"My parents want us over for dinner the day after tomorrow. Don't forget."
"Oh, and they said that goose from last time was great."
"Tell your dad to slaughter another one and have it sent over tomorrow."
He said it all as casually as if he were reading off a grocery list.
"The day after tomorrow doesn't work. Some other time," I said, keeping my voice as level as I could manage. "And my dad's busy tomorrow. If your family wants goose, go buy one. They're not expensive."
He stared at me, confused.
I didn't look at him. Just kept talking.
"Besides, my parents want us home for dinner the day after tomorrow too. My brothers are back from out of town. It's rare that we can all be in one place."
Clement hurled the towel in his hand onto the bed.
The air in the room, already thick with tension, pulled even tighter.
"Would it kill you to talk like a normal person?"
"It's one goose. Why are you being so cheap about it?"
I sat up straight and looked him dead in the eye.
"My family doesn't raise geese."
"The ones last time were a gift from a relative. There were only two. My dad brought one over to us the same day, didn't even save one for my brothers."