AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I thought about it.
“I think I need to make chili,” I replied. “Do you mind if I use your kitchen?”
“No.”
“Do you mind if I invite everyone over?”
“No.”
“If you don’t get home in time, I’ll save you some.”
“Your chili as good as your chicken fried steak?” he asked.
What could I say? Even I really liked my chili.
“It’s okay,” I lied.
“You are so full of shit.”
* * *
Ike showedup and everyone broke off to perform the tasks I assigned. A contingent to my apartment to pick up my huge, heavy-bottomed pot that I made chili in and other kitchen utensils that would be needed (because Lord knew Eddie didn’t have what I’d need). A contingent to the liquor store (because Lord knew we’d need booze). And I took Lottie and Ike to King Soopers and whisked them through in my normal mad dash.
Ike was another of Lee’s boys that I didn’t know too well. I didn’t tag Ike as being the kind of guy who drank coffee. More like raw eggs and we didn’t serve those at Fortnum’s.
He was a light-skinned black man, a few inches taller than me, wiry, bald and he had one of those tattoos that originated somewhere else, but you could see where it slithered partially up his neck and down his arm.
We descended on Eddie’s and everyone went in. Mom and Trixie immediately started looking around with expressions that could only be described as awe, as if we’d entered the Taj Mahal.
“Eddie own this place?” Trixie asked, or more likebreathed.
Wonderful.
“Yeah,” I answered, lugging groceries into the kitchen.
Daisy was already there.
“Is that the coffeemaker?” She was pointing to the KitchenAid.
I knew it was pushing it, considering God let my dad live that day, but I still sent word.
“What about the coffeemaker?” Mom asked.
“Eddie and Jet bought that together,” Daisy answered.
God’s answer was that he didn’t feel like working overtime.
Mom and Trixie stared at me.
I couldn’t do it. They had hope glittering in their eyes and we needed hope that day, so I nodded and let the coffeemaker work its magic.
I made vast amounts of chili.
Usually, chili was easy to make.
It was harder when Blanca was hovering around me.
“You need more cayenne,” she told me, after taking a spoonful of the simmering stew.
