"Oh my—Robert! You burned the bread?"
Robert, one of my favorite chefs of all time, stood at the far end of the kitchen, a hot loaf of bread wrapped up in a towel in his hands. It was almost too dark to be considered bread, that was for sure. Robert never burned the bread, that was kind of his specialty, this was a new sight for the whole kitchen.
"No. We cannot serve this!" Mama Eleni threw her arms up in despair and brought them down to her shaking head.
"I am sorry, Chef—"
She pinched the bridge of her nose, the action seemed to stop Robert in his tracks.
One deep breath. "Ok. ok. It is fine." She tried to assure herself and Robert, her thick accent a memory come to life again. One never knew how much something was truly missed until it was thrust back into their life.
"Start over on that loaf." She turned away to work back at her surface but whipped back around to Robert with a small grin sliding across her face. "Don't you call me Chef. We've known each other too long for formalities." She passed him a small wink that I could visibly see loosened the tension in his shoulder. While she was as fierce as a lion, Mama Eleni made everyone feel like they were a part of her great big family.
The smile that grew across my lips was one that I could never fake. I forgot how wonderful it was to be here, with these people. Pretty much every summer before college throughout my high school years I had spent in the back kitchen. On days after school when I was feeling particularly down in the dumps I would show up unannounced and Mama Eleni would make me something delicious, even when the kitchen was hectic. She always had time for me and Robert would usually sneak in a cup of warm raspberry tea—apple cider in the winters.
The guilt that settled in for not coming back this past summer was like an anchor pulling me to the depths of a shameful sea. I guessed I had messed up in quite a few areas.
Mama Eleni threw spices into a large bowl before proceeding to chop up a small fragment of ginger. Her hands dumping and sprinkling with ease, throwing everything together as easy as telling your neighbor hi, assuming you loved your neighbor. Whether subconscious or not there was a small smile etched into her features as she did this, I loved watching her in her element.
On the station beside me there was a small plate of their oil mix and sourdough bread chunks for dipping. I snatched an extra piece of the bread still sitting on the cutting board and dipped it into the sauce. Was that gross? I would get them some new oil mix, but I wanted to taste it, like I used to.
"Keep watch over the kitchen Selah." She told me after she had thrown a sprinkle of pepper into her array of spices and herbs. Her eyes widened and she placed her hands on her hips. "Selah!"
I stared back at her, unable to help the smile that curved on my lips.
"That is someone else' food! What was I thinking bringing you back in here!"
"I was just checking it." I shrugged innocently.
"I cannot serve what you have touched."
"That," I grinned and gently grabbed the plate of bread, the little oil dish sitting atop of it, "Is just perfect."
Her hips remained firmly at her sides but a smile was on her lips. It was impossible for Mama Eleni to be mad at me, completely impossible.
"I need to grab one last thing. Don't let it burn. And do not eat anything else off the plates or I will have to kick you out." She warned playfully, she then called across the kitchen. "Robert! Come show Selah how to make the oil mix!"
أنت تقرأ
I Will Wait
العاطفيةI broke my promise. He did not deserve it. I had not seen him in two years, now I was back. Everything was falling apart underneath my feet. Was God working against me? When I returned home from college I had never expected for my boyfriend to brea...
