The Christmas Pie Story

Photo A.M. Moscoso

When I was young

and was always getting in the way

my family got so tired of telling me to get lost, find something to do

” why are you still here Anita Marie”

that they tried little quips

to sound a little less like a broken record.

 

Once I wandered into the kitchen during

the mad rush to bake one more pie for Christmas Eve dessert  because it was always better to have a little extra

then not enough

and asked each of my hard working relatives about a million times

” What are you baking?”

and one of my relatives finally gave in and said

” baking a pie ”

” What kind of pie? ” I asked.

” You will find out later- now scram.”

I decided make the rounds AGAIN  and to ask the same question because I really did want an answer. So following their lead I made my question interesting because really, you can only ask about a pie so many ways and I had tried about a hundred of them in five minutes.

Even I was bored with myself at that point.

Bored but persistent.

” I just want to know, who got baked in  the pie.”

And then joy! I got a new response.

Several sets of eyes rolled around the room  and then down at me.

” What did you say?”

” What’s in the pie. ”

” That’s NOT what you said Anita Marie.”

” Yes it is. ”

” No, it wasn’t.”

” I just hope they’re yummy.”

Nobody told me to get out of their way, to scram, nobody moved, all eyes were on me and the last pie almost burned even though the timer was chiming from the counter top and it was very  loud.

And that is one of my favorite holiday memories, the jewel among many that I shall always cherish.

Inspired by the Ragtag Daily Prompt: Prompt: Jewel

Flavia Finn’s Path

 

Photo by Mohammed Ajwad on Pexels.com

Two weeks after losing her beloved dog, Domino to heart failure, Flavia Finn- lost and sad without her companion- found a glimmer of hope that things could be better- that there was  a place in the world for her after all.

” I have it, I know what I am going to do with the rest of my life starting now. Not later, not maybe, but now. I have it, I can see it. I have met my destiny and answered it’s call!”  Flavia Finn cried into the night from her garden under the stars.

She clasped her hands together and pushed them against her chest. ” Why did it take me so long to break out of these chains, this prison I  locked myself in. Why did I never see this before? It’s been here all along waiting for me to just reach down and-”

Tears were begin to pool in her eyes but Flavia Finn would not allow them to fall and ruin this wonderful night.

” Miss Finn? Flavia? Are you okay? I heard you from the street. Are you in trouble?” Flavia heard a woman’s voice echoing from the sidewalk in front of her house.

The voice belonged to her neighbor, Gail.

So at this most auspicious moment Flavia was a little surprised to see Gail Barton of all people.

Gail  was Flavia’s neighbor and they hadn’t spoken in years.

Six years before and a few days after Flavia had brought Domino home,  Gail had suggested that Flavia could break her10 week old puppy, who had jumped up and tried to lean against Gail’s shins, of that  bad habit, by stepping on her paws and pushing down hard enough to ‘teach her a lesson.’

Flavia had replied brightly , ” Oh my, that sounds like a plan. If I punched you in the throat do you think that would stop you from saying stupid things?

The air was so cool and the garden smelled so sweet and Flavia Finn was having the best night of her life. She decided nothing was going to spoil that. ” Of course not. Do you know what Gail? Tonight I found my purpose in life. My destiny. Right here. In my garden of all places.”

Gail picked her way carefully along the path to where Flavia was and she asked, ” Is that it?”

Flavia looked up and the tears she tried to hold in raced down her cheeks and into her ears.

She nodded.

” It’s a hole in the ground, an empty hole in the ground. That’s your purpose?  Are you supposed to put  something in it? Fill it? Are you sure Flavia? This is your purpose in life?

” You know, Gail you might be right. Maybe it’s not my purpose, maybe that hole isn’t my destiny after all”

Flavia Finn, with the Moon in her eyes and the Devil in her heart told her neighbor as she reached down to the spade at her feet.

” Maybe it’s yours.”

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I Won’t Quit You Halloween!

( I’ll note here that I actually do have a skeleton like the one pictured here and that I have considered doing this. )