Yuk!

• Elisabeth Richardson, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2013

The plate is placed in front of me. I take one glance but all I can see are leafy emerald green balls, three of them staring at me. What are they? You may ask..... BRUSSEL SPROUTS. Why? Grandma is all I can think, why would you put those horrible things on my plate?

I ignore them while I eat my other food. While I am eating I try to think of ways I don’t have to eat them, like, I’m jam packed; I don’t feel like devouring them; everything you could possibly think of. But my grandparents just won’t let me.

“Listen Travis, you’re a thirty six year old man living with your grandparents, now you either eat your Brussels sprouts or else.”

I slouch back in my chair and give a little snigger; as if my grandparents are going to do something, they are too old.

My grandpa rises up staring at me. He turns around and goes to the cupboard. I cannot see what he pulls out all I know is that it’s interminable. He walks past me and brakes.

Suddenly he grabs my hand and ties them to the back of my chair. I can’t move it’s too tight. Why, why did he tie me to the chair?

He snatches my fork which was in my hand that nearly stabbed my other hand and pushes through the Brussels sprout, a little bit of water oozes out of the Brussels sprout. My grandma forces my mouth open, while my grandpa shoves the Brussels sprout into my mouth. I chew on it to taste it. It’s ok! I ask for some cheese sauce with a mouth-full. It doesn’t taste that bad, I say to myself.

My grandpa unties me I’m happy he did.

Now I know not to trust other people’s opinions. Everyone said they were bad that’s why I didn’t want to eat them but they weren’t that but you just need to add some sauce to them. All I will say is not to judge before you try.