don’t remember anything, right? We went over that when you were all mad the last time we saw each other. Remember?”
“Yep! ‘Who’s on first,’” Anthony laughed, “No one could believe you couldn’t remember that crazy summer. We all had the best time. It really is a shame. Uncle George, he was the one who was the most disappointed. He was looking forward to seeing you that Christmas.”
“Ah yes,” said Elly. “They must have known in advance about that visit, too.”
“Yes, indeed. Can’t hide much from these women. So what were you about to say?”
“Oh, right. Well, the thing is—since I’ve been pregnant, I’ve had these flashes of memory. Like just now, Mimi went off to clean? And I remembered cleaning the apartment with her. It must be a memory from that summer because I wasn’t here before, right?”
“Did I hear you say you remembered something about cleaning with me?” asked Mimi, as she entered the room again.
“Yes! Isn’t it great!?” Elly exclaimed.
“Sure is,” said Mimi, who threw a white dishcloth into Elly’s lap. “Now come help me out with some of those newfound memories.”
“I’m out,” said Anthony.
“Smart move,” said Elly.
“See you later?” he asked.
“Later?” Elly responded, excitement fluttering in her stomach.
“For Christmas dinner,” he said, and left the apartment.
Elly stared at the door. How can I feel so close to someone I don’t really know? she wondered.
“Because you do know him. And you loved him very much, once upon a time,” said Mimi, pulling her granddaughter into a soft embrace.
“Now, let’s get to cleaning. How can we cook if we don’t have a clean house first?” she said, patting Elly on the back. A signal that it was time to get to work.
Elly and Mimi began to clean the already spotless apartment.
Finally, as Elly wiped the invisible dust from the living room windowsills and beautiful antique side tables, Mimi walked in and announced, “Now, come to the kitchen and let me teach you how to make a proper Christmas feast. Do you think your stomach can take it?”
Hungry now, with the morning turning into early afternoon, her sickness had passed. She was ravenous. The galley kitchen was small and the counters already piled high with ingredients. “Here, sit here and cut the beets,” said Mimi, who led her to the breakfast nook that was outside of the kitchen but next to the entrance to the dining room and opposite the exit to the back hall. Elly sat down in a well-worn, wooden kitchen chair and began to cut fresh, peeled beets into quarters. The bright red juice got on her fingers. Mimi threw a damp towel to her from the kitchen. “Beets are messy things, but they taste of the earth. And they’re the color of Christmas.”
“What’s on the menu, Mimi? I’m starving.”
“Oh, now you are starving?” teased Mimi. “The roast is in the oven. Roast beef is our Christmas beast. The secret to cooking any kind of meat is to salt it well and put it in the oven for a long time at a low temperature. Leave it there, don’t fuss with it. It’s ready when you can’t stand waiting for it anymore.”
Elly could smell it cooking. A heavy smell, full of crisped fat and savory meatiness. It made her mouth water.
“Here,” Mimi said, putting a bowl in front of her that held the heel of a loaf of crusty Italian bread, ladled with sauce.
“This isn’t the sauce from last night, is it?” asked Elly.
“No, of course not. Would I do that to you? It’s the sauce for the lasagna. We are having roast beef with roasted root vegetables, lasagna, and then a few leftovers from last night, but not the sauce. We never mix sauces.”
Elly wiped her hands with the towel (or mopine, as Mimi called it), and picked up the bread, now softening in the sauce. Warm and perfect. Acidic and sweet. The bread mingled with the perfect sauce and gave it a hearty yeast flavor that Elly could almost taste down to her toes.
The afternoon
“Yep! ‘Who’s on first,’” Anthony laughed, “No one could believe you couldn’t remember that crazy summer. We all had the best time. It really is a shame. Uncle George, he was the one who was the most disappointed. He was looking forward to seeing you that Christmas.”
“Ah yes,” said Elly. “They must have known in advance about that visit, too.”
“Yes, indeed. Can’t hide much from these women. So what were you about to say?”
“Oh, right. Well, the thing is—since I’ve been pregnant, I’ve had these flashes of memory. Like just now, Mimi went off to clean? And I remembered cleaning the apartment with her. It must be a memory from that summer because I wasn’t here before, right?”
“Did I hear you say you remembered something about cleaning with me?” asked Mimi, as she entered the room again.
“Yes! Isn’t it great!?” Elly exclaimed.
“Sure is,” said Mimi, who threw a white dishcloth into Elly’s lap. “Now come help me out with some of those newfound memories.”
“I’m out,” said Anthony.
“Smart move,” said Elly.
“See you later?” he asked.
“Later?” Elly responded, excitement fluttering in her stomach.
“For Christmas dinner,” he said, and left the apartment.
Elly stared at the door. How can I feel so close to someone I don’t really know? she wondered.
“Because you do know him. And you loved him very much, once upon a time,” said Mimi, pulling her granddaughter into a soft embrace.
“Now, let’s get to cleaning. How can we cook if we don’t have a clean house first?” she said, patting Elly on the back. A signal that it was time to get to work.
Elly and Mimi began to clean the already spotless apartment.
Finally, as Elly wiped the invisible dust from the living room windowsills and beautiful antique side tables, Mimi walked in and announced, “Now, come to the kitchen and let me teach you how to make a proper Christmas feast. Do you think your stomach can take it?”
Hungry now, with the morning turning into early afternoon, her sickness had passed. She was ravenous. The galley kitchen was small and the counters already piled high with ingredients. “Here, sit here and cut the beets,” said Mimi, who led her to the breakfast nook that was outside of the kitchen but next to the entrance to the dining room and opposite the exit to the back hall. Elly sat down in a well-worn, wooden kitchen chair and began to cut fresh, peeled beets into quarters. The bright red juice got on her fingers. Mimi threw a damp towel to her from the kitchen. “Beets are messy things, but they taste of the earth. And they’re the color of Christmas.”
“What’s on the menu, Mimi? I’m starving.”
“Oh, now you are starving?” teased Mimi. “The roast is in the oven. Roast beef is our Christmas beast. The secret to cooking any kind of meat is to salt it well and put it in the oven for a long time at a low temperature. Leave it there, don’t fuss with it. It’s ready when you can’t stand waiting for it anymore.”
Elly could smell it cooking. A heavy smell, full of crisped fat and savory meatiness. It made her mouth water.
“Here,” Mimi said, putting a bowl in front of her that held the heel of a loaf of crusty Italian bread, ladled with sauce.
“This isn’t the sauce from last night, is it?” asked Elly.
“No, of course not. Would I do that to you? It’s the sauce for the lasagna. We are having roast beef with roasted root vegetables, lasagna, and then a few leftovers from last night, but not the sauce. We never mix sauces.”
Elly wiped her hands with the towel (or mopine, as Mimi called it), and picked up the bread, now softening in the sauce. Warm and perfect. Acidic and sweet. The bread mingled with the perfect sauce and gave it a hearty yeast flavor that Elly could almost taste down to her toes.
The afternoon
Similar Books
