The good mood continues, as Mama and Kitten prepare dinner and enjoy it outside in the pergola.

Scene 5: First Dinner in Their New Home

Standing at their new Formica kitchen counter, Karen held vegetables down with the weight of her weak left hand, so her strong right could chop them with a French chef knife on the cutting board. She shredded romaine, sliced tomatoes, and diced red bell peppers into a magnificent green salad. Then she topped it with the delectable Italian dressing that Mama had taught her to make. She used only olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh parsley, lemon juice, garlic cloves, dried basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and dried oregano. Next, she organized marinated baby carrots, radishes, and celery sticks into a crisp circle of crunchy crudités around the edge of a small platter.

Hovering over her, Mama filled soup bowls. She had simmered her savory slow-cooked chicken, with potatoes, onions, carrots and celery, all day in a deep pressure cooker. She and Karen both inhaled and then sighed, when she opened the lid and let the aroma rise with the steam.

After carrying their meals out the side door and placing them on the wooden dining table, they sat and enjoyed the quiet evening in the pergola. In the pergola, they enjoyed the dinner they had prepared together, and agreed that the new house was beautiful and felt homey. Karen thought that the white picket fence and flower gardens were prettier than any she had ever seen. The new plaster and wallpaper made the rooms delightfully warm. All the effort they had put into it was worth it. Karen felt blessed by everything that had recently occurred. Miracles had come their way, and Pegasus had been at the center of them all, but she needed to discuss what would begin in a few days.

“Mama,” she said. “I know it may be too much to celebrate on top of move, but Hanukkah is coming up, and you haven’t said anything about it…I was just wondering?”

She watched as Mama put down her soup spoon and said, “Oy vey! My Krana Layala, I would never let Hanukkah go by without celebrating. Besides, this year we have so much to give thanks for. This is going to be a perfect Hanukkah. Don’t you worry. I have it all planned. Hanukkah doesn’t start until Tuesday night, so we have tomorrow after school to get ready.”

Overcome with joy, and thankful that she could always count on her Mama, Karen jumped up and hugged her.

“And I have you to be thankful for Mama. You’re even better than a new house!”

©2021, Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved.