Easter
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Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis
Marge didn't eat lamb or pork. Looking at the meat selections in the supermarket, Chuck wasn't sure what to buy for Easter dinner. Once he made lamb, but Marge refused to eat it. Chuck bought some vegetables and went home.
—What are you making for Easter dinner? asked Marge.
—I dunno. You won't eat lamb or pork, so I don't know what to make.
—Can't you make ham slices with pineapple rings and brown sugar like my mother used to make?
—I could do that, but it is so Eisenhower era.
—Well, that's what I'd like, said Marge.
Chuck didn't know. As a kid his family always had leg of lamb on Easter: Agnus Dei and all that.
Chuck went to the market the next day and bought a small ham, a can of Dole pineapple rings, sweet potatoes and green beans.
For Easter dinner Chuck prepared: bland sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows; green beans with butter; ham with a coating of brown sugar and pineapple rings; and an industrial dousing of salt and pepper.
—This is the best meal you've ever made, said Marge, helping herself to another slice of ham.
When Chuck did the dishes, he threw the leftovers in the garbage. The night before he had made salmon almandine, sautéed broccoli rabe with pine nuts, rice pilaf with shitake mushrooms and a kale and avocado salad. Marge hated it.
Chuck tried to remember if Easter was when Jesus was crucified, or if crucifixion was a fact of married life. He remembered Easter celebrations came after all the pain and suffering. Like Passover, it was a story followed by eating. Chuck never figured out why Easter involved ham, or how that fit in with Jews and Romans, or for that matter Christians.
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Author's Note
A holiday story.
A good telling. I like the back 7 forth here. Especially like your detailed approach to food in this piece -
"—This is the best meal you've ever made, said Marge, helping herself to another slice of ham.
When Chuck did the dishes, he threw the leftovers in the garbage. The night before he had made salmon almandine, sautéed broccoli rabe with pine nuts, rice pilaf with shitake mushrooms and a kale and avocado salad. Marge hated it."
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Thank you Sam and for the fav. Yes, it's the details. I thought cuisine had come a long way living in NYC, but down here in Florida, I discovered it is still 1954: Canned food, canned music and chain restaurants.
Wonderful story.
Of course, we love best what we ate in the comfort of our growing up. Not sure what those who grew up without comfort love.
So true Gary. Thank you for the compliment.
Easter has to be the most confusing and depressing of all the Christian holidays. You really caught that aspect of it here!
I enjoyed the Agnus Dei mention- made me hear this piece as a sort of Requiem, which it might well be.
* It's what they like, it's what they like.
This is too sad to eat. Here is mine along those lines:
http://fictionaut.com/stories/ann-bogle/liberty-of-cooking
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Carol I have to agree with you. Being basically a totally secular man, Easter just doesn't do much for me. Agnus Die is the fifth and last part of the ordinary of the Latin mass. I learned this in music school, not in church.
Thanks for your wise comment.
You've got that right Oliver. You can't fight it for sure. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Ann I like the wonderful goose formation list. I seem to remember reading a review of that book about cooking with canned goods. But, I digress. Thank you for reading and commenting and the link to your wonderful story.
Easter is the simplest and most inspiring of the Christian holidays, as its message is the rebirth of the human soul.
Sounds like my first marriage. Number two sort of ended up that way, too. *
Jake-
Ahhh, the problems of human relations.
Thanks for the comment.
Buric- Thanks for the comment. I could agree if I weren't a totally secularized person. However, that may be the point of the story. Why isn't Easter a simple rejoicing of the human soul? You've got a good point and so did I in this story.