THE  27Th  EDITIOn

Thanksgiving
by Gideon Devendra

It was Thanksgiving Day and the Roberts family was busy preparing for the most special meal of the year. The house was ablaze as people rushed in and out to get everything ready for dinner. It would be the first year Grandmother Ruth would not be cooking. She had passed her famous recipe on to Jen, who would have the honors of creating a meal meant to hold everyone over until next year. Preparations had to begin early in the morning as the meat would take eight hours to prepare and cook to perfection. Jen was nervous. She didn’t want to mess up the food, but more importantly, she didn’t want to disappoint Grandmother Ruth. She was a hard woman to please.

           Grandmother Ruth was having a hard time staying out of the kitchen. She knew it was finally time to let others prepare the meal, but anxiety would sometimes get the best of her, compelling her to drift into the kitchen and instruct Jen on how to properly mash and glaze the sweet potatoes. She decided to try and take her mind off of it by watching the parade on television. Ballet dancers in perfect formation twirled in the air as they walked down 34th Street. Grandmother Ruth shivered just thinking about the weather in New York. How dreadful, she thought. Much better to stay indoors. A large inflatable Popeye was marched down the street. Oh, I hope the boys were able to catch us a main course. All of this work would mean nothing without the main course.

           Just as these anxieties began to creep through Grandmother Ruth’s mind, the twins, Lucy and Timmy, ran into her lap. “We’re huuungry!” they both exclaimed.

           “Now, now, we can’t be spoiling our special dinner. Let's keep those bellies empty so you can fill 'em up with good food. Your Daddy and Uncle Dana are coming home soon with the main course!” Oh, how the thought of it made her mouth water. It had been too long since she tasted the sweetness of human flesh.

           The twins ran off to play with their toys. Timmy and Lucy were always super excited for Thanksgiving because they got to see everyone in the family. They were most excited to see Aunt Viv and Uncle Justin as they always had presents for them. Aunt Viv and Uncle Justin traveled the globe and always brought strange treats home for the twins. Since Jen would be cooking this year, they decided to help her out by bringing side dishes. Mashed potatoes were Dana’s favorite so they made them from scratch the night before. 

            They coordinated with Cousin Ashley and Cousin Donna, who agreed to bring wine and green bean casserole, as well as Hugo, who agreed to bring the stuffing. Hugo was not technically a part of the family but was instead a neighbor to the Roberts. Nobody remembered how or why he began coming around, but he had been a Thanksgiving guest for well over a decade.

            It was at this point that Dana and Travis arrived in front of the brick house carrying a big blue cooler. They immediately took it to the rundown shed in the back. Jen, with the help of the twins, spent a better part of the morning laying out plastic wrap in the shed so that it would stay clean and sanitary. Lucy had gotten a splinter while putting plastic wrap over the large work table that stood in the center of the shed. Grandmother Ruth had to get out her tweezers to pluck the shard of pine out of her finger. Luckily, Lucy was 8 now so she didn’t even cry. She was excited to tell her Daddy that.

            As Dana and Travis set down the cooler, Lucy ran out to tell them about the events of her day. Dana laughed while Travis scooped up his daughter into a tight embrace. He could not believe how old his kids were getting. Thanksgiving always made him sentimental. 

           “Baby-girl, go inside with your brother. Daddy and Uncle Dana have to cut up the meat so Mommy can cook it!”

            Grandmother Ruth increased the volume of the announcer on the television to drown out the buzzing of the chainsaw. The dog show was starting and she liked to hear all the different names and breeds. An hour and 15 minutes later, Travis stepped into the kitchen with twelve parcels – similar in size – neatly wrapped in paper. “He was a big one. Took longer than expected but it should be the juiciest we have had in a long time.”

           Jen smiled. “I’ll get started on him right away.”

           Travis whistled for the dog. “Kids! Uncle Dana is outside with the intestines! Bring Teddy outside and you can feed him.”

           The twins screamed in delight as they ran out the back door towards the shed while calling for Teddy to follow. A large golden retriever lumbered along after them.

           Jen worked furiously to cook the meat. As everyone arrived at the house, they began to help Jen with the meat as well as prepare the various dishes they brought. Soon the dining table was set with the best china and silverware the Roberts could afford. Grandmother Ruth inspected the table to make sure everything was in its proper place. Some of the fine china was chipped and the silverware was not as shiny as it had once been, but it was still the nicest Grandmother Ruth had seen. “As Grandmother Ruth always says, you can't eat a million dollar meal on paper plates!” exclaimed Cousin Ashley as she poured herself a glass of Pinot Noir.

          “It's unbecoming to pour yourself a glass and not offer to anyone else,” huffed Grandmother Ruth.

           Cousin Ashley laughed. “You haven’t changed a bit, have you Ruthie?”

           Grandmother Ruth gave her a stare that could kill a bear before walking off to check on the twins. It had started to rain outside so the twins brought their antics indoors. They were running around the table screaming at each other as Cousin Donna, Aunt Viv, and Dana laid out dishes. Grandmother Ruth stepped between them. “What is all this ruckus? You two are going to break something.”

           Timmy pouted as he said, “Lucy said that she was going to be the one that gets to eat the eyeballs. I want them. It's my turn this year.”

           Hugo knelt down next to the twins. “Do you know what the beauty of the human body is? There are two eyes,” he said while holding up two long, crooked fingers, “you each can eat one!” He winked and patted Timmy on the back. “Everyone is just getting a little hangry!”

           Finally, everyone was corralled to the dinner table. Grandmother Ruth delicately and expertly carved the meat to serve. The Roberts family sat down and eyed the food. It was cooked perfectly. Golden brown and crispy skin surrounded plump, tender meat. Side dishes of mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, and sweet potatoes with toasted marshmallows  were arranged around the steaming flesh. The smell in the air was heavenly yet torturous as everyone waited in anticipation. Stomachs rumbled. Lips were licked. Hunger and excitement could be seen in everyone’s eyes. 

          “Wait. Before we start, everyone needs to say what they are thankful for. It is tradition after all.” Everyone turned and looked at Grandmother Ruth with pleading eyes but she did not give in. “Who would like to go first?”

          After a pause, Travis stood up. “I am thankful for all of you coming. I am thankful that I was able to spend more time playing catch with Lucy and race matchbox cars with Timmy. And finally, I am thankful for my beautiful wife who spent all day preparing this meal.”

          Timmy jumped up next. “I am grateful for the tooth fairy coming and giving me a dollar for my tooth!” He smiled widely so that everyone could see his missing front tooth.

          Uncle Dana laughed before speaking up. “I am thankful for Charlie.” He gestured to the golden hunk of meat in the center of the table. “He was a very nice man that Travis and I met on the bus this morning. He told us about a new bowling alley that is opening up on the other side of town. We should all go one of these days.”

          Travis nodded in agreement. “Yeah, he was a very nice man. Good conversationalist. Once we saw him, we knew he was the one.”

          Grandmother Ruth saw Lucy sneak a bite of her mashed potatoes. She sighed. “Oh alright, I can see everyone is restless to start eating. Dig in.”

          Nobody spoke. All that could be heard was chewing and the occasional cough. It was indeed the juiciest meat any of them had had in years. Soon everyone was stuffed except for little Timmy. He kept on eating and eating. Grandmother Ruth made a note to talk to Jen about the boy’s weight. Travis looked down at his boy and smiled. He loved the way Thanksgiving brought his family together. Timmy looked up from his food at his father with bright eyes and flashed a wide toothy grin. A droplet of red dribbled down his chin.