Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 09:21:30 -0700
From: fritz@nehalemtel.net
Subject: I Love Corey, Chapter Sixty-two
So you're back to read another chapter. Perhaps you need to see a
professional and see why you have such a masochistic streak in yourself. I
can think of many better ways to be punished than reading this story. In
the meantime...
If you are underage please leave. You will note that I have
politely asked you to leave and therefore you have no excuse for staying.
Claiming that you didn't realize you shouldn't read the story will not be
accepted as an excuse. After all, if you are old enough to find and read
this story, you know right from wrong.
This story sometimes contains descriptions of gay sex and if that
offends you, please leave before you encounter such horrid things. You
might also want to ask yourself why you find them so offensive. Could it
be that you are secretly turned on and are afraid to admit it?
Once again I will remind you that the reading of a story such as
this one is illegal in some areas. If you reside is such an area please
leave or get the law changed. I in no way advocate breaking the law even
if the law is sometimes asinine.
Since I have written this story, that makes it my intellectual
property. Okay, so using the word intellectual in the same sentence as
this story is probably not a good idea. Still I consider it my property
and would request that you do not post it anywhere without my permission.
If you find something in it that you think worth quoting, please attribute
the quotes to me. Other than that, feel free to read and hopefully enjoy
the story.
Granted that there are many stories that are better but it is all
my feeble imagination could come up with. That makes it fiction and I did
not base it on any persons, living or dead. If you think you see any such
resemblance, it is accidental and was not intended.
Ernie is still under the weather. However another kind reader
offered to look it over and check for errors. In fact, several did but in
the end I selected the first one that had offered. He found a bunch of
mistakes which was really no surprise. Anyhow, my many thanks to Don for
all his help with this chapter.
You are invited to write and make comments, ask questions, offer
suggestions, or complain. I am more than happy to try to answer any such
emails. Just send them to fritz@nehalemtel.net but be sure to put I Love
Corey in the subject line. Failing to do that may result in your email
being deleted without being read. Far too much spam arrives for me to
inspect each email and I only read those I think I need to. In the
meantime I hope you enjoy the following chapter. Fritz
********************************************************************************
I Love Corey, Chapter Sixty-two
At least it didn't take an ice cube to get Kyle awake. Somehow
Mark got him up and moving without it. I could only marvel at the
difference in the two groups of boys. Corey and Mark were wide-awake and
the other three looked like they were still sound asleep. Well their eyes
were open and they were moving, but I was sure their minds were still in
bed. Grunts seemed to be the limit of their communication ability. While
food was some help in getting them going, it was slow acting. By the time
I left for school they were up to one word answers.
It was one of those days you dream about. Nothing went wrong. The
students were on the ball and had all their homework done. They paid
attention in class and we managed to cover all of the material I had
planned and a little more. Shopping for groceries even went great. I
managed to get some more steaks and set up the dinner with Rob for Thursday
evening. The boys played basketball while I fixed hamburger gravy to serve
over rice. A Waldorf salad and some green beans accompanied it. As I was
fixing dinner I suddenly realized that Mrs. Babcock's car was missing, then
I noticed the note in the mailbox, telling me she had picked it up. She
even left a separate note for Corey and I hoped it wouldn't upset him.
While Corey wasn't thrilled with his note, at least he didn't
appear depressed over it. He just sort of shrugged it off. However he was
a little more quiet after reading it. At least we knew she was well enough
to pick up the car. I did wish that she had done it at a time which would
have allowed her to visit with Corey. The time on the note she left told
me she would have only needed to wait an hour or so for us to get home.
After dinner we had a talk. I tried to convince Kyle and Mark that
they needed two beds in their room. That still didn't go over well. I got
more arguments about how they had always shared a room, and for that
matter, a bed. They were used to sharing the bed and wanted to continue.
As they kept telling me about why they wanted to continue sharing a bed, I
began understand why. To them it was their protection and refuge. When
things were bad they could huddle together and console each other. While
in bed they were, for the most part, out of their father's way. Kyle and
Mark thought of it as the safest place they had. Still Judy had seemed to
stress that each child needed his own room and bed. Maybe I had
misunderstood her. I decided I needed to talk with her and find out what
would be acceptable. We finally agreed to wait and see what Judy said. If
she insisted they have separate beds they would just have to get by with
bunk beds or something like that. Neither acted really thrilled with that,
but it was the best I could come up with at that time. Still I had learned
why they wanted to be together and that was a step forward.
Wednesday was just as good. I'd told the boys they would have to
take the bus home because I needed to talk with the District Attorney after
school. The meeting with him was quick and over almost before it got
started. He asked a couple of questions about what I remembered and I
pulled out my notes and answered. When I'd learned the Rev. wouldn't
apologize and there would be a trial it had seemed like a good idea to
write things down so I could remember them. Telling me to review my notes
before the trial, he sent me home. I'd gotten in and out of his office in
about a half hour. I guess he could see I had written everything that
happened down and figured he didn't need to jog my memory.
I'd picked up some chicken breasts and figured it was a good night
to cook them. The only problem was how. Rummaging through the fridge
produced a bunch of basil. I decided to try something I had heard about.
I grabbed some pine nuts and started them toasting. After picking the
stems off the basil it went in the food processor. Two cloves of garlic
joined it and a little salt and pepper. Then I added the juice of a lemon
and the toasted pine nuts along with some parsley. Next went in some
parmesan cheese. Turning the food processor on I added just enough olive
oil until I had a thick pesto. If I had been going to put it on pasta I
would have used more olive oil but it looked about right for what I had in
mind.
I cleaned the food processor and started again. This time I took
some sourdough French bread and put it in the processor. Next I melted a
little butter in the microwave and added it. Then I grated some mozzarella
cheese and added that to the mix and turned it on. A few pulses later I
had a cheese and breadcrumb mix.
Next I started some rice pilaf. While the rice was browning, I
diced some celery, carrots, and a couple of onions. When the rice started
to brown I added the vegetables and started them cooking, stirring
frequently. A big gob of sliced mushrooms was added. When the vegetables
were somewhat cooked and the rice a little browner, I added some chicken
stock and some salt and pepper, along with some curry powder. It was now
time to cook the chicken.
I floured and then browned the breasts in a hot pan and then put a
layer of the pesto on one side, followed by a layer of the bread crumb
cheese mixture. Into the oven they went. The boys were now finishing up
getting the table ready. I finished fixing a green salad while the chicken
breasts rested after I had removed them from the oven. A quick fluff of
the rice and it was time to eat. A serving of rice went on the plate and
was topped with a breast. A Pinot Gris from the Willamette Valley went
well with it.
The chicken breasts were pretty good sized but it was a good thing
I had fixed more than one per person. Mark was the only one of the boys
that didn't have another half of a chicken breast and he looked longingly
at one but just couldn't find room. The rest of the boys didn't have that
problem. One was more than ample for me and I even shared several bites
with Dog. Well so did the boys but they didn't give him much over a couple
of bites. Of the ten chicken breasts, only two were left. I would have
been willing to bet even those would be gone before lights out. It seemed
like no matter how much I cooked, the refrigerator was always empty. I
hoped my new refrigerator had good hinges on it because most evenings the
boys always seemed to be looking in it, trying to find something more to
eat. I sure didn't have a problem with having to throw out leftovers. In
fact I was beginning to think leftovers were a mythical word.
The clouds were coming in as I went to school Thursday. Our spell
of good weather appeared to be over. That meant I wouldn't be able to
barbeque the steaks like I had planned. Still school went well and for
some reason this whole week had been great. I was beginning to get
spooked. I didn't really know what to do without any crises in my life.
It seemed like it had been so long since nothing had gone wrong that I had
forgotten how it felt. I was starting to worry over what could go wrong
and when it would happen. Kyle still wasn't opening up but Mark was
beginning to relax. His wisecracks about drove poor Kyle nuts. Kyle was
so worried that Mark would do something that would make me mad that he was
almost a nervous wreck. I kept trying to convince him that I wouldn't hurt
him or Mark but so far he still didn't believe me. However he was moving
better and his ribs didn't appear to give him as many problems. As far as
I could see he still hadn't made any friends at school but hopefully he
would in time. Mark was starting to make a few friends. When I saw him in
the halls he was generally with the same group of kids.
It was pouring down rain by the time we headed home. The old
expression about the cow and the flat rock came to mind. There would be no
basketball game tonight. I decided to see if I could get the boys to do
some of the housework they normally did on the weekend because this weekend
was shaping up to be really busy.
Kyle and Mark weren't a problem. With the other three, well let's
just say that slave driver was among the milder words they used to describe
the idea. All I really wanted them to do was their laundry and a little
picking up of their rooms. I also got eye rolls and lots of sighs. All
the while they were doing that they were complaining that there was nothing
to do because it was raining. Reminding them of the promises made over
Disneyland only produced more eye rolls and sighs. To watch them carry
their dirty clothes to the laundry room, one would have thought they had
been working for several days without a stop. Their shoulders were slumped
and they moved like each step would be their last. They made such a
production of it that I decided to be evil. I reminded them that their
beds needed changing. I did offer them the choice of doing it now or doing
it on the weekend but told them that if they chose the weekend, even if
they were tired, and even if it was late because they had worked, they
would still have to change them. I didn't hear anymore whining and the
beds were changed. I think they got the idea that bitching and whining
produced answers they didn't like. I also added vacuuming the living and
family rooms and dusting to their tasks. They could do that while the
washer and dryer were running. I would have told them to also mop the
kitchen floor but I was busy cooking.
I pealed and cored some pears and put them in some wine with some
sugar and spices to poach. The pears with a little ice cream should take
care of desert.
I also put some potatoes to baking. I figured some twice baked
potatoes would go well with the steaks. Tonight I would fix them with
parmesan cheese, sour cream, and chives.
The weather was nasty so I decided to go with a recipe handed down
in my family for a vegetable. Stewed breaded tomatoes. I always thought
of it as comfort food. Mom would cook it on stormy nights. It was so
simple to make and I really liked it so I had no idea why I didn't make it
more often. All it consisted of was canned tomatoes, a few slices of
bread, a little sugar, and some cheddar cheese.
As long as I was fixing old family recipes I decided to have wilted
lettuce for a salad. If that didn't fill everyone up I didn't know what
else to do.
The pears had simmered for about twenty minutes so it was time to
remove them from the heat and let them cool. I stuck a toothpick in a
couple of them to make sure they were done and they seemed just about
right. Later I'd reduce the poaching liquid and pour a little of it over
the pear halves and the vanilla ice cream.
When the potatoes were done I scooped the insides out and mashed
them. I added a little milk, some sour cream, and some parmesan cheese, a
bunch of diced chives and some salt and pepper. When it was all whipped up
I carefully filled the potato skins with the mashed potato mixture and
brushed a little melted butter on top. A little time in the oven before
dinner would reheat them and brown the tops.
Actually things were going well. Rob had said he couldn't be here
much before seven so that gave me lots of time to cook. I got out some
romaine lettuce and washed and dried it. I really like the salad dryer I'd
bought a few years ago. You just put the greens in it and gave the handle
a few cranks and presto, the greens were dried. It probably was a little
bigger than I needed but I'd bought it from a restaurant supply firm and it
was the smallest model they had. You could put five or six heads of cut up
lettuce in it. My few bunches of romaine looked sort of lonely in it.
Before Corey I had normally just bought pre-washed greens and let it go at
that but after he came into my life I started making the salads from
scratch.
Once the lettuce was dry I diced some green onions and added them
to the lettuce. Then I diced some bacon and put in a pan and rendered it
down. I removed the now crisp bacon and added that to the lettuce. Some
vinegar and sugar went in the pan along with the bacon grease. That would
make the salad dressing however it was still too early to prepare it.
I took three cans of tomatoes and put them in a casserole dish and
then I diced five slices of bread and added it. A quarter cup of sugar and
some salt and pepper were next. A quick stir and taste. After I added a
little more sugar, another taste and it was about right. Then I diced
about a half pound of cheddar cheese and added that to the dish. Into the
oven it went after a quick stir. I'd have to stir it several times while
it cooked, so the cheese was well distributed. I might even have to add
more bread if it was too runny.
The tomatoes were about done by the time Rob, accompanied by Lee,
Derrick, and Kathy, showed up. It was time to finish dinner. I started
the pear poaching liquid reducing and the salad dressing heating. The
steaks were then browned on each side. The tomatoes had required two more
slices of diced bread but were now done, so I removed them from the oven
and turned the oven on up to 450 degrees. Soon the steaks were ready to go
in the oven. I had put them on the broiler pan so I could make a sauce in
the frying pan. After pouring almost all the fat from the pan, I added a
couple of diced shallots and after the shallots were slightly browned, some
red wine. Some Glace de Viande followed, along with some salt and pepper.
It didn't look like there was quite enough so I added a little water and
just before I used it I would whisk in some butter. I pulled the steaks
out of the oven to let them rest. The potatoes, which had been heating in
the other oven, were lightly browned on top so I removed them. The sauce
for the steaks and the dressing for the salad were done before the steaks
had rested long enough so I turned the burners down and continued visiting.
Rob had been filling me in on how the Collins' were doing. He thought they
might come out to visit for their vacation. Of course that made Derrick
and Kathy happy. Lee didn't know them well enough to be thrilled but he
said he was looking forward to getting better acquainted with them.
I couldn't believe the difference in Lee. He had given me a big
hug when he arrived and had taken off with the boys after that. When the
boys had returned, after putting away one load of clothes, he was grinning
and joking with them. He just acted so much different than I had ever seen
him act before. He and Derrick were poking fun at each other and Kathy was
getting her share of jabs in. All three of them seemed to be getting along
well. At least Kathy had gotten over her crush on JJ and she was no longer
chasing him. I'd heard that she had found another boy at school and was
after him but in a somewhat more restrained manner. Tonight she was acting
much more like a young lady. It was sometimes amazing how quickly kids
matured. I could see that in just a couple of months Kathy had really
changed. She had even stopped giggling quite as much.
Corey poured the wine, which was Kenwood's Jack London vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon. I put the steaks on a platter and spooned a little of
the sauce over them and tossed the greens in the salad dressing. It was
now time to eat.
The steaks were big steaks, probably around a pound apiece, but
that didn't seem to slow the kids down. If the size daunted them, I sure
didn't notice it. Even Kathy's was soon reduced to only a bone on her
plate. The potatoes were gone and so were most of the tomatoes. As for
the salad, that suffered a similar fate. However all the kids thought a
pause before desert might be a good idea. Dog got part of my steak and he
managed to finagle a few bites from everyone else. He didn't even seem
interested in his bowl of dog food. He had a big stockpile of bones and
was happily gnawing on them.
When the boys started picking up the dishes, Lee pitched right in
like he still lived here. Even Derrick and Kathy helped and it didn't take
the kids long to have the table clean and the dishwasher loaded after which
they all took off to watch some stupid science fiction movie the boys had
rented. Rob and I sat at the table and visited.
We finished arranging the sale of the Ranger and while his kids
filled it up, Rob figured he could get by with it for a while. I also
learned that Chuck was starting to see one of the ladies that worked at
Downie's. She was one of the people that had been hired to help cover the
increase in business and I didn't know her, so I could offer no opinion on
her.
Rob was simply bubbly about the upcoming opening of the new smoke
house. He kept telling me of all the sausages and other smoked meats they
would be able to offer. Along the way I figured out Mr. Downie was just
about giving him control over it. Apparently Mr. Downie thought that Rob
was competent to run the meat department and I knew that Mr. Downie had
been complaining for a long time about the meat department occupying too
much of his time. We kept talking and eventually the conversation got
around to Lee. Rob was really happy with the way everything had turned
out. He even admitted that he had been too uptight with not only his
perceived impressions about Lee and me, but also his own children. He told
me that trying to make sure he understood things with Lee had caused him to
do the same with his own children and that made everything go better with
all the kids. I also learned that Betty had done a lot of the raising of
Derrick and Kathy and in many senses he was learning as he went and that
sounded about like most parents to me. I mean there is no instruction
manual that comes with a child. Every parent has to learn as he goes. I
was sure learning a whole bunch I had never known because of the boys. We
ended up laughing at some of the mistakes that our parents had made with us
and wondered if we could avoid making the same ones or ones similar to
those ourselves. We decided only time would tell.
When the movie was over, we all had some desert. The pears were
good. Then Rob and his brood left. I got a big hug from Lee and the smile
that accompanied it warmed my heart. Lee looked happy. I had to chuckle
when he whispered he missed my cooking. I got the impression that Rob had
a little more to learn about cooking. I sent the boys to finish their
homework and reminded them that there was a load of clothes in the dryer
that needed folding. They didn't protest too much.
While they were doing that I started Sunday dinner. I had a huge
pot roast and I was going to make sauerbraten. I hadn't had any for
several years and it really sounded good. I took two cups of red wine
vinegar, two cups of red wine, a cup of white wine, a cup of cider vinegar,
two medium onions coarsely chopped, three large carrots coarsely diced,
some ribs of celery diced, some bay leaves, a tablespoon of pepper corns
crushed, a tablespoon of salt, a teaspoon of whole allspice crushed, and
three whole cloves crushed and put it in a pan along with a cup of water.
When it was just about to boil I poured it over the pot roast which I had
placed in a large bowl. I let it sit for a minute or so and then turned
the roast over in the bowl. It worked out about right. There was just
enough liquid to cover the roast. When it cooled I would again turn the
roast over and then cover the bowl and place it in the fridge. I'd turn it
at least twice a day until I cooked it.
By now it was time to check the boy's homework after which it was
time for bed. Dinner had been good and the day even better. I was
particularly happy that Lee was doing well. It was also nice to see that
Rob was accepting the death of his wife and had gotten himself straightened
out. He was altogether different than he had been. He was much happier
and a lot more relaxed. I was pretty sure he still had moments when he
felt sad but life goes on. He seemed to be coping better than I had when
my parents were killed. That led to the thought that I might have gotten
over it a lot quicker had the boys been in my life. Anymore I didn't have
much time to feel sorry for myself. I was too busy trying to make sure the
boys were okay and not having any problems.
Outside of the fact it was still raining, Friday went well until
after dinner. That was when Dr. Vince Logan called. After exchanging the
usual greetings he asked me if I was aware that Terrence Blackman was in
the hospital and had a brain tumor. I hadn't talked with Diane since she
moved to her own house and while I saw Jimmy in school, he hadn't said
anything about his father. The news was completely unexpected. When I
inquired if Diane and the children were visiting Terry, Vince said no and
that left me wondering what to do.
I told the boys I was going to run over to the hospital and see
Terry. I got some strange looks from everyone except Kyle and Mark but
since it was getting late in the visiting hours period, I just left. I
figured that the other boys could fill them in.
I didn't know how Terry would react to me. Vince had told me that
the tumor had affected Terry's sight to the point he was blind. While I
still was angry with the way he had acted, he had been a friend and I
needed to know if I could do anything for him. It didn't take long to get
to the hospital and after checking with the nurse, I soon found myself at
his door. I didn't really know quite what to do, so I just knocked on the
door which was standing open.
After being invited in I was shocked. Terry looked awful. Having
him gaze wildly around when he clearly wasn't seeing anything was even
worse.
"Hi Terry," I said.
"Who is it?"
"It's Sam Terry. How are you feeling?"
"What are you doing here?" There was a bitterness in his voice that
made his question almost an accusation. Also he was no longer gazing
wildly around. My voice had told him where I was and he was now looking in
my direction. The only thing was, he was just a little way off in his
gaze, like he didn't have me placed quite correctly.
"I just heard about you tonight and came to see if I could do
anything for you, like maybe get you some music or an audio book."
"Why?" This wasn't quite what I had expected. His bitterness was
making it hard. I thought for a few seconds before answering.
"Christ Terry, we've been friends for several years. One fight
doesn't change that. Why wouldn't I come? You'd do the same for me."
After that there was a pause. A fairly long one as if he was really
thinking about what he wanted to say next. When he finally answered there
was a catch in his voice.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. For the last few
months there's just been this terrible anger in me. I... I can't seem to
control it." He fell silent. His eyes closed and I could see some tears
start to trickle down his cheeks. "I'm sorry Sam, I shouldn't have taken
it out on you."
Now I was left wondering what to say. However he continued before I
could think of a reply.
"I've been having headaches and sometimes I couldn't see very well.
I... I guess I was afraid. I didn't know what to do. I... I... well I was
afraid to go to the doctor." By now he was starting to cry softly. I
pulled a chair up close to the bed and sat in it and then I reached out and
put my hand on his arm.
"You don't have to apologize. We all do things we wish we hadn't.
Let's just forget it. Is there anything I can get for you?"
It took a while but finally he stopped crying and we started talking.
Diane and the kids hadn't been to see him and from some of what he said,
there had apparently been fights between them that I wasn't aware of. Now
he didn't know how to apologize or even if they would give him a chance to
offer one. He had told the doctors not to notify Diane and the kids. As
more of the story poured out I learned he had also fought with his parents
and Diane's parents and had not allowed them to be notified either.
Yesterday morning he had woke up and couldn't see anything. He had managed
to call 911 and ended up in the hospital. Now he was just scared and
ashamed. I also learned the doctors didn't know much but were still
running tests.
We talked some more and I promised to bring him a boom box and some
music. I knew he liked country western and asked what some of his favorite
artists were so I would get the right ones. I finally left, telling him it
would be fairly late before I could see him because I had to do some
shopping for Mark and then had to explain about Kyle and Mark.
I drove past Diane's house but all the lights were off so I couldn't
talk with her. Even if she wouldn't forgive him, she needed to know. I
was surprised that the hospital hadn't kicked me out when visiting hours
were over but they had let me stay long past them. The boys were even in
bed by the time I got home. I just snuggled up next to Corey and fell
asleep with the smell of his hair in my nose.
Saturday morning was a mess. All I got was the answering machine
when I tried to call Diane. I had problems getting the boys up and ready
to go to work. By the time things were reasonably under control, I knew
Diane would be at work. I debated about stopping to see her before going
on to Redding and shopping with Mark. He still needed a bunch more clothes
and a bicycle. I finally decided to swing past the office where she
worked.
When I was shown to her office, I was greeted with a big smile.
"Hi Sam, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
"Good morning. I just stopped by to ask if you'd heard that Terry is
in the hospital." Her smile disappeared.
"No." That flat answer left me wondering if this was a good idea.
"I just found out yesterday evening and by the time I got back from
visiting him it was too late to call you. I thought you'd want to know.
He's in room 231." With that I paused. After what seemed like forever
with no reply from her, I continued. "Look, I know you two have been
fighting but I really think you and the kids might want to visit him.
While they're still running tests on him, it doesn't look good."
"What's wrong with him?"
"Well, as I understand it he has a brain tumor. It's in a place that
can't be operated on and they're running some tests to try to determine if
it can be treated with chemotherapy or radiation. They also think that
might have been part of the reason why his personality changed in the last
few months and as of now he's blind."
"Blind?"
"Yeah, apparently the tumor's putting some pressure on some nerves or
something. He also said he's been having headaches for the last six months
or so. I talked with him for a couple hours last night and as of now he's
darned scared. In fact he told me he had been afraid for a long time and
that he knew something was wrong but was afraid to go to the doctor and see
what it was. Besides the headaches he had periods of blurry vision and
feelings of rage and helplessness." With that I was out of things to tell
her. When she didn't say anything I finally said good-bye and left. The
whole thing left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
I had left Mark in the pickup and when I got back he had found a
radio station that was certainly not among my favorites. They played a
mixture of rap and some other popular music. 50 Cents is a group I can do
without. I wondered if I ought to change the station but decided I could
put up with it for the drive to Redding. Maybe I could come up with a way
to change stations while we shopped. It got worse and Ludacris followed 50
Cents. I just gritted my teeth and kept driving. I did turn the volume
down and that helped a little. I had a sneaking hunch that what I was
hearing would never be considered classic. After all, classical music is
only music that was popular many years ago. Composers like Gershwin were
starting to be considered classical in a lot of quarters. I figured
others, like Duke Ellington, would make it eventually. I had real doubts
about 50 Cents.
To say I was glad to get to the mall doesn't begin to cover it. We
started at Macy's and found a few shirts that weren't bad. In fact by the
time it was over Mark had picked out several shirts from makers such a
Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole and the like. I thought I was going to have to
catch him when he looked at the price tag on the first one. He dropped it
like it was on fire. I wondered what he would think when we made a trip to
Neiman Marcus. As far as that went, the other boys hadn't been there yet.
That might be interesting. I always tried to get there at least once a
year. They sold some real nice shirts.
By the time Mark picked out some pants of various kinds, he was in
awe. I was sure this was the first time he had ever had that kind of money
spent on him. He'd been excited last Sunday but this was worse. It was
time for lunch. After we ate we then started looking for something that
would be appropriate for church. I got a lot of whining over that and he
eventually settled on a blazer and slacks. Neckties were not high on his
list of things to wear. However the blazer fit perfectly and the slacks
only needed to be cuffed. I was told we could pick them up in a couple
hours.
All the time we had been shopping I was trying to draw him out. As
we went along he started to tell me a little about himself and Kyle. By
the time it was over I knew a lot more than I had managed to pry out of
Kyle. Mark was much more open. His family had never attended church so
religion wasn't the problem between Kyle and his father. It seems that
Mr. Masters had always had a very heavy hand with discipline. Frequent
spankings, sometimes more like beatings, were the rule of the day. Both
boys were commonly slapped around and denigrated for their efforts. Mark
said that Kyle had taken the brunt of the abuse. As for their mother, well
Kyle had always shied away from saying anything but I learned she was a
drunk and had abandoned them about a year ago. While she had been there
she had managed to keep Mr. Masters somewhat under control but when she
left, things got much worse. Mr. Masters did more than his share of
drinking before she left and even more after. The abuse went up and he
convinced the boys that he would kill them if they told anyone. Things had
all come to a head about a month ago. Mr. Masters had lost his job because
of his drinking and he took it out on Kyle and Mark, and from what Mark
told me, their life must have turned into a living hell. He appeared so
happy just to be out of that environment. When he talked about his father
there was a real bitterness in his voice. However when he talked about his
mother there was a sadness there. Judy had told me that they were looking
for his mother but no one knew where to find her. However I was stunned
when Mark mentioned he kind of thought his father might have killed her.
We finally had enough clothes so I headed for the bike shop. Mark
had seen the other boys' bikes so he at least had some idea of what he
could look at. Once again the price tag thing reared its ugly head. Sheer
shock over the prices was his reaction. It took trips to three bike shops
before he finally realized that I was serious when I told him to pick out
what he liked. We finally went back to the second shop and he picked out a
Santa Cruz. It was the same model that the other boys had, a Bullit. I
don't know if he picked it out because he liked it or because the other
boys had one but at least they were all alike. I picked out another one
for myself and told them what upgrades I wanted installed on the bikes and
then it was time to pick out a boom box and something for Terry to listen
to. The boom box didn't take long but picking out some CDs and a couple of
audio books about finished the afternoon. We picked up the bikes, and then
the trousers and headed for home.
By the time the boys were done for the day, their asses were
dragging. They had been busy removing items from the shelves so that new
shelving could be installed. Once each row of shelving was in place, they
had to put all the food back on it. Not only that, since his was now the
only full service grocery store in town, Mr. Downie didn't think he should
close the store so they had to work around the customers. They were all so
tired they didn't even bitch much. They just inhaled mass quantities of
food and collapsed. Poor Mark wanted to tell Kyle all about his day and
Kyle just wanted to vegetate.
I left them sprawled in the family room and hurried to the hospital.
Terry was so grateful he almost cried. I hadn't planned on staying long
but he was so eager to talk with someone that I just couldn't leave him
without a few minutes conversation. Those few minutes turned into an hour.
The results weren't back from all the tests so he still didn't know if
there were any treatment options for him. It was a kind of a depressing
conversation although we both tried to keep it somewhat light. I finally
made my escape by pleading `I had to get the boys to bed.'
Getting the boys to bed wasn't a problem as they had already done so
by the time I got home. Even Mark was in bed. Dog was thrilled to see me
so I had to spend some time scratching and petting him. When he had
finally absorbed about all the attention he thought he could get from me,
he headed for JJ's bedroom. It wasn't all that much later that I joined
Corey. I just barely remember his head finding my chest as I fell asleep.
Getting the boys going was about like raising the dead. Even Corey
wasn't his usual cheerful self. While a night's sleep had helped, none of
them were as active as normal. However, a big breakfast seemed to get them
going again. It's almost amazing what food will do for teenagers. By the
time we got to Downie's, they were once again raring to go.
I looked over the store before I left. It looked like they were a
little over halfway done, so they could probably finish today. With that,
I headed home.
Mark decided to try out his new bike out. While it was cloudy, it
wasn't raining so he shouldn't have any trouble that way. We got it out of
the back of the pickup and found his helmet and away he went. I made sure
he knew my cell phone number in case he got lost or found something he
wanted to do. With that I started on the wash.
By mid-afternoon I had the housework caught up. Mark had showed up
at lunch time with a couple of kids he'd met and they managed to eat and
get away before I talked him into helping with the housework. He said they
were going to the arcade and he would be back in a couple of hours. The
money must have lasted longer than he thought it would because it was a lot
closer to three hours before he got back. We visited a little before it
was time to start dinner.
I dried the roast and then browned it. When it was nicely browned I
poured the fat out of the pan and put the roast back in and added the
marinade after straining it. Into the oven at 350 it went. In a little
over three hours it should be done. I finished up the potato salad and put
it in the fridge.
I decided to have spaetzle with the sauerbraten. It didn't take all
that long to make it and when finished, I rinsed it and set it aside. I
would heat it up just before serving. Some green beans would complete the
dinner. Bob was coming over because he hadn't been free on either Friday
or Saturday.
Bob showed up and we sat around drinking coffee until the boys
called. They were done so it was time to finish dinner. While Bob went to
pick them up I got back to work in the kitchen. The beans went on the
stove to heat and also a pan of water to heat the spaetzle. I took the
roast out of the oven and sat it aside. In the remains of the marinade I
put some roux and then added some crushed ginger snaps to make gravy. The
gravy was done by the time Bob got back and the boys hurried to get cleaned
up. Mark had set the table, so about all that was left was to serve dinner
and eat it. I tossed the heated spaetzle in a little butter and put it on
the table. Corey looked surprised that there were no wine glasses on the
table but understood when Bob poured everyone a glass of beer. I mean if
you're going to eat German, you might just as well go all the way. A dark,
full-bodied beer just seems to go well with sauerbraten.
The boys might have been tired but they didn't let that hold them
back. The first few bites they seemed to think about what they were eating
but soon they were up to full speed. I hadn't put quite as much vinegar in
the marinade as I normally would but I figured the first time the boys
needed it a little milder. By the time everyone was full, I could see that
there would be plenty of the sauerbraten left to make some sandwiches for
my lunch, that is if I could keep the boys out of it. Maybe I need to get
a refrigerated vault. That way I could keep enough leftovers to make my
lunch. I don't think that putting a pad lock on the fridge would work.
The boys would just gnaw through the door and I was sure it would take
hardened steel to keep them out.
Corey and Bob headed for Corey's room for the lesson. The rest of
the boys picked up the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. After that
it was like someone had turned a switch. The boys dropped in the closest
chair and movement ceased. They didn't even talk much. It wasn't nearly
as long as normal before Bob came back from Corey's room. He chuckled and
said Corey wasn't up to his usual energy level and the lesson wasn't going
that well. A little more visiting and Bob headed home.
When I looked in the family room, JJ had his head on LT's shoulder
and his eyes were closed. The rest of the boys, except for Mark, were
nodding and looked about ready to drop off to sleep. Mark was channel
surfing but not finding anything he wanted to watch. All I could say was
it was a good thing they had done their homework Friday night. I chased
them off to take their showers and go to bed. I think the weekend was a
little much for them.
To be continued...
Well we cooked quite a bit. The pesto for the chicken is made thusly
1 cup packed basil leaves, stems removed.
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (put them on a pan and toast in a 375 oven
until lightly browned. Check frequently, when they start to turn color
they will soon burn. Trust me, burned pine nuts don't taste good. If you
see any black spots throw them out and start over.
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. I normally use close to a half
cup.
Large pinch of salt
Several grinds of black pepper
Two or three large cloves of garlic
Now you can add some things. Some parsley goes well, also some fresh
thyme or whatever you want. I've been known to put about a tablespoon of
fresh thyme leaves or a quarter cup of parsley, or maybe even some rosemary
in. You can use any or all. Just whatever you would use in a pesto.
Juice of a lemon, if real juicy only use one half.
Put it all in a food processor and turn it on. Add olive oil until
you have a thick paste. If you're going to put it on pasta add more olive
oil until it becomes soupier.
For the bread crumbs.
Six slices of bread, crusts removed. Use a good bread, not sliced
white.
A couple tablespoons of melted butter drizzled over the bread. Then
cube and put in food processor.
Add about a quarter cup of grated mozzarella cheese. Pulse food
processor until you have a crumb like mixture. You could also any of
several other cheeses, such as cheddar, or jack. For this I would stick
with a fairly firm cheese.
Then brown the chicken breasts. When browned, put a layer of pesto
topped with a layer of the bread crumbs on top of the breasts. Put them in
the oven and finish cooking. The pesto should be 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and
the bread crumbs 1/4 inch. You can also use the same recipe on steaks. If
you want to change it, use salsa instead of the pesto. If you use a hot
salsa, make the layer fairly thin or the salsa will overpower the chicken.
Also if you use salsa, some avocado slices, placed on top after the breasts
are cooked, are a nice garnish and taste good. Sour cream also goes well
with salsa.
On to the rice. Most rice pilafs are pretty tasteless, in my opinion. There really is no recipe but here is about how I make it.
1 cup of rice.
Two tablespoons oil
1 large yellow onion, medium dice
2 ribs of celery, medium dice
2 carrots, fine dice
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon curry powder
Salt and pepper
In a pan over medium heat, put in the oil and rice, stirring frequently. As soon as the rice starts to brown, add the diced vegetables. Continue cooking until the onions are translucent, frequently stirring. In a second pan lightly toast curry. Just put it in a dry pan and stir. When it starts to slightly change color, add to rice and vegetables. Add chicken stock, along with about a heaping teaspoon of salt and several grinds of pepper. As soon as the stock comes to a boil, stir and cover, turning heat way down. The stock should now just simmer. Continue cooking until the rice is done. If I have it I sometimes add a tablespoon of grated ginger. Sometimes I also add a couple cloves of garlic, very finely diced. To change the whole thing you can use tomato juice instead of chicken stock. If I use tomato juice I add a few squirts of Tabasco. You can also put a couple of cups of diced tomatoes in it. Just use what sounds good. It isn't really rice pilaf but has a lot more flavor. If you're rich, leave the curry out and use Saffron. I personally like the curry better but the Saffron is good once in a while. Do not waste the Saffron if you use tomato juice.
Sauerbraten. While I would not eat my pot roasts this way all the time, it is wonderful once in a while.
2 cups red wine vinegar
1 cup red wine (should be a dry red, not sweet)
1 cup white wine (likewise dry)
1/2 to 1 cup of cider vinegar. You may want to start with the 1/2 cup.
I use a cup. That gives it a lot of bite.
1 cup of water
2 large yellow onions coarsely diced
3 carrots diced
3 ribs of celery diced
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole allspice
3 or 4 whole cloves
1 heaping tablespoon pepper corns
1 heaping tablespoon salt
A four pound or bigger rolled rump roast or similar.
1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps
Crush allspice, cloves and pepper. Put liquids in a pan and start
heating. Add everything but the roast and gingersnaps. When the marinade
just comes to a boil, remove and pour over the roast which you have placed
in a bowl. Turn roast several times and when cool, cover and put in the
fridge. Turn at least twice daily. It should marinate three to four days.
When ready to cook, pat roast dry and brown in a pan with about 1/4 cup of
oil. When browned all over, remove and pour oil out of pan. Put the roast
back in the pan and pour strained marinade over it. Put in oven and bake
at 350 for about three hours. Cover the pan for the first couple of hours.
Be sure to turn the roast over several times. I generally turn it about
once every half hour. (Cooking time will depend on the size of the roast
and how tough the cut of meat. You don't want it to fall apart but you do
want it cooked until tender. That means it can vary from a little over two
hours to about three. I generally use an inexpensive cut and they are
frequently quite tough so the longer cooking and the marinade will
tenderize it.) When done, remove roast. Bring marinade to a boil and add
a roux made of 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup flour, cooked together but do not
brown. Adjust seasoning. Add 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnaps and continue
stirring. When smooth, again check and adjust seasoning. If you think it
is too sour you can add a little sugar. I wouldn't add over two
tablespoons at the most and I never add any. However one of my friends
likes it a little sweeter. I keep telling him to cut back on the vinegar
but he just adds sugar. Oh well. His is a little sweeter than I like but
still very good. Slice the roast and serve with some of the thickened
marinade over it.
There are tons of recipes for spaetzle. Just find one and use it.
You can just Google it or go to a site like recipezaar and get one. All it
is is an egg pasta. You can also put the sauce over potato dumplings or
just plain noodles. If I hadn't fixed potato salad I would have used
potato dumplings. Use some of the thickened marinade on the spaetzle.
One last thing. When I say adjust seasoning I am generally
referring to salt and pepper but you can also add some of the spices you
used in the dish, or something else. I have been know to add things like
Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, or any of a number of things if
a particular dish seems a little flat. While I wouldn't use the above
listed ones in Sauerbraten, except for the salt and pepper, a little lemon
juice can really brighten the flavor of vegetables. Sometime a little
sugar can help bring flavors out. It's one of those taste and think
things; does it need something to brighten, or something to mellow?
Sometimes a little sugar will mellow a dish. It depends on what you like.