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Individual Immunity Challenge 5: "ALL THE FIXINS"
Individual Immunity Challenge 5: "ALL THE FIXINS"
“Mini!” Anne shouted and rushed toward her, arms outstretched for a huge hug. Then dropping to her knees and she pulled the sweetest little furball ever toward her.
“Oh! And you’ve got wheels! Aren’t you the luckiest little girl in the whole world?” Her reward was to be smothered in doggie kisses and welcomed with little yips of excitement.
She called back to Herb over her shoulder, “did you make this for her?”
“I did indeed. She was kinda little for the ones they make and sell you for mega-bucks, and I designed it to grow with her.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a clean white handkerchief being offered.
“Thank you,” she said and daubed at her tear-filled eyes. “She is absolutely adorable! I love her!”
“The feeling is clearly mutual,” Herb said.
~~~
Anne pushed her chair back from the table a little. Mini’s wheels were parked by her feet and the dog, now full of tryptophan, was snoozing peacefully in her lap.
“Herb, you outdid yourself. What a wonderful meal and with all the fixins, too! Thank you.”
“You are very welcome. You know, I always liked being in the kitchen, but since my Luba died, there didn’t seem much point to fuss. I haven’t gone the TV dinner route, yet, but I’ve been pretty close. What did you think of the roasted Brussels?”
“Oh, they were so good. I’ve never tasted them done that way before. Did you notice I had two helpings? In fact, if you promise never to tell anyone, I had seconds of everything.”
Herb laughed, “Your secret’s safe with me. I add lemon juice to the Brussels when I roast them, makes all the difference.”
“Now why don’t we move to the living room for coffee and dessert…”
“Well, I think Mini needs changing, but if you show me where to take her, I’m happy to help her.”
“You really do love her! No one has ever offered to change her before. Follow me.”
She was led to a little half-bath behind the kitchen that was fully equipped with doggie-diapers and everything a dog needs to keep herself tidy. Anne gently lifted her onto the extended counter at the sink and proceeded to change her into a nice clean, dry diaper, all the while telling her what a lovely girl she was. She found a soft little brush and spent a few extra minutes brushing the dog’s curls. A teacup poodle had been her dream as a girl. She’d begged her mom for one. Later, she begged Ron, but he was allergic, even to non-allergenic dogs. It was not her destiny to have one, but she always adored them from afar.
When Mini was back in her harness she followed her new-found friend back to Herb.
“If your daddy will let me, I’m going to spoil you rotten.”
“Please, be my guest. She needs some spoiling. After Luba passed, I couldn’t leave her here all alone, so I take her to the shop with me, but she’s not fond of it. People coming and going all the time upset her, and the children just don’t get that she’s not a toy, so they won’t give her any peace. I’ve taken hiding her in the office, but that almost as bad as leaving her here. Spoil away!”
~~~
Dessert was plum pudding flambé with a marvelous custard sauce and coffee from one of those fancy machines that make every kind of coffee imaginable. Anne had a hazelnut and vanilla cappuccino.
“I feel utterly decadent,” she sighed. “I honestly can’t remember the last time I had such a lovely meal. Everything is perfect. Thank you so much for inviting me. This makes my planned microwaved meal at the house while I went through the bags seem … absolutely horrible. You saved me from that. Thank you. I never thought that day we met in your store…”
“Oh, we met before.”
“We did?”
“Yes, in school.”
“In school here?”
“Yes. I was a grade or two ahead of you, but we saw each other in the playground. You were a cutie.”
“I’m so sorry. I don’t remember you. I was in school in town for such a short time. I was eleven, maybe twelve. I think that was the year Mom and Auntie Bev had the big falling-out. We left and never came back. It was so sad.
“Do you have a picture of yourself back then?”
“Maybe this will help. I used to tease you. I had a bit of a crush on you even though you were younger. One day I teased you about your ears and…”
Anne gasped all the way down to her toes and unconsciously put her hands up to pat her hair down over her ears.
“And I went off on you like a rocket.”
“You did indeed. I will never forget what you said…”
“No, please don’t.”
“You told me that only a moron would judge a person for something they couldn’t control, like the color of their skin, or their hair, or their eyes, or the size of their nose or their ears, and that if I absolutely had to judge someone about something to make it something based on their character, or behavior. And then you told me that calling me a moron was a judgment on my character because only a fool would …”
“Oh, please stop! I am so sorry. And it’s even worse if you liked me. I feel awful.”
“One of the best things anyone ever told me. Don’t apologize. You made a huge difference in my life. Like most kids, I learned that kind of thing at home. My father and brothers were mean, constantly poking fun at people for things they couldn’t help. Even made fun of old Ralph the vet who lost his legs in the war.
“What you told me…it changed me. I stopped doing it that very day. You made a huge positive difference in my life and I’m grateful. I really am. And here’s the strange thing, when I stopped doing it and my brothers and dad saw me change, they eventually stopped doing it too. Especially after I told them it didn’t take much brainpower to make fun of cripples. Oh sure, I got a couple of swats for mouthing-off, but it sunk in. You did a good thing. I owe you.”
“Oh, Herb. I think you’re being way too generous. And I do remember you now. I remember being so self-righteous because I was so self-conscious about my ears. I’m mortified.”
“Well, you shouldn’t be. You spoke the truth. And you know, I was a moron, from a family of morons. But I like to think that thanks to you, I’m not such a moron anymore.”
Anne buried her burning face in her hands.
“We left not long after that, didn’t we?”
“Within days. I don’t think you came back to school. I thought it was because of me until my mother heard through the grapevine that your dad had come back or something like that.”
“Oh! That’s right! I remember hearing my mom tell Auntie Bev that…
To be continued…
“Mini!” Anne shouted and rushed toward her, arms outstretched for a huge hug. Then dropping to her knees and she pulled the sweetest little furball ever toward her.
“Oh! And you’ve got wheels! Aren’t you the luckiest little girl in the whole world?” Her reward was to be smothered in doggie kisses and welcomed with little yips of excitement.
She called back to Herb over her shoulder, “did you make this for her?”
“I did indeed. She was kinda little for the ones they make and sell you for mega-bucks, and I designed it to grow with her.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a clean white handkerchief being offered.
“Thank you,” she said and daubed at her tear-filled eyes. “She is absolutely adorable! I love her!”
“The feeling is clearly mutual,” Herb said.
~~~
Anne pushed her chair back from the table a little. Mini’s wheels were parked by her feet and the dog, now full of tryptophan, was snoozing peacefully in her lap.
“Herb, you outdid yourself. What a wonderful meal and with all the fixins, too! Thank you.”
“You are very welcome. You know, I always liked being in the kitchen, but since my Luba died, there didn’t seem much point to fuss. I haven’t gone the TV dinner route, yet, but I’ve been pretty close. What did you think of the roasted Brussels?”
“Oh, they were so good. I’ve never tasted them done that way before. Did you notice I had two helpings? In fact, if you promise never to tell anyone, I had seconds of everything.”
Herb laughed, “Your secret’s safe with me. I add lemon juice to the Brussels when I roast them, makes all the difference.”
“Now why don’t we move to the living room for coffee and dessert…”
“Well, I think Mini needs changing, but if you show me where to take her, I’m happy to help her.”
“You really do love her! No one has ever offered to change her before. Follow me.”
She was led to a little half-bath behind the kitchen that was fully equipped with doggie-diapers and everything a dog needs to keep herself tidy. Anne gently lifted her onto the extended counter at the sink and proceeded to change her into a nice clean, dry diaper, all the while telling her what a lovely girl she was. She found a soft little brush and spent a few extra minutes brushing the dog’s curls. A teacup poodle had been her dream as a girl. She’d begged her mom for one. Later, she begged Ron, but he was allergic, even to non-allergenic dogs. It was not her destiny to have one, but she always adored them from afar.
When Mini was back in her harness she followed her new-found friend back to Herb.
“If your daddy will let me, I’m going to spoil you rotten.”
“Please, be my guest. She needs some spoiling. After Luba passed, I couldn’t leave her here all alone, so I take her to the shop with me, but she’s not fond of it. People coming and going all the time upset her, and the children just don’t get that she’s not a toy, so they won’t give her any peace. I’ve taken hiding her in the office, but that almost as bad as leaving her here. Spoil away!”
~~~
Dessert was plum pudding flambé with a marvelous custard sauce and coffee from one of those fancy machines that make every kind of coffee imaginable. Anne had a hazelnut and vanilla cappuccino.
“I feel utterly decadent,” she sighed. “I honestly can’t remember the last time I had such a lovely meal. Everything is perfect. Thank you so much for inviting me. This makes my planned microwaved meal at the house while I went through the bags seem … absolutely horrible. You saved me from that. Thank you. I never thought that day we met in your store…”
“Oh, we met before.”
“We did?”
“Yes, in school.”
“In school here?”
“Yes. I was a grade or two ahead of you, but we saw each other in the playground. You were a cutie.”
“I’m so sorry. I don’t remember you. I was in school in town for such a short time. I was eleven, maybe twelve. I think that was the year Mom and Auntie Bev had the big falling-out. We left and never came back. It was so sad.
“Do you have a picture of yourself back then?”
“Maybe this will help. I used to tease you. I had a bit of a crush on you even though you were younger. One day I teased you about your ears and…”
Anne gasped all the way down to her toes and unconsciously put her hands up to pat her hair down over her ears.
“And I went off on you like a rocket.”
“You did indeed. I will never forget what you said…”
“No, please don’t.”
“You told me that only a moron would judge a person for something they couldn’t control, like the color of their skin, or their hair, or their eyes, or the size of their nose or their ears, and that if I absolutely had to judge someone about something to make it something based on their character, or behavior. And then you told me that calling me a moron was a judgment on my character because only a fool would …”
“Oh, please stop! I am so sorry. And it’s even worse if you liked me. I feel awful.”
“One of the best things anyone ever told me. Don’t apologize. You made a huge difference in my life. Like most kids, I learned that kind of thing at home. My father and brothers were mean, constantly poking fun at people for things they couldn’t help. Even made fun of old Ralph the vet who lost his legs in the war.
“What you told me…it changed me. I stopped doing it that very day. You made a huge positive difference in my life and I’m grateful. I really am. And here’s the strange thing, when I stopped doing it and my brothers and dad saw me change, they eventually stopped doing it too. Especially after I told them it didn’t take much brainpower to make fun of cripples. Oh sure, I got a couple of swats for mouthing-off, but it sunk in. You did a good thing. I owe you.”
“Oh, Herb. I think you’re being way too generous. And I do remember you now. I remember being so self-righteous because I was so self-conscious about my ears. I’m mortified.”
“Well, you shouldn’t be. You spoke the truth. And you know, I was a moron, from a family of morons. But I like to think that thanks to you, I’m not such a moron anymore.”
Anne buried her burning face in her hands.
“We left not long after that, didn’t we?”
“Within days. I don’t think you came back to school. I thought it was because of me until my mother heard through the grapevine that your dad had come back or something like that.”
“Oh! That’s right! I remember hearing my mom tell Auntie Bev that…
To be continued…