OH LAWD chapter 37

Whipping Up a Special Dish
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I enjoyed my time in New York better than when I interned there, for I was free to do anything I wished.

Each day I would whip up a special dish for the staff to try, and they were a bit different, and better than what they were learning about.

Marcel chided me about messing up his recipes, but he always ate more than anyone else.  

No matter how much they begged me I wouldn't give them the full recipe for my dishes; except for one that Marcel insisted he must have.

In French fine cooking it is the small things that enhance the flavor and following the recipe must be exact.

Each day I got to know Mille better, and she became more at ease being with me.  She had studied management principals in school and was graduating in a month.

I told her I would like to be there, but I was leaving for Gulf Port and then on to New Orleans having over-extended my stay here for ten days.

Marcel bid me goodbye and said, “Come back soon.”  I told him to come to New Orleans, for I hoped to have my own restaurant in the near future.

He said okay, but I knew he probably would never leave New York without a very good reason.

Early the next morning I left and took the train, then transferred to the bus to finish my trip home to Gulfport.  

I wanted to see my folks and friends I hadn't seen for years due to the war.

I arrived the next morning and first went home to drop off my bag, and when I got there no one was home.  The spare key was still in its hiding place, and let myself in.  

 

After leaving my stuff there, I went to the pier and the restaurant.

The first person I saw was Ma.  She had been working part time, and then I noticed she had aged a bit.

First she glanced at me, and then turned away, but then she turned back as she realized who I was.  

She began to tear up, and came and put her arms around me without saying anything.

It was good to see my Ma again. When I was little she always encouraged me, when I was down she was like a shelter in the storm.

Now that I look at her, she seems so small standing next to me, but she still looms large in my feelings of the past.



Welcome Home Son
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She said, “C'mon let’s find Pa, for he has missed you so much, and I have too.

Hearing her say that, I wondered what I could ever have done to educe such a feeling from them.

As we entered, Paddy was mopping the floor, and when he saw Ma and me, he dropped the mop, and came where we were, and dropped into a boxing stance.

After a moment he relaxed and grabbed my hand and asked if I had been hitting the gym regularly. I said, “No,” to which he replied, "I thought not, you couldn't last two minutes with me sparring.”   

 

I laughed and said, “What’s new about that, I never could.”

Noonan heard the noise, and came out to see what was going on.  A big smile broke out on his face and he said, “Here's that want-a-be cook again.”

We laughed and I said, “I'm back for another lesson.”

Pa had been out back, and when he came in he said, “Lord have mercy, look what the cat drug in."

I said, “Hello Pa,” and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and a hearty hug.  

 

The thought went through my mind, before I was around those French people I would never have kissed Pa cause that was something we never did even though we were around Cajuns a lot.

I couldn't help from going from one to another and hugging them again for these were my people. They made me what I am today.

 

There were others who taught me things, but my roots were anchored in these dear people.

Oh Lawd!    

 

To be Continued