plushness. He stole a look at her and she seemed to ask him with her eyes how things were. He nodded and chewed. He was surprisingly almost finished with the plate, though his packed stomach was not surprised. He felt his boxers hugging his hips tight, thankful for the robe giving his belly four times the space it needed. He scooped up the last of his sauce, scraps of meat and vegetables. He finished the bite and sighed, covering a belch with his hand. Nobody appeared to take note. He felt a little better after that. He noticed the old women jump up and move toward him, and got nervous. Were they coming to scold him for his impropriety? Sashta looked at him out of the corner of her eye. The ladies started piling more food onto the plate. Not the amount it was before, but more than he was prepared for for sure. He wanted to deny their serving of him, but he remembered it was one of the few rules given. “Why would they give me more?” he asked, discreetly to Sashta.

“You already knew everything I thought,” she said, teasing him.

“I know nothing. You know everything.” She turned to him with a satisfied sigh.

“Was that so hard?” She shifted her knees toward him and grinned. Had she been so rigid in an effort to punish him the whole time? “Those women’s job is to refill the honored families plates. It is a way to show thanks. I was going to tell you not to finish the plate, if you weren’t going to eat more. But I recall being cut off.” Ryan was not entertained, but thought it to be his own fault.

“I assume it would be a dishonor to not finish almost all of this then.”

“An unbelievable disgrace,” she laughed. Her hand sailed over and planted on the side of his belly. She couldn’t have known where any part of his body was, as he was most elegantly concealed in his wrapped robe. He watched her eyes widen and she bit her lip. “Ryan, your stomach already feels quite full,” she said, concerned.

“Should you… still… be touching me like this,” he said, becoming aware that some people may be watching her. She slipped her hand down, but shared that she could touch whoever she wanted, whenever. He laughed a little at that, considering all he learned his senior year about consent.

“How do you intend on finishing?” she seemed thoroughly wrapped in the saga of the plate.

“Well, I manage every Thanksgiving,” he offered, blushing a little. She was familiar with the holiday, but insisted the food at this celebration was better. She was very correct. She could not help watching him power through the food before him. He was slowing down and it was getting harder to breath, and he felt he was not concealing the burps escaping him, completely under the radar anymore. He huffed.

“Oh Ryan,” she murmured, reaching out and brushing his front momentarily. He was so focused on his task, that he could hardly take time to notice anyone around him. He was worried he was going to look up and he was the only one disgustingly stuffing his fat face. None such was the case. Sashta had a very caring expression on her face and maybe a little something else. “Let me help you, you are so full.” He was mortified. He had clearly made a huge pig of himself. But she wasn’t running away from him. She leaned in and began scooping up large bites and feeding him. He was not sure why it was helping, but he felt far less encumbered when he didn’t have to lean forward and get his own food. He also couldn’t stop feeling oddly pampered by the action. And being pampered by Sashta was probably the best thing he could imagine. Her hand had been placed back at his side and she was rubbing soothing circles into the side of his gut. He no longer could care to worry if people thought their contact was strange, because he felt too heavenly from it. He had closed his eyes, enjoying the blissful moment, and looked up when she stopped. He looked at the plate and it had one measly scoop remaining. He secretly wanted that last bite, but could see the women still watching him, and specifically his plate. He figured he’d better not, despite leaving a single bite on a plate being unbelievably alien to him.

Sashta stopped rubbing the side of his belly, and was soon standing up and reaching for his hand. Crap the dance. Ryan felt giant and was unsure if his robes were going to fall in places that covered him when he stood. With great effort on his part, he got to his feet, and was relieved the outfit was seemingly engineered well. She began dancing around him. It was becoming clear that he was more of a prop for the dance and not necessarily expected to do any particular moves. She finished and guided him back to his seat. He sat heavily, and felt he wouldn’t move again for a year.

Kojo announced that they would have a parting dessert, of which Ryan was scared to discover. He was surprised that there was a cookie-like biscuit that everyone took a bite into, without breaking their teeth somehow. After, everyone made their way home, carrying any food they had brought. Ryan was shocked to see everyone cleared out and the mess of the event virtually non-existent. He still sat heavily on the mat and Sashta rose when Kojo did. She reached her hand back at him, and he sighed as he took it, knowing he needed the help. Kojo came over and planted his two ton hands on his shoulders. “A most magnificent special guest you have been Ryan. I hope you enjoyed our feast,” he said, giving a rather firm jab to his gut. Ryan winced, but played it off. Kojo clearly had not seen his gluttony. “Now before I have you escort my granddaughter to the water source, please consider this.” Ryan was listening. “Sashta will be preparing for some big things coming up for her, and she will need to make many visits to neighboring cities and villages. I have already spoken to your troop leader. We would love to have you be her daily escort. A strong boy like yourself is perfect for the task. Not hurt by the fact that Sashta doesn’t cut you with a knife when she sees you.” Ryan doubted he literally meant that, but had made the decision during the dinner to assume he knew nothing at all.

“I’d be more than happy to be her escort.”

“Protector. Body guard,” Kojo, added. Ryan nodded. “Very good. Bring her back in one piece. Do not let the wild dogs eat her.” He did not appear to be joking at all. Ryan and Sashta began their walk back to the scene of the crime.