Linda's Heart: Journal Prompt #3
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes
Seems simple enough, doesn’t it? Cook the potatoes, mash them with a masher or use a mixer to make them really creamy.
Every time I fix mashed potatoes for a meal, I think about Uncle Rex.
Bob
My cousin showed up one day at my aunt and uncle’s home, which was close to ours. No prior call. Just showed up—for a week. Said he was on vacation.
I’ll call him Bob.
When I saw her mowing that afternoon, I went to help with the cord and moved things out of the way. Then, I went inside for a drink of water.
Bob slouched on the couch.
“Why aren’t you helping Aunt Pauline with the mowing?”
“I’m on vacation. Bring me some water.”
I walked past him with two glasses of ice water.
“Where’s mine?”
I didn’t answer. Just elbowed my way out the door and handed one to Aunt Pauline.
Supper
Aunt Pauline prepared a nice supper and invited me and my sweetie to join them.
Bob sat at the table. “I don’t like green beans. You can take those back to the kitchen.”
Aunt Pauline’s face turned red with anger. “Someone else might want some.”
I moved the bowl of green beans away from him and placed it in front of my sweetie. Then, I asked how I could help. She asked me to put the rest of the food on the table, then glanced at Bob.
I got the message. I placed the platter of ham, a bowl of cole slaw. and a casserole dish of sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows as far from Bob as I could.
Before I could move the big bowl of mashed potatoes to the table, Uncle Rex told me he needed to pepper the potatoes.
He grabbed a pepper shaker and turned the potatoes to tweed. Then, he set the bowl in front of Bob.
“You put too much pepper on them! Take them away! I can’t eat them, either!”
Uncle Rex moved the bowl down the table so it was in front of his chair. He knew I didn’t like pepper at all.
I looked at Bob. I looked at Uncle Rex.
“This is the way Uncle Rex and I like them!” I pulled the bowl toward me, scooped two large spoonfuls onto my plate. and dug into them.
Bob pushed the cole slaw away, too. That left him with the ham and sweet potatoes. He grimaced at the toasted marshmallows. “Isn’t there anything else?”
Aunt Pauline said, “No. We’ll have the leftovers tomorrow.”
I almost gagged on all that pepper. So did my sweetie. But we praised all the food.
Dessert was a delicious bread pudding, which Bob didn’t eat. We devoured it and asked for more.
Bob left the next day, after telling me he had two weeks of vacation coming and intended to spend them with my aunt and uncle. “I’ll mail a list of foods I like.”
I told him not to come back.
“You can’t tell me what to do!”
“Don’t. Come. Back.”
He didn’t.
Supper Tonight
Hmmm. I think I’ll fix mashed potatoes tonight. Without turning them to tweed.
Hugs and Happiness,
Linda