Grocery Day (short poetry fiction)

On occasion I dabble in fiction and usually it is not that exciting but hey this is a blog were else should I post my creative flows.I think I'll post fiction and poetry more often.I might as well add my own stories to the mix.

Morgan McWilliams and I have been friends for twenty years and over one hundred barbecues.

Time has flown by so quickly since the day we met in the meat section of Food A Rama.

That was the year I found my prize winning roast, yet to hear her tell the story I stole it.

I recall spotting that particular piece of meat laying in the bin slightly peering out at me.

It was underneath a couple of fat laden rewrapped excuses for fresh quality pork.

I scooped it up and into my cart before she even made it out of the poultry section.

Of course after the fact, miss eagle eyes came running over to view what was in my basket.
Then she had the nerve to get in line behind me,I had to find out who this noisy body was.

We started chatting,in five minutes we shared our love of cooking and similar sense of humor



Today I'm back in the same market, for the same reason, well almost.
It's smaller than I remember,the grey speckled pattern floors look old too.
At least they are clean, after all who wants to sort through dirt to find loose change.
Yes that is exactly why they put that design in here, they want their sale money back.
The minute you reach in your pocket and a dime drops a silent alarm goes off in the back.
A guy with a extra long dust mop comes out during store hours to claim these little offerings.
They could clean the floor at closing like the other chains do but customers might slip on silver. If that happened prices would go up higher than they already are in this little dinky place.
That's not why I'm here though, I'm searching for another little beauty to grill on Labor day.

I can still recall the best ever plate of swine I have had, it was in September at Morgan's.
Labor day she invited to me her house for the traditional last cookout of the year.
Front and center on the table was a beautiful piece of grilled pork, picture perfect.
Never have I tasted a piece of meat as tender and flavorful, I had to know the recipe.
She smiled and said "I would give it to you but I've suddenly developed culinary amnesia".
We laughed, I figured she would take that secret to her grave and she did so I thought.

I found it neatly written in between the creases of my birthday card,the last one she sent me. Two years, that's how long it took to discover the hidden message, girlfriend tricked me again!
I was on a budget that year having just sent my only clone off to college leaving moi in a funk. One year older and an empty nester at that the note said,it also had a gift card from Shelley's.
It fell in my purse immediately, I didn't even call her up. Instead I rushed to Shelley's boutique. What woman wouldn't like to treat herself to bath oils, soaps, chocolates and spices in a crisis. She knew I had not pampered myself in years, not since my divorce and that food was my joy.
I needed those things to get me through the insane world I found myself working in at the time.

I forgot to tell y'all I'm a pack rat,everyone knows it,I no longer deny the fact, it's pointless.
I managed to hold on to everything from the day I was born, at least it appears that way.
When Morgan passed I went back over every note,picture and card she ever sent me.
That's how I found it,Baby sis surely did get me good on that one.I can see her smiling now.
I was one month older than her but to me she was the wiser elder and a good listener.
Somehow she knew my heart stories, as I tried to sugar coat them with verbal reconstruction.

That's why I drove back across town to the old neighborhood to grocery shop.
Driving down University Ave was the only familiar left on that side of the city for me.
I wanted to go back home and walk into the memories I left behind so long ago .
We were two young sisters living a block apart.I was raising my child alone,she was all alone.
I found a built in baby sitter and she found a new extended family all was perfect.
Still holds so many memories most have faded but a few are still as clear as a Autumn day.

My cart had to be as old as the store and of course I found the one with a broken wheel.
The section for meats had more factory packaged butts than nicely trimmed butchered cuts.
Still I managed to find a nice shoulder at a decent price eighty nine cents a pound not bad at all.
My daughter the wonder lust child was coming home and I wanted to prepare aunties roast.
Never mind the child gave up meat years ago but conveniently forgets when I grill a shoulder.
We sat and talked that night a deep mother daughter exchange full of love and life tales.
It felt like she was there with us, as we cleared the table and our hearts I thought of the future.

I said a silent prayer for the both of us that we may both continue our journey in light.
My wish for my child included spiritual wealth,to be able to live a life of substance.
Her world should be balanced with enough joy to overcome any sorrow in it's many forms.
If she chooses to raise a family that she stays open to learning what must be passed on.
I hoped too she experiences the joy of unconditional friendship the core of true sisterhood.
I found that many years ago and I haven't stopped growing since .